Evening star., 1944-05-03
Letters to The Star
Webster, Story and Others
Quoted on Republic
To the Editor Of The Star:

Quoted on Republic
To the Editor Of The Star:
I do not share the convictions Of
those who refer to the political system
by which the people Of the United States
of America are governed as democracy.
To refer to the United States of Amer
lea as an exemplar Of pure democracy
and predicate an argument upon the
hypothesis that such is the case is pure,
unadulterated pif11e.
Yet, strange as it seems" one of your
correspondents recently did this very
thing; and, while doing SO, said your
observations were not accurate" and
strike at the very foundation Of our
Nation" In other words, If you please,
you have committed a near-treasonable
act by stating what you did in the edi-
torial, "Our Dual School System" In
this do not concur. The letter in its
entirety should be epitomized as q re-
ductio ad absurdum; yea, ad nauseam!
According to Noah Webster, a very
distinguished photographer, the follow
ing is true:
"A republic Is state in which the
exercise Of the sovereign power is lodged
in representatives elected by the people.
In modern usage, 1t differs from q de-
mocracy or democratic state, in which
the people exercise the powers Of SOW
ereignty directly"
And:
"A democracy is form Of government
In which the supreme power is lodged
in the hands of the people collectively"
Joseph Story, the most eminent jurist
ever produced by New England, voiced
the sentiments of his distinguished con-
temporaries when he said: THE found
ers of the Constitution laid the corner
stone of our National Republic"
The Constitution of the United States
of America is federative in the power
which framed it; in the power which
adopted and ratified it; in the power
which sustains and keeps it alive: in
the power by which alone it can be
altered or amended, and federative in
the structure of all of its departments.
In no sense is our Federal Govern
ment a democracy, nor do the people
rule en- masse.
The Government of the Union-not
Nation-is the creature of the States.
1t Is not a party to the Constitution.
but the result of it, as made by the
constituent States, ,sand cannot, as orig
inally formed and designed, exist inde-
pendent OF 1t, or of the States, its Gre
ators. 1t is consequence, a creation,
ana whatever powers 1t possesses or can
exercise, whatever authority it can use.
Whatever allegiance it can claim, grow
out of the voluntary and separate acts
Of the several States.
The States are united to the extent
OF the delegated powers; beyond those
the States are not a Union. This
thought forcibly was expressed by JUS
tice Samuel Nelson of New York. an as
soclate justice Of the Supreme Court of
the United States from 1s45 to 1872
when he said: "The general Govern
ment, and the States, although both exist
Within the same territorial limits. are
separate and distinct sovereignties, act
ing separately and independently of each
otner, within their respective seheres
The former in its appropriate sphere
Is supreme; but the States within the
limits OF their not granted, or. in the
language of the 10th amendment, re-
served powers are as independent OF
the general Government as that Cow
ernment within its sphere is independ-
ent of the States"
Continuing, Judge Nelson declared:
Outside the granted powers. or what
is necessarily implied from the granted.
the general Government, the Union, has
no more right, power, authority, control.
dominion, over Massachusetts, or Nom
tana than 1t has over Austria or Chile"
Inls Democracy, eh? Those with such
conceptions as that entertained bv
your correspondent will occupy the
mental museums of the future. labeled
Extinct Species
MY creed is that, by the Declaration of
Independence, the States were declared
TO be free and independent States. 13 in
number, not one Nation; that the old
Articles OF Confederation united them as
oistlnct States, not only people; that the
treaty OF peace of 1888 acknowledged
tnelr independence as States, not as a
single Nation: that the Federal Consti.
tuition was framed by States, submitted
10 the States and adopted by the States.
as oistlnct Nations. or States, not as a
single Nation or people. The 10th
amendment to our Constitution very
plainly shows the United States Govern
ment to be one with delegated powers.
IL Is the opinion OF the undersigned that
equality, personal and political, cannot
oe established without inf1icting the cli-
max OF injustice upon the superior and
OF cruelty on the inferior race: for. If
IL were possible to preserve such an ar
rangement, it would wrest the scepter of
dominion from the wisdom and strength
OF society, and surrender 1t to weakness
and folly.
OF all rights of man." said Carlvle
tne right OF the ignorant man to be
guided by the wiser to be gently and
nrmly held in the true course, is the
ndlspensablest. Nature has ordained IT.
from the first. Society struggles toward
perfection by conforming to and accom-.
pllshlng 1t, more and more. If freedom,
nave any meaning, it means enjoyment
OF this right, in which all other rights
are enjoyed. 1t is a divine right and
duty on both sides, and the sum of all
social duties between the two"
As individuals we haua narue