Year: 1862

EDITOR lSrELLIGENcER Our Govern
ment was formed by the people and not
by the States in their State capacity.
But the charter of that original CON-
pact, entered into by the people en-
massc, provides that "new States may
be admitted by Congress-" which shall
be subject to the Constitution and the
laws. The highest and supreme law
was made by the people and all
State laws, and even State Constitu-
tions must of necessity bo made in
conformity Herewith and subordinate
thereto. This is a clear point.


Now, if "a new State be admitted ="
as State, the people thereof en- masse
become Incorporated into and with
that original mass of the people who
hold supreme empire over the Consti-
tuition itself, to alter, modify, or annul
it at pleasure. The State as a subor-
dinate government within the pale Of
the supreme and general Government
is admitted, and becomes one of the
great family of States upon certain
defined limits or principles. These
arc cardinal points which become the
essential conditions Of the existence
of the State as a State, and member
Of the Union of States.


Among these conditions the rcpub-
lican form of government was the first
and great leading characteristic, and
that which was made obligatory upon
all the States and all the people. An.
other of the cardinal provisions was,
that a judicial system be established
by the general Government, and
which should operate throughout eve
ry State. Another was that each
State should be represented in the Ma
tional Legislature by sending two
members to the Senate Of the general
Government. This is STATE represen-
tation. Still, another provision was,
that system of revenue for the sup
port of the general Government should
be established and operate throughout
any State.


The great leading element, and that
which gives character to Republic
is, that the majority Of the people
rule t " ..E


Well, now, we will suppose that a
State alters her constitution SO as to
erect her government into q mouar-
cly, or even a dcspotism-would it,
or would it not, be q forfeiture of the
obligations Of the general Govern
ment for protection, and to her appor-
tionment of the benefits of revenue
Say the act is done both by the peo-
pie, by majorities, and by the State
Government in State capacity.


What are compacts for, it there is
no obligation pledged, mutually, by
each party, and if 10y the violation OF
said obligation no forfeiture accrues
Compacts and agreements Of such a
character are meaningless. They are
no compacts at all, but scnscless inn
positions, without authority, and an
tagonistic in their main features to all
rational governmental rule. \ for
feiture must be implied or there can
be no obligation.


If a State, then, repudiate the great
fundamental principles of the general
Government, a forfeiture must Of ne
cessity ensue, whether the powers of
the general Government enforce it or
not


To apply this rule: Those States
which, by a majority vote in mass
conventions, and by legislatures, have
demolished any Of the cardinal pro-
visions of the general Government,
have made forfeiture of their relations
as States Of this Union. and Of their
very existence as valid governments
If this does not throw them back in
to territorial attitude in state of
anarchy, We shall be utterly unable to
discover how such an event could oc-
cur. We can see no means by which
it might be brought about, if it could
not in this way. PETER PuRDY