The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-24

objects OF general concern. They VIII
not patiently consider any suggestion
ar device that looks TO a Union upon
pey other basis. They VIII maintain,
af whatever cost and In NIL their In
ttifrIty, both national and state rights.
srlc best friends of state rights. per-
nit me to say. are not those who ma
iittiially deno,tncc as ilIegal every tli,ng
done by the general government, but
those who recognize tlIe Eovnrnnient o!
tiie Union as possessing all tho powers
granted to IL IN the Constitution, either
expressly or by necessary implication:
for. without IA general government
possessing such powers In relation TO
,untters OF national concern, The states
would be in perpetual conflict. and lose
tlieir prestige before the world.
Preserve Both Powers.
~. then. the matchless government
hy tic people of the United States is
10 be preserved and handed down In
tact To posterty. national power and
State power must go band ~ hand ~
those powers clash. the paramount au-
tiiority of the Union within It's pre-,
sctibcd sphere Of action must prevaiI.
Such is the express nandnte of the
Constitution. aud such. our common
scnse and experience tell us, must al,
by law is not to perish from our land.
The nation Is supreme within the
sphere Of its action as defined by the
Constitution, and its authority. when
well as all individuals within the tor
liiory of the United States. The glory
Of the republic Is that It's affairs are
regulated by a written Constitution
tie powers of government among three
separate. coequal aud coordinate de-
partments. each eSertiug the authority
aud only the authority. conferred upon
IL, y.
tire mode prescribed by itself. must be
deemed supreme over tho Congress.
over the President over the courts.
over the states and over the people
themselves.
II is true that national power. as
row exerted. covers a wider field OF
action than 1t did in the early days OF
Tire republic; but that docs not prove.
rs the pcssiinist would have us think,
that the government has usurped pow
ers that do not belong to 1t. and has
entered the domain reserved tsby and
for the States. 1t proves only that the
nation has from time to time. as the
public interests demanded. brought
Congress had not previously chosen
to exert.
Strength Enough for Future.
!, therefore let me country gather up
ratriotisn and loyalty of the American
people and go forward in It's marvel
GUS career. holding to the confident
belief justified by the words OF n,e
Constitution and by judicial decisions. |
That the checks in our governmental |
system VIII suffice in the future, as
they have suftced In the past to guard
our institutions against insidious at.
facks upon the fundamental principles
of free government, or against the en-
srcise of arbitrary or usurped power.
Keeping within the scope and broad
lines OF the Constitution. we may walk
safely and without fear. We need not
hesitate 10 build on the foundations
laid by our forefathers. Those foun-
lations are broad and deep. and so
long as new measures and policies are
tested by the plumb line Of the Con-
stitution and we keep we'll within its
wise limitations, we may safely rear
superstructure our svelfare
ana greatness as nation may re-