In the aftermath of the Battle of Nashville - which pretty much ended the Civil War in the West - those detailed to bury the comparatively few Union dead asked whether the graves should be grouped by state.

"No, no!" replied Major General George Thomas, the victorious commander. "Mix 'em up! I'm tired of states' rights!"

There are getting to be more "-ers" on the