Year: 1868

and the North will soon become homo
eeneous, and when that time comes-as
come it will, and that at no distaLt day :
then, and not till then, will this nation
be at perfect and entire peace.


There is no Reconstruction policy so
effectual as that which will enlighten the
minds Of men. purify their hearts. and
bring their rebellious souls in harmony
with the good government of God.
Another OF the grand achievements Of
the Republican party is that it has over
thrown and destroyed that wicked and
disorganizeing doctrine, that the States.
and not the General Government, held
the scepter of sovereignty in this coun-
try. This doctrine was the pet theory of
the Democratic party. 1t was on this
ground that the South attempted TO just
ify secession and from this standpoint
the Democrats of the North defended
these wicked traitors. Our fathers made
fair trial Of this principle by incorpo-
rating it into the articles of confedera-
ton, and they found it soon, to their
sorrow, that it was fatal to the perman-
ency of their Union. Allow me to
quote the second article of the confeder-
alton articles, in elucidation of this
point:


ART. II. Each State retains its SOW
ereignty, freedom and independence, and
every power, jurisdiction and right,
which is not by this confederation ex
pressly delegated to the Unitad States
in Congress assembled.


Among the rights reserved to the
States was the right to levy the taxes to
pay the expenses of the general Gov
the revolution was to be paid, the gen.
eral Government found herself power
less in the hands of States jealous of
each other. The sovereignty Of the ma
ton was nothing. All power. was in the
States, and the general Government was
a mere man Of straw; and while the
States were wrangling, the patriotic peo-
pie came together and made new bond
of union, our present glorious Const titu
ton, setting forth in the preamble their
purpose and the reasons and necessity
for their action. Allow me here to read
that preamble:


1--WE, the people Of the United States,
in order to form a more perfect union,
establish Justice, insure domestic tran
guilty, provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare, and secure
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and
to our posterity, do ordain and establish
this Constitution of the United States OF
America


No language can be clearer.


The States are ignored, and the mig hty
power here speaking for the common
Defense and the general welfare is
that mighty power before which all
States and faithless parties and Presi-
dents must ever bow in submission and
that power is in the first words of the
preamble, 1--WE the People"


But, fearing that the purpose of this
sacred instrument might be miscon-
structed, and to put at rest all assump
ton on the part of State sovereignty
over and above the National auth ority.
they say in the concluding part of the
immortal document. That


This Constitution and the laws of
the United States which shall be mad e
in pursuance, shall be the supreme law
Of the land, and the Judges III every
State shall be bound thereby, ANYTHING
IN THE CONSTITUTION OR LAWS OF ANY
STATE TO THE CONTRARY NOTwITHsTAND
ING"


The Democratic party, under the lead
of John C. Calhoun and the nullifiers Of
the South, laid down their theory of the
Constitutional obligation as expressed
in the celebrated resolutions of 1903
that the States were the sole judges OF
their obligation to obey and submit to
the National authority, and that the
States did have the right to make null
and void any law that Congress might
enact.


It was this mischevious heresy that
led the Democratic party in the South to
draw the sword against the Nations life
in defense of the doctrine of secession.
1t is this corrupting and demoralizing
construction that led the leaders of the
party in the north away from their 10y
atty to the Government, and caused them
to bow in shameful obeisance to the be-
hests of the slave power.


We have paid fearful price-the Ma
tion's best blood and countless treasure
lin maintaining the Constitution as it
is against Democratic obstruction.
But the dogma has been slain by the
Republican party. 1t was wounded at
Vicksburg and Missionary Ridge; it fell
back before the gallant hosts, under the