Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-05-24

members of the lower house of congress an,
the electors for president are the only one
It thus elected. U. S. senator's, judges, the pres
ldent and vice president, all subordinat,
executive officials, and the officers of tn,
army and navy are all selected in another
way. They are all, however, chosen by thost
VINO owe their own election, either directl,
or Indirectly, to the people. 1t is thus essen
I, TALLY true that sur general government un
der The constitution is one representative o
e the people.
VI. 1t Is government of specific powers
e with regard to this there is some difference
OF opinion. but the great majority of oul
r ]urlsts and constitutional statesmen have helG
1t to be true. Perhaps it may be we'll to state
what is meant by this. National governments
usually possess the entire circle Of pollti
cal powers. They may legislate on all ques.
tons affecting the civil rights of their sub
) )ects, except where they have been specially
prohibited. Such governments are general.
Our states possess such authority. They have
all political power which has not been ex-
pressly denied them. The United States
government was not formed for general nun.
lcpal purposes. 1t was not meant to under
take the general administration of civil law.
1t was organized for a special purpose, for
The discharge of only small part of the Or
binary functions of government. Its sphere
OF action. being thus limited and definite, IL
specifically set forth in the constitution. 1t
can iegislate within this sphere only.
That this is the correct Interpretation of
the constitution Is manifest from the famous
tenth amendment. aud from the discussions
and ratifying acts Of the state conventions
which adopted it.
The sphere of the United States govern
ment is specifically limited to three classes of
questions, national, interstate and interna-
tional. ..
VII. 1t is delegated, Jsleral government,
All constitutional governments are delegated,
and embrace all forms except pure demo-
cracies and absolute monarchies. A pure
democracy is not delegated government, for
the reason that in it the original sovereigns.
the people, administer the law. An absolute
monarchy is based upon the fiction of the
original, divine sovereignty OF the king. 1t
ls' therefore, in theory an undelcgated gov
ernment. Republics and constitutional mon.
arches are governments which administer
law by virtue of the authority delegated TO
them by the original sovereigns, the people,
III this sense, the United States are a repre-
sentative democracy; a fact already noticed.
But our general government is delegated
one IN another sense. Its powers are pos
sessed aud welded, not by virtue of a direct
and immediate grant from the people, but as
conferred by states, sovereign and indepen-
dent, themselves the direct depostaries of
poiitical power from the people. The people
delegate their political power to the states,
anu the states delegate a portion of it to the
United States. Our general government is u
confederated republic, whose polite al units
are the states.
ihat this Is the true conception of our ma
| tiOnal government, as it was In the minds of
It's trainers anu its ratitiers, hardly admits of
question. lfany one doubts it,let him read tho
| debates in tue federal convention of 1887 and
| in the several state conventions which ratified
the constitution, and he will lind not single
Inconsistent fact and hardly single discor-
| dant utterance. 1t WAS the accepted theory
bo-h of the nationals and of the federals. 1t
Will be necessary to quote the nationals only.
Wilson, of Penn, in his state convention
said:-"lf those opinions and wishes are as
well founded as they have been general, the
iate convention were justified in proposing to
theif constituents one confederate republic, us
Tie Dest system of Il national government for
the Uhited States" Rufus King, of Mass:
Ii we mean to support an efficient .fsleral
government, the proposed constitution is In
my opinion the only one," &c. Alex. Hamil-
"
confederucy affords the surest preventious
from error, and the most powerful checks to
misconduct" Madison, of ' a. :-"The mem.
Ders OF the Jederal government will have no
agency in carrying the state constitutions into
effect" Washington:-"The senate would at
all times cooperate in every measure which
may tend to promote the welfare of this con.
Jsderated republic" These will sut ce a. Illus.
tratlons OF many more that could be given. |
Inc whole structure of our government |
depends upon the states. Not the senate only. |
but the lower house, the judiciary and the |
executive are indirectly, if not directly, de-
pendent Tor their political existence and con-
tihuahce upon the states. The constitution
WAS framed by the states Us stafes All the
votes IN the convention were so taken. 1t was
ratihed by the states rs states. Two states
ior Two years refused TO ratify. and were not
included in the Union. 1t is amended by the
states as states. Thus we see that our general
government was framed by the states, ratified
by the states, is amended by the states and is
administered by the states. 1t is a confeder-
ate republic of sovereign states.
VIII. IL Is suprenae, nationul government,
mat 1t Is national government is denied
only by the most extreme of the Calhoun ar
South Carolina school. Its national character
Is asserted or assumed by nine -tenths of the
writer's or speakers upon the constitution,
Jeherson's idea was that the convention
'pouiu form constitution "to make us one
hatlon as to foreign concerns" In the Ken.
lucky Resolutions, drawn by him, is this
language, ut considers union for specitied
national purposes, and particularly to those
speclled III their late federal compact, to be
friendly To the peace, happiness and prosper
lty OF all the states" Wilson, speaking of
the constitutional convention :-"lhey found
themselves embarrassed with another difficult
" OF peculiar deicacy and Importance.
mean that of drawing II proper line between
-he national government and the governments
- ~ ~ >A" ''"'eS' IL was easy 10 discover l.,
l proper and satisfactory principle on the
subject. Whatever object of government IS 4.
'ohhhea IN It's operation and effects within
he bounds of particular state should be
Considered nS belonging to the government of |.
nat slate; Whatever object of government
extends in lis operations Or effect, beyond
lie bounds of particular state, should be
Considered As belonging to the government of =,
lie United States" Webster, in his speecb
N the Calhoun Resolutions of 1889. SAWS.
All agree that the convention had formed a
ohslltuiion tor national government"
AleX. Stephens:-.In one sense il Is a na- | .
ional government" Madison: n:-.Federal in | Il
$ formation aud national in its operation" Il
aihoun This nation was rapidly chang
* the character OF its industry" :,
The general government is a government. II
no mere league. The constitution il not n
eaty We have Il federal legislature, fed
fal Judiciary, Il federal executive. We have c
federal government This federal govern. L
lent Is national. 1t discharges all the func-
ohs Of national government within its n
"n proper sphere. This sphere is exclusive a. :.
the STATES. The state governments have in
authority within this sphere. The sphere
easily defined. 1t includes all matters that pt
'hcern the entire country. "for the general =
eliare; all questions that arise between The | w
A.. ,.n