Year: 1873

|


cient to go back to the early days OF our


republic and ascertain the circumstances


under which it was formed, to STUDY 'He
organization and constitution OF eacn sep


arate State, to pore over the WRITINGS oi


the revolutionary fathers; 1t is necessary


also. TO bear in mind that "the theory OF
government changes with general pro


gress." and to ascertain what IS lhe UNI


Of nublic sentiment at the present oay'


whether toward regarding the separate
States as petty nationalihes, with conflict


ing interests, or as members OF one great


family. whose interests are. on the Wnole.
| identical That this should still be an


omen question. after nearly century OF
| the Union, may seem strange. Neyerthe-


less there are those calling themselves


statesmen and patriots who still dispute


the common nationality of the States, and
maintain that we are only confederacy,
dissoluble by rights at the pleasure of any
one of the number, and only held together
at present by force.


That tendency toward what is now
called centralization appeared at the very
incipience of our government, and has
gradually increased until the present day,
most persons acquainted with our past
history and present condition will freely
admit. Neither will it be disputed that
the REBEL on, in its rise, course and ter
mination, served to hasten and strengthen
that tendency It did this, in the first
place, by showing the absolute necessity
of sufficient power in the general govern
ment to compel the submission OF such OF
its citizens as should make their allegiance
TO a division of the country reason tor
endangering the interests of the country
at large; and, in the second place, by
demonstrating the actual possession OF
this power. Before that epoch, SO calam-
itous, vet so fortunate, the general gov
ernment was like young athlete who had
not yet tested his strength and was IN
aware of its extent; now it is like the
same athlete after having had struggle
for life with a powerful foe and vanquished
him.


That we are justified in asserting that
the tendency toward a strong national
governments, so greatly stimulated by the
rebellion, has always existed in this coun-
try, glance at the circumstances con-
nected with the foundation of our govern
ment will show. The word 'nation," ac-
cording to Webster, means body OF peo-
pie under one government, generally OF
like origin and language. This definition
corresponds with the condition OF our
people now. Its partial correspondence
our similarity of origin and language, IN
colonial times. suggesting closer relation
as a bond Of strength, was one OF the
reasons which encouraged our forefathers
to band together for the maintenance OF
their liberties as early as 1853, when the
spirit of opposition to the British en-
croachment first assumed a definite form
1t has been said of that period that very
short experience and a slight converse
with the political history of the world
wereS sufficient to convince every mind
that there were no hazards too great to
be encountered for the establishment of in
stitutions which would secure the country
from a repetition of encroachments and
insults that could end only in abject slav-
erv To secure the establishment of such
institutions, the people of the colonies
banded together, inspired to make free
dom a common cause. They knew of
no other way to repel the arro-
CANT pretensions of government that
meant to enslave them. Knowing that in
union was their only strength, their only
hope, they stood together for seven long
years, waging a most unequal contest to
its glorious close. The irregular and
loosely knit Confederacy, however, which
had served its purpose during the war,
was found altogether inadequate after
short season Of peace, and it was quickly
seen that a new and different constitution
was necessary in order to give permanency
to the government, the existing one being
not only defective in its recognized pow
ers, but utterly lacking in the means Of
executing them. To remedy these defects.
make the general government supreme in
its powers. and crown the people with the
attributes of nation. the delegates from
the different States met in convention at
Philadelphia on the twenty-frst Of May,
1877. This representative body. after
long deliberation. in which the most
distinguished men Of the country
took part. agreed upon the plan
of government under which the ma
ton has prospered ever since. The
constitution was opposed from the very
first as comforting too much power upon
the central government. Nevertheless.
upon being offered to the States for their
approval it was adopted by them after
mature deliberation. This adoption dis
posed finally o: such sovereignty as they
might have formerly possessed. What
ever dissatisfaction existed among few,
the people as whole were glad to ex.
change the trumpery sovereignty of
paitry State ior tie boon Of nationality in
great country.


At a later period in the history Of our
country the public sentiment in favor of
nationality. as opposed to State sover-
eighty. was displayed Enthusiastically in the