the american republic-第43部分

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thing　to　say　on　the　subject；　and　could　no　more　interfere　　with　elections　in　any　one　of　them　than　it　could　with　elections　in　　Massachusetts　or　New　York。　　But　even　on　the　doctrine　here　　defended　it　can　interfere　with　them　only　by　way　of　general　　superintendence。　　The　citizens　have；　indeed；　lost　their　political　　rights；　but　not　their　private　rights。　　Secession　has　not　　dissolved　civil　society；　or　abrogated　any　of　the　laws　of　the　　disorganized　State　that　were　in　force　at　the　time　of　secession。　　　The　error　of　the　government　is　not　in　maintaining　that　these　laws　　survive　the　secession　ordinances；　and　remain　the　territorial　law；　　or　lex　loci；　but　in　maintaining　that　they　do　so　by　will　of　the　　State；　that　has；　as　a　State；　really　lapsed。　　They　do　so　by　will　　of　the　United　States；　which　enacted　them　through　the　individual　　State；　and　which　has　not　in　convention　abrogated　them；　save　the　　law　authorizing　slavery；　and　its　dependent　laws。

This　point　has　already　been　made；　but　as　it　is　one　of　the　　niceties　of　the　American　constitution；　it　may　not　be　amiss　to　　elaborate　it　at　322　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　greater　length。　　The　doctrine　of　Mr。　Jefferson；　　Mr。　Madison；　and　the　majority　of　our　jurists；　would　see　to　be　　that　the　States；　under　God；　are　severally　sovereign　in　all　　matters　not　expressly　confided　to　the　General　government；　and　　therefore　that　the　American　sovereignty　is　divided；　and　the　　citizen　owes　a　double　allegianceallegiance　to　his　State；　and　　allegiance　to　the　United　Statesas　if　there　was　a　United　States　　distinguishable　from　the　States。　　Hence　Mr。　Seward；　in　an　　official　dispatch　to　our　minister　at　the　court　of　St。　James；　　says：　〃The　citizen　owes　allegiance　to　the　State　and　to　the　United　　States。〃　　And　nearly　all　who　hold　allegiance　is　due　to　the　Union　　at　all；　hold　that　it　is　also　due　to　the　States；　only　that　which　　is　due　to　the　United　States　is　paramount；　as　that　under　feudalism　　due　to　the　overlord。　　But　this　is　not　the　case。　　There　is　no　　divided　sovereignty；　no　divided　allegiance。　　Sovereignty　is　one；　　and　vests　not　in　the　General　government　or　in　the　State　　government；　but　in　the　United　States；　and　allegiance　is　due　to　　the　United　States；　and　to　them　alone。　　Treason　can　be　committed　　only　against　the　United　States；　and　against　a　State　only　because　　against　the　United　States；　and　is　properly　cognizable　only　by　the　　Federal　courts。　　Hence　the　Union　men　committed　no　treason　in　323　refusing　to　submit　to　the　secession　ordinances　of　their　　respective　States；　and　in　sustaining　the　national　arms　against　　secession。

There　are　two　very　common　mistakes：　the　one　that　the　States　　individually　possess　all　the　powers　not　delegated　to　the　General　　government；　and　the　other　that　the　Union；　or　United　States；　have　　only　delegated　powers。　　But　the　United　States　possess　all　the　　powers　of　a　sovereign　state；　and　the　States　individually　and　the　　General　government　possess　only　such　powers　as　the　United　States　　in　convention　delegate　to　them　respectively。　　The　sovereign　is　　neither　the　General　government　nor　the　States　severally；　but　the　　United　States　in　convention。　　The　United　States　are　the　one　　indivisible　sovereign；　and　this　sovereign　governs　alike　general　　matters　in　the　General　government；　and　particular　matters　in　the　　several　State　governments。　　All　legal　authority　in　either　　emanates　from　this　one　indivisible　and　plenary　sovereign；　and　　hence　the　law　enacted　by　a　State　are　really　enacted　by　the　United　　States；　and　derive　from　them　their　force　and　vitality　as　laws。　　　Hence；　as　the　United　States　survive　the　particular　State；　the　　lapse　of　the　State　does　not　abrogate　the　State　laws；　or　dissolve　　civil　society　within　its　jurisdiction。

