Year: 1864




and omnipresent nationality, too potent to be
supplsnted by one, or minority of ambitious
States; sufficiently powerful to preserve each
from absorption or conquest By the other, and
thus to perpetuate common tranquility, a
common liberty, and common justice through
out one mighty republic. 1t was the ogent OF
the people, not of the States, deriving its
power, as did the States directly from the
people. These views are clearly sustained BY
the Constitution itself, and by the contempt.
raneous exposition of the immortal father OF
his country left rs in his farewell address to
/ the people of the United States


This government, operating upon individuals
extending over an immense area, and large
and constantly augmen,ing population was By
1 its founders wisely limited TO great matters OF
general jurisdiction, chiefly concerning the
relations of the people of each local government
Z or State TO other states and other nations The
/ principal work and major part of the details in
governing the citizens, 10 determining the
rights Of persons and of property, being left TO
/ the existing State organizations: each State
being equal to and independent of the other
States 10 all its domestic concerns each State
being in this respect supreme as to another
State; but all of them acting in submission 10
the national Government. supreme over all 10
regard TO the general powers conferred upon it
in and by the Constitution. This we find most
clearly and forcibly declared in the second
section of Article six Of that sacred instrument:
This Constitution and The laws of the United
States which shall be made in pursuance
thereof and all treaties made, or which shall be
made, under the authority of the United States.
shall be the supreme lGr Of the land; aud the
Judges in suery STATE shall Be bound thereby,
anything in the Constitution or laws of any
State TO the contrary notwithstanding" And
this supremacy as to duration is unlimited else
where by the instrument containing this grant
OF power from the people and is consequently
perpetual. "er u teimini.' from the very force
of lis terms. This supremacy is not q mere
nominal or barren sceptre 1t is charged by the
Constitution with the execution of its own laws
within its own Jurisdiction. which is the trhols
land. its righttul and indissoluble domain. 1t
has the sole right throughout its domain to levy
and collect taxes. duties, impos,s and exciSes ;
to provide for the common defence and welfare;
TO regulate International and interstate com
merce TO coin money; to establish post Offices
and post roads; TO define and punish piracies;
to declare war to raise and support armies !;
to provide and maintain a navy; TO CALL FORTH
THE MILITIA TO EXECUTE THE LAWS OF the
Union, SUPPRESS INSTRUCTIONS and repel in
vasions, and other supreme attributes, with the
express power ito make all lars lrb'ch shall be
necessary for carrying INTO execution the fore
gong pouerS. Nor are these powers of
supreme sovereignty limited by Article 10 of
the Amendments TO the Constitution. which
reserve to the States respectively, or TO the
people. the other and minor "powers not dele
gated TO the United States by the Constitution
nor prohibited by it TO The States"


These other and minor powers are very
necessary to prevent the Capitalization of all
governing powers. too vast for proper exercise
too powerful for the security OF our liberties :;
but which are wholly msiuterpreted by the
advocates of dangerous theory Of States
Rights, which, they falsely hold, act as a limit
alton upon the exercise and execution of the
constitutional aud supreme powers of the Cen
eral Grvernment-while the truth is, the
United States has its own grand and supreme
sphere of action, within which there is no con-
current jurisdiction, and the States have their
own respective spheres in exercising the minor
powers of governing, which are subordinate TO
the supreme power. This splendid relation of
the States 20 the supreme central Government
is beautifully illustrated by our solar system,
the several States, like planets in their respect
i've spheres, revolving around an everlasting
central sun, which sheds light and life, security
and happiness, over all the vast parts of a
necessary whole; each being indispensable to
the other. and the loss Of one being the in
evitable destruction of the whole sublime sys-
TEN. Napoleon, abiding TO the formation of
this Government by our immortal fathers. to
indicate in his own f0rcibe style bis belief that
the men were inspired by supernatural intelli
gence in its organization, declared that 1.-The
finger OF God was there


The question now occurs can a State law
fully dissolve, or withdraw from, this splendid
political sysiem-tbis peerless government?
Can the supreme government lawfully defend
and perpetuate its constitutional authority
throughout the land, against the attempt of any
Of ITS parts TO aggrandiZe itself by a conquest
and usurpaiion of the Jurisdiction accorded by
the Constitution TO the United States? Can
the Government e0erte the people. comprising
the component parts into obedience 10 the laws!
All arguments We have ever heard, or read,
assuming that il can be 81 dissolved, that the
Government cannot so defend itself from
partial or complete conquest, or acts of seces
sion, the same thing. are predlcated upon
abstract theories, drawn from tradition or othtr
sources outside OF the Constitution, such as
what some contemporaneous writers explained
the relations between the States and United
States to be, or to have been intended. In
word, the apologists of secession deny the right
under the Constitution TO eoeTee STATE. il Is
a sufficient answer, that the Government OF the
United States is by the Constitution empowered
to act upon individuals, separately aud collect
lively, and this power extends over the whole
land, it is co-extensive with its domain. This
power, hv sanction of the Constitution, comes
into operation whenever and wherever there is
resistance to the laws Then it is that the
constitutional provision comes into operation
which gives all power to the General Govern
meat "to erecus the lqlrs of the Union" As to
the existence Of the power and right 10 put
down all resistance TO the operation Of the laws
of the Uuion. throughout the land, and to
compel obedience ,hereunlo, there can possibly
be no question. To deny it is to reject the
plain letter of he Constitution. As TO the
policy OF exercising the power in the now
revolving States, this is only questioned by
traitors and those 10 sympathy with treason.
Those who are engaged in the works OF treason
ns,oraIlv 4aclara &C st,St the nniieT