The　rebellion　being　really　territorial；　and　not　personal；　the　　State　that　seceded　was　no　more　continued　in　the　loyal　than　in　the　　disloyal　population。　　While　the　war　lasted；　both　were　public　　enemies　of　the　United　States；　and　neither　had　or　could　have　any　　rights　as　a　State　in　the　Union。　　The　law　recognizes　a　solidarity　　of　all　the　citizens　of　a　State；　and　assumes　that；　when　a　State　is　　at　war；　all　its　citizens　are　at　war；　whether　approving　the　war　or　　not。　　The　loyal　people　in　the　States　that　seceded　incurred　none　　of　the　pains　and　penalties　of　treason；　but　they　retained　none　of　　the　political　rights　of　the　317　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　State　in　the　Union；　and；　in　　reorganizing　the　State　after　the　suppression　of　the　rebellion；　　they　have　no　more　right　to　take　part　than　the　secessionists　　themselves。　　They；　as　well　as　the　secessionists；　have　followed　　the　territory。　　It　was　on　this　point　that　the　government　　committed　its　gravest　mistake。　　As　to　the　reorganization　or　　reconstruction　of　the　State；　the　whole　territorial　people　stood　　on　the　same　footing。
  Taking　the　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court　as　conclusive　on　the　　subject；　the　rebellion　was　territorial；　and；　therefore；　placed　　all　the　States　as　States　out　of　the　Union；　and　retained　them　only　　as　population　and　territory；　under　or　subject　to　the　Union。　　The　　States　ceased　to　exist；　that　is；　as　integral　elements　of　the　　national　sovereignty。　　The　question　then　occurred；　are　they　to　be　　erected　into　new　States；　or　are　they　to　be　reconstructed　and　　restored　to　the　Union　as　the　identical　old　States　that　seceded？　　　Shall　their　identity　be　revived　and　preserved；　or　shall　they　be　　new　States；　regardless　of　that　identity　？　　There　can　be　no　　question　that　the　work　to　be　done　was　that　of　restoration；　not　of　　creation；　no　tribe　should　perish　from　Israel；　no　star　be　struck　　from　the　firmament　of　the　Union。　　Every　inhabitant　of　the　fallen　　States；　and　every　citi…　318　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　zen　of　the　United　States　must　desire　them　　to　be　revived　and　continued　with　their　old　names　and　boundaries；　　and　all　true　Americans　wish　to　continue　the　constitution　as　it　　is；　and　the　Union　as　it　was。　　Who　would　see　old　Virginia；　the　　Virginia　of　revolutionary　fame；　of　Washington；　Jefferson；　　Madison；　of　Monroe；　the　〃Old　Dominion；〃　once　the　leading　State　of　　the　Union；　dead　without　hope　of　resurrection？　or　South　Carolina；　　the　land　of　Rutledge；　Moultrie；　Laurens；　Hayne；　Sumter；　and　　Marion？　　There　is　something　grating　to　him　who　values　State　　associations；　and　would　encourage　State　emulation　and　State　　pride；　in　the　mutilation　of　the　Old　Dominion　and　the　erection　　within　her　borders　of　the　new　State　called　West　Virginia。　　States　　in　the　Union　are　not　mere　prefectures；　or　mere　dependencies　on　　the　General　government；　created　for　the　convenience　of　　administration。　　They　have　an　individual；　a　real　existence　of　　their　own；　as　much　so　as　have　the　individual　members　of　society。　　　They　are　free　members；　not　of　a　confederation　indeed；　but　of　a　　higher　political　community；　and　reconstruction　should　restore　the　　identity　of　their　individual　life；　suspended　for　a　moment　by　　secession；　but　capable　of　resuscitation。
  These　States　had　become；　indeed；　for　a　mo…　319　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ment；　territory　under　　the　Union；　but　in　no　instance　had　they　or　could　they　become　　territory　that　had　never　existed　as　States。　　The　fact　that　the　　territory　and　people　had　existed　as　a　State；　could　with　regard　to　　none　of　them　be　obliterated；　and；　therefore；　they　could　not　be　　erected　into　absolutely　new　States。　　The　process　of　　reconstructing　them　could　not　be　the　same　as　that　of　creating　new　　States。　　In　creating　a　new　State；　Congress；　ex　necessitate；　　because　there　is　no　other　power　except　the　national　convention　　competent　to　do　it；　defines　the　boundaries　of　the　new　State；　and　　prescribes　the　electoral　people；　or　who　may　take　part　in　the　　preliminary　organization　but　in　reconstructing　States　it　does　　neither；　for　both　are　done　by　a　law　Congress　is　not　competent　to　　abrogate　or　modify；　and　which　can　be　done　only　by　the　United　　States　in　convention　assembled；　or　by　the　State　itself　after　its　　restoration。　　The　government　has　conceded　this；　and；　in　part；　has　　acted　on　it。　　It　preserves；　except　in　Virginia；　the　old　　boundaries；　and　recognizes；　or　rather　professes　to　recognize　the　　old　electoral　law；　only　it　claims　the　right　to　exclude　from　the　　electoral　people　those　who　have　voluntarily　taken　part　in　the　　rebellion。
  The　work　to　be　done　in　States　that　have　se…　320　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ceded　is　that　of　　reconstruction；　not　creation；　and　this　work　is　not　and　cannot　be　　done；　exclusively　nor　chiefly　by　the　General　government；　either　　by　the　Executive　or　by　Congress。　　That　government　can　appoint　　military；　or　even　provisional　governors；　who　may　designate　the　　time　and　place　of　holding　the　convention　of　the　electoral　people　　of　the　disorganized　State；　as　also　the　time　and　place　of　holding　　the　elections　of　delegates　to　it；　and　superintend　the　elections　　so　far　as　to　see　the　polls　are　opened；　and　that　none　but　　qualified　electors　vote；　but　nothing　more。　　All　the　rest　is　the　　work　of　the　territorial　electoral　people　themselves；　for　the　　State　within　its　own　sphere　must；　as　one　of　the　United　States；　be　　a　self…governing　community。　　The　General　government　may　concede　　or　withhold　permission　to　the　disorganized　State　to　reorganize；　　as　it　judges　advisable；　but　it　cannot　itself　reorganize　it。　　If　it　　concedes　the　permission；　it　must　leave　the　whole　electoral　people　　under　the　preexisting　electoral　law　free　to　take　part　in　the　work　　of　reorganization；　and　to　vote　according　to　their　own　judgment。　　　It　has　no　authority　to　purge　the　electoral　people；　and　say　who　　may　or　may　not　vote；　for　the　whole　question　of　suffrage　and　the　　qualifications　of　electors　is　left　to　the　State；　and　can　be　　settled　neither　321　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　an　act　of　Congress　nor　by　an　Executive　　proclamation。
  If　the　government　theory　were　admissible；　that　the　disorganized　　States　remain　States　in　the　Union；　the　General　government　could　　have　nothing　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；