324　This　is　evidently　so；　because　civil　society　in　the　particular　　State　does　not　rest　on　the　State　alone；　nor　on　Congress；　but　on　　the　United　States。　　Hence　all　civil　rights　of　every　sort　created　　by　the　individual　State　are　really　held　from　the　United　States；　　and　therefore　it　was　that　the　people　of　non…slaveholding　States　　were；　as　citizens　of　the　United　States；　responsible　for　the　　existence　of　slavery　in　the　States　that　seceded。　　There　is　a　　solidarity　of　States　in　the　Union　as　there　is　of　individuals　in　　each　of　the　States。　　The　political　error　of　the　Abolitionists　was　　not　in　calling　upon　the　people　of　the　United　States　to　abolish　　slavery；　but　in　calling　upon　them　to　abolish　it　through　the　　General　government；　which　had　no　jurisdiction　in　the　case；　or　in　　their　sole　capacity　as　men；　on　purely　humanitarian　grounds；　which　　were　the　abrogation　of　all　government　and　civil　society　itself；　　instead　of　calling　upon　them　to　do　it　as　the　United　States　in　　convention　assembled；　or　by　an　amendment　to　the　constitution　of　　the　United　States　in　the　way　ordained　by　that　constitution　　itself。　　This　understood；　the　constitution　and　laws　of　a　defunct　　State　remain　in　force　by　virtue　of　the　will　of　the　United　States；　　till　the　State　is　raised　from　the　dead；　restored　to　life　and　　activity；　and　repeals　or　al…　325　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ters　them；　or　till　they　are　repealed　　or　altered　by　the　United　States　or　the　national　convention。　　But　　as　the　defunct　State　could　not；　and　the　convention　had　not　　repealed　or　altered　them；　save　in　the　one　case　mentioned；　the　　General　government　had　no　alternative　but　to　treat　them　and　all　　rights　created　by　them　as　the　territorial　law；　and　to　respect　　them　as　such。

What　then　do　the　people　of　the　several　States　that　seceded　lose　　by　secession？　　They　lose；　besides　incurring；　so　far　as　disloyal；　　the　pains　and　penalties　of　treason；　their　political　rights；　or　　right；　as　has　just　been　said；　to　be　in　their　own　department　　self…governing　communities；　with　the　right　of　representation　in　　Congress　and　the　electoral　colleges；　and　to　sit　in　the　national　　convention；　or　of　being　counted　in　the　ratification　of　amendments　　to　the　constitutionprecisely　what　it　was　shown　a　Territorial　　people　gain　by　being　admitted　as　a　State　into　the　Union。　　This　is　　the　difference　between　the　constitutional　doctrine　and　that　　adopted　by　Mr。　Lincoln's　and　Mr。　Johnson's　Administrations。　　But　　what　authority；　on　this　constitutional　doctrine；　does　the　General　　government　gain　over　the　people　of　States　that　secede；　that　it　　has　not　over　others！　　As　to　their　internal　326　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　constitution；　their　　private　rights　of　person　or　property；　it　gains　none。　　It　has　over　　them；　till　they　are　reconstructed　and　restored　to　the　Union；　the　　right　to　institute　for　them　provisional　governments；　civil　or　　military；　precisely　as　it　has　for　the　people　of　a　territory　that　　is　not　and　has　never　been　one　of　the　United　States；　but　in　their　　reconstruction　it　has　less；　for　the　geographical　boundaries　and　　electoral　people　of　each　are　already　defined　by　a　law　which　does　　not　depend　on　its　will；　and　which　it　can　neither　abrogate　nor　　modify。　　Here　is　the　difference　between　the　constitutional　　doctrine　and　that　of　the　so…called　radicals。　　The　State　has　gone；　　but　its　laws　remain；　so　far　as　the　United　States　in　convention　　does　not　abrogate　them；　not　because　the　authority　of　the　State　　survives；　but　because　the　United　States　so　will；　or　are　presumed　　to　will。　　The　United　States　have　by　a　constitutional　amendment　　abrogated　the　laws　of　the　several　States　authorizing　slavery；　and　　prohibited　slavery　forever　within　the　jurisdiction　of　the　Union；　　and　no　State　can　now　be　reconstructed　and　be　admitted　into　the　　Union　with　a　constitution　that　permits　slavery；　for　that　would　be　　repugnant　to　the　constitution　of　the　United　States。　　If　the　　constitutional　amendment　is　not　recognized　as　rati…　327　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　fied　by　the　　requisite　number　of　States；　it　is　the　fault　of　the　government　in　　persisting　in　counting　as　States　what　are　no　States。　　Negro　　suffrage；　as　white　suffrage；　is　at　present　a　question　for　　States。

