ns. The United States do not,
neither do other nations. Citizenship must precede the right to hold and
convey real estate. All governments are naturally jealous of the alien.
By this clause, no American citizen can be an alien in any State of the
American Union. He is a citizen of the nation. No State can pass any law
demanding more of a citizen not born, though residing within its limits,
than from one born therein, or place him under any restrictions not
common to the native or other citizen of such State. Not a vestige of
'State' exclusiveness is there in the clause. Every idea of State
supremacy is blotted out by it. A heavier blow is, however, dealt at
State rights in the following section:

'The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a
republican form of government, and shall protect each of them
against invasion, and, on application of the Legislature, or of
the Executive, (when the Legislature can not be convened,) against
domestic violence.'

The greatest of all rights that an independent state can or may have, is
the right to adopt its own form of government; but this clause
completely destroys such right on the part of any State of this Union to
frame its own form of government. No State, for example, can have a
monarchical government; since the United States are to guarantee a
_republican_ form: and no State can adopt an hereditary or theocratic
government, because the UNITED STATES are bound to give each State a
republican government. In like manner we might run through all the forms
of government that have ever blessed or cursed our race, without finding
one which can he adopted by any State of this Union, except the single
form of 'republican,' named in the Constitution. But can a State bereft
of the right to frame its own mode of government be said to be possessed
of '_sovereign_' 'State rights,' or could a more effectual provision
against their development have been formed than this?

'This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall
be made in pursuance thereof, and all treaties made, or which
shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be
the supreme law of the land; and the Judges in every State shall
be bound thereby; any thing in the Constitution or laws of any
State to the contrary notwithstanding.

'The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the
members of the several STATE L