Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-06-05

ntiONNN tHS tNinpiiSo VI NlSONEs /
giving a sketch of the state govern
ments separately, showing their al |
most entire lack of unity, aud the
want of any general power over the |
whole. He alluded to the condition
of human governments through the
middle ages. Coming down to the
time of the formation of our gov
ernment, he sketched the terrible
conflict in the convention between
the opposing theories Of Hamilton
and Jefferson which resulted in
what he termed a compromise as
embodied in the Constitution finally
adopted. Federal and State rights
next claimed the speakers atten-
ton. He reviewed the argument of
those whose theories tended to mon
archy that it was impossible that
two distinct jurisdictions could be
had over the same territory, and,
perhaps, in respect to the same mat
tiers, or that subjects could not owe
allegiance to two powers at the
same time and be loyal to both. He
undertook to show how history had
demonstrated the wisdom of the
conclusion Of the founders of our
government, in treating such juris-
dictions as harmonious and consis-
tent with each other. He claimed
that the Federal power was not su-
preme to that of the State govern
ments, but that the subject owed an
allegiance to the supreme power in
the State in respect to State matters,
and another distinct and separate
allegiance to such matters as per-
tanned to the general government,
and defined what he conceived to
belong to each. But unfortunately,
he continued, an institution existed
in the country which a majority
conceded to be wrong and oppres-
sive in the abstract, but which it
was thought best, upon the grounds
of absolute necessity, to leave to the
control of the States in which it ex-
listed. Unhappily 1t could not be
controlled without Federal aid, Civ
ing both State and general govern
ment an absolute or limited control
of it. This was illogical and incon-
siStent and for this reason and cause
all the trouble came. Not so much
from the passions Of men as from
the inconsistency and impossibility
of It's existence under our form Of
government. AS time passed on it
spread over territory under the ex-
elusive jurisdiction of the general
! SUvorntIUnU "hioh rros oollod upon
to either Danish it from that terri
tory or adopt and sanction it. To
do the latter the majority Of the
whole people always had and still
did refuse. Then South Carolina,
with other States, said, eve have
been tenants in common in the glo-
rious privileges of this government,
but it has been, and is, union at
will, determinable at the pleasure Of
either party" They refused to sub
NIT the matter to judicial deter
mination, and undertook to relieve
the citizens Of those States from
their allegiance to the general gov
eminent, subject with which the
State governments had nothing
whatever to do, and a matter en-
tirely between the citizens and the
Federal government. They hoarsely
demanded in the name of brute
force, "dissolve the Union or
we'll batter down your Federal
forts" But the guns Of Sumpter
Numbered No. He then described
the uprising of the North, and pic
tured the brilliant achievements of
Vermont and her soldiery, the ter
rife and glorious work they did, es-
pecially at Gettysburg, Antietam, in
the Wilderness, the valley Of the
Mississippi and other places, (especi-
ally emphasizing the valor of the
Vermont cavalry "the pride and
glory Of the warp and the surren-
der Of treason to the "silent war
rior" under the historic Appomat-
tox tree, the universal joy which
followed it, and then the sudden
and terrible martyrdom. The coun-
try was struck dumb with astonish
ment and grief. The people stag
gered and felt that all was lost. But
the gogeraDacaat moved on as stead
lily and as uninterruptedly as the
course of time itself. It's nature
and the arrangement Of the whole
machinery was so perfect that it