Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 11 (of 20)Sumner, Charles
History
Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 11 (of 20)
Sumner, Charles
Slavery -- United States; Speeches, addresses, etc., American
“Perhaps the power of governing a Territory belonging to the
United States, which has not by becoming a State acquired _the
means of self-government_, may result necessarily from the
facts that _it is not within the jurisdiction of any particular
State_, AND IS WITHIN THE POWER AND JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED
STATES.”[360]
The three things here affirmed of a Territory may all be affirmed of a
Rebel State.
_First._ It has not the means of self-government.
_Secondly._ It is not within the jurisdiction of any particular State.
_Thirdly._ It is within the power and jurisdiction of the United States.
From these again ensues the necessity of Congressional jurisdiction.
2. It would be unreasonable, if not absurd, for each Chamber to
determine the question of representation for itself. Suppose, for
instance, the Senate admit claimants from Arkansas, and the House
reject them. Then we should witness the anomaly of a State admitted to
one Chamber and excluded from the other. This would be _semi-admission_
into the Union. Part would be _in_, and part _out_. The Senators and
Representatives of the same State would be compelled to separate, as,
in Grecian mythology, one of the memorable twins, Castor and Pollux,
was translated to Olympus, and the other was left upon earth. The
Constitution does not contemplate the repetition of any such fable.
Arkansas must stay away, until she can be received in _both_ Houses,
and be recognized as a unit, not as a fraction; but no power short of
Congress can assure this equal reception in both Houses.
3. Authority is in harmony with reason. The question seems to have
been anticipated by the opinion of the Supreme Court of the United
States, as pronounced by Chief Justice Taney in the case of _Luther_ v.
_Borden_. Here are the words:--
“The fourth section of the fourth article of the Constitution
of the United States provides that the United States shall
guaranty to every State in the Union a republican form of
government, and shall protect each of them against invasion,
and, on the application of the Legislature, or of the Executive
(when the Legislature cannot be convened), against domestic
violence.
“Under this article of the Constitution, it rests with Congress
to decide what government is the established one in a State.
For, as the United States guaranty to each State a republican
government, Congress must necessarily decide what government is
established in the State, before it can determine whether it is
republican or not. And when the Senators and Representatives
of a State are admitted into the councils of the Union, the
authority of the government under which they are appointed, as
well as its republican character, is recognized by the proper
constitutional authority. And its decision is binding on every
other department of the government, and could not be questioned
in a judicial tribunal.”[361]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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