The　United　States　guarantee　to　such　State　a　republican　form　of　　government。　　And　this　guarantee；　no　doubt；　authorizes　Congress　to　　intervene　in　the　internal　constitution　of　a　State　so　far　as　to　　force　it　to　adopt　a　republican　form　of　government；　but　not　so　far　　as　to　organize　a　government　for　a　State；　or　to　compel　a　　territorial　people　to　accept　or　adopt　a　State　constitution　for　　themselves。　　If　a　State　attempts　to　organize　a　form　of　government　　not　republican；　it　can　prevent　it；　and　if　a　Territory　adopts　an　　unrepublican　form；　it　can　force　it　to　change　its　constitution　to　　one　that　is　republican；　or　compel　it　to　remain　a　Territory　under　　a　provisional　government。　　But　this　gives　the　General　government　　no　authority　in　the　organization　or　re…organization　of　States　　beyond　seeing　that　the　form　of　government　adopted　by　the　　territorial　people　is　republican。　　To　press　it　further；　to　make　　the　constitutional　clause　a　pretext　for　assuming　the　entire　　control　of　the　organization　or　re…organization　of　a　State；　is　a　　manifest　abusea　palpable　violation　of　the　constitution　and　328　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　of　　the　whole　American　system。　　The　authority　given　by　the　clause　is　　specific；　and　is　no　authority　for　intervention　in　the　general　　reconstruction　of　the　lapsed　State。　　It　gives　authority　in　no　　question　raised　by　secession　or　its　consequences；　and　can　give　　none；　except；　from　within　or　from　without；　there　is　an　overt　　attempt　to　organize　a　State　in　the　Union　with　an　unrepublican　　form　of　government。

The　General　government　gives　permission　to　the　territorial　people　　of　the　defunct　State　to　re…organize；　or　it　contents　itself　with　　suffering　them；　without　special　recognition；　to　reorganize　in　　their　own　way；　and　apply　to　Congress　for　admission；　leaving　it　to　　Congress　to　admit　them　as　a　State；　or　not；　according　to　its　own　　discretion；　in　like　manner　as　it　admits　a　new　State；　but　the　　re…organization　itself　must　be　the　work　of　the　territorial　people　　themselves；　under　their　old　electoral　law。　　The　power　that　　reconstructs　is　in　the　people　themselves；　the　power　that　admits　　them；　or　receives　them　into　the　Union；　is　Congress。　　The　　Executive；　therefore；　has　no　authority　in　the　matter；　beyond　that　　of　seeing　that　the　laws　are　duly　complied　with；　and　whatever　　power　he　assumes；　whether　by　proclamation　or　by　instructions　　given　to　the　provisional　governors；　civil　o