The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1893-12-16
The Times MOuntaineer
SATURDAY DECEMBER l6, 1893
a NATIoN.

1t may be considered in bad taste to
discuss the issues which led to the
civil war after over a quarter OF
century has elapsed since their final
settlement by the arbitrament of the
sword; but when such pernicious
doctrine is taught as the following
contained in the editorial columns of
the Albany Democrat, it is still peril
nent to emphatically state that this is
a nation, and mover was confederacy:
"The Salem Journal says our csun-
try is a nation. Yes, in so far as the
powers delegated to the general gov
ernment by the constitution of the
United States are concerned. But so
far as the powers which are not dele
gated to the general government are
concerned our country is union of
states, a cenfederacy. The general
government is supreme as to all the
powers which are delegated to it by
the constitution, and the states are
supreme as to all powers not delegated
to the general government. Herein
is our country different in its constitu-
tional organism from such nations as
Great Britain, France, Russia, Spain,
etc. The states of our union have a
distinct political autonomy which they
have always possessed, possessed even
before the union or our nation was
formed. As a matter of logical as
well as historical fact the states are
older than the union. The states
made the union or nation which had
no political existence until the consti-
tuition Of the United States had been
formed by delegates of the several
states in convention assembled, and
aftrrward adopted by at least nine of
the states acting, each, in its sovereign
capacity. Even after the constitution
was formed each state was left abso-
lutely free to say for itself whether
it weuld adopt Ishe constitution and
become member of the union or
not"
The theory of our system of gov
ernment is that sovereignty rests with
the people. and they have granted GER
tain positive powers to congress-con-
tanned in the national constitution
and have restricted the exercise of
other powers by state legislatures, and
these inhibitions are contained in state
constitutions. In the preamble to the
national constitution the language is
plain, as follows: "We, the people of
the United States, to form more per-
feet xnios, etc." This language can
not be misconstrusd. The people are
sovereign in this country, whereas in
Great Britain the parliament is the
sovereign power, and this is the differ
ence to be taken into consideration in
the Interpretation of the statutes of
the two nations. If the law passes
parliament it is supreme and must be
enforced; but in the United States an
act of congress is not binding on any
one if it transcend the powers granted
to that body by the sovereign people,
and the same is true of the statute of
my state if it comes within the inhi-
billions made by the sovereign power
thepeople. The union always existed,
andl framing the constitution was sim
ply to s'form more perfect union"
This was true in every treaty made by
he colonies from the landing of the
lrst English colonists at jamestown
o the end Of the war of the revolu-
ion. Ne state that formed the origi-
lal compact ever acted in sovereign
apacity, and the only one in the
alaxy of the union to-day that ever
assessed sovereignty in a political
ense was Texas when she existed as
he Lone Star republic. The rebellion
rev out of the confederate idea of
ae republic, and of sovereignty of the
lferent states. The highest authori-
ss on our form of government, such
8 Story, Cooley and others, have OPP
osed the theory of confederacy and
pheld the one of nation, and the
tie war has forever settled the ques-
on beyond any further dispute.