The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-04-10

Washington-The Republican Pub
lioity Association, through It's Presi-
dent, Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr., today
gave out the following statement from
its Washington Headquarters:
"The objection was made that the
United States surrendered a part OF
its sovereignty by entering the league,
said Senator Hitchcock in his Chicago
speech. 1T has now become evident
that neither the United States nor any
other nation surrenders anything, as
the league Is not government and
has no sovereign powers Evident to
whom? Since Mr.. Hitchcock is the
ranking Democratic member of the
Senate Committee on Foreign Rela-
tons his assertion needs little
checking I'm.
Precisely this line of argument was
followed by Southern leaders, both
before and after the adoption of the
Federal Constitution. They declared
that the States surrendered no sover-
eighty by joining the Union and adopt
| ing the Constitution. Their whole at
titude was set forth by Calhoun when
in 1928 he began to develop his theor-
les as to the nature Of the Union He
declared that each State was wholly
sovereign, the Constitution being only
an agreement or compact between
sovereign States; that no State was
subject to the Constitution as a SUI
perior law; that no State relinquished
the right to govern itself wholly If II
so preferred; that any State. by rea-
son of its sovereignty, could secede
when it saw fit, on the ground that the
agreement or treaty 1.-THE Constitu
tom had been broken, or that the in
terests of the State desiring to with
draw from the compact were no long
err furthered; that each State could in
terpret the Constitution for itself. Fin
ally, that the relations between thu
various States were exactly the same
as they would be between France
England, and spain if they should en-
ter into a treaty establishing a cen
trail agent to which certain powers O
government should be given for GER
tain purposes. From these premise!
Calhoun developed his theory of tn,
right of Notification, which was III,
right to declare null and void any ac
of the Federal Government which i
considered a breach of the compact
If the other States insisted on uphold
ing the act, the aggrieved State woult
have the right to withdraw from tn,
; Union.
I'm 1880 Hayne, of South Carolina
upheld the Calhoun doctrines. and /
was in reply to Hayne that DAME
Webster made the great speech whicl
stands today unsurpassed in the an
, nails of American oratory. Webste
y pointed out that the Constitution wa
n law, and not mere agreement; tina
. 1t had the force of law, and was bind
=. ing on each and every State; and tina
:. each States could not at will inter
pref the Constitution to suit its inter
t ests. One country, one constitution
t one destiny
THE conflict of views which rage,
for many years, which was famed in
to flame with each decision of Chic
i Justice Marshall in support of tn
Federal Constitution. got beyond tn
! control of reason in the Sixties and w
had the Civil War. Whatever doubt
may have existed before as to tn
status Of the supreme law of the land
] were forever laid to rest by the sur
render at Appomattox, April 8, 1866
Since that date, from Key West to tn,
st. Croix all have been homogeneous
! members Of nation recognizing bu
one sovereignty-that of the United
States.
But suppose the United States wert
enticed into the British-Wilsor
J league Of nations, which makes nj
provision for withdrawal, and we ap
piled the Calhoun theory to our re
lations with the league. And let u.
suppose that the other member ma,
tons combatted that theory, by force
Of arms, II need be. Provision is made
for that in the league pact. To op-
pose the league constitutes an act Of
war. How many free-born Americans
believe 1t would be best for humanity
II the most glorious Republic in the
world were rented asunder by Europe
and the Orient and stirred into the
common pot of differing bloods, relig.
ions, economic interests and political
| concenta7"