CHAPTER LXXXIX. States. 1. As has been said in another place, people who live in the United States, live under two separate and distinct governments; first, that of the United States, and second, that of the particular State in which they reside. This, at first thought, would seem to create confusion, if not a conflict,of authority, and to place the citizen in doubt as to what law he should obey when in his own. mind there seems to be an antagonism between the laws of the two governments. This is easily overcome, however, for the Constitution of the United States, which is paramount to all other law, regulates this by its own provisions. Neither Congress, nor the legislature of any State can make any law contrary to it; and if either of these legislative bodies should do so, there is a power which has the authority to set any such law aside; and that is, the United States Supreme Court. Its decision in regard to any question which may arise as to the rightful authority of Congress, or any State legislature, is final; there being no appeals from its decisions. This court is the regulating power and the final resort. To use a mechanical figure, it keeps all the small wheels (the State governments), revolving within one great wheel (the general government), with but little friction, and without any serious collisions. 2. In the preceding pages we have treated only of the United States government, without any intention of explaining the State governments. We shall not now depart from that plan, but shall mention them only in general terms, as parts of the great whole, to show what political power they possess, what they relinquished to the general government, to what extent they are sovereign powers, and how they fall short of being complete sovereignties. 3. The Constitution of the United States expressly declares that Congress shall have and exercise certain powers, and also that no State shall possess or exercise. them. Congress has the exclusive power to lay duties on imported goods, to regulate commerce with foreign nations and with Indian tribes; to pass naturalization laws, to coin money, to establish post offices and post roads; to grant patents and copyrights; to declare war, and to do many other things which the States are prohibited from doing, for if invested with such powers there would be an immediate conflict of laws, and unavoidable collision between the United States and the State governments. 4. Now, when the several original States adopted the Constitution, they agreed to be governed by its provisions, and therefore conceded to Congress all the rights and powers therein specified; thus relinquishing all authority to exercise them themselves. And as the new States came into the Union, they did the same thing. Hence all the States voluntarily surrendered a part of the powers which belong to a sovereign State. Sovereignty implies full power to do any thing without the control of another. The United States government is a complete sovereignty. The States are not, because they agreed, for the general good of all, to surrender certain powers to the general government. 5. In everything except these surrendered rights or powers, the States are sovereign. In all matters pertaining to their own domestic affairs, they enjoy full power to enact such laws as they please, taking care that no law, however, shall conflict with the Constitution of the United States, or with any law which Congress has the exclusive right to enact. 6. The States are the first, most important, and most permanent of all the political divisions of the country. They are now, in size, location, and territorial limits, just what they were when first formed; with one exception, and that is Virginia. When that State seceded with most of the other Southern States, before the late civil war, the people in that part of the State lying west of the Alleghany mountains (nearly one half of it,) refused to leave the old Union, seceded from the old State and organized themselves into a new one, styling it West Virginia. This they could not do, however, without the consent of Congress; but this was readily given, the division was consummated and a new State was carved out of an old one. This is the first, and thus far, the only instance in which this has been done. In the following chapter we give the several States in alphabetical order, making it easy to turn to them, and to find any desired information contained in the brief summary of facts relating to each. CHAPTER XC. Individual States. MAP OF ALABAMA. Alabama, (so called from the Indian name of the principal river, which means "here-we-rest,") was admitted into the Union of States, December 14, 1819, and made the twenty-second State. It has an area of 50,722 square miles, equal to 32,462,080 acres, and had a population in 1860 of 964,201, by which she was entitled to six Representatives. It forms a part of the fifth judicial circuit, and is divided into three judicial districts, viz.: Northern, Middle and Southern districts of Alabama. It has one port of entry, (Mobile,) and two ports of delivery, viz. Tuscumbia and Selma. The capital of the State is Montgomery. The State election is held on the 1st Monday in Au gust. The Legislature meets on the second Monday in November, but meets only once in two years. The enacting clause of its laws is as follows: "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Alabama, in General Assembly convened." UNITED STATES SENATORS. Under this caption, after the general remarks upon each State, we shall give the names of all the men who have represented that State in the United States Senate, from the commencement of the government (1789) down to the end of the year 1867, in chronological order, together with their terms of service. This af fords a convenient means of reference to the prominent statesmen in each State, in days gone by. Those from Alabama were Alabama seceded from the Union in 1861, and con sequently was not represented in the United States Senate from that time until 1868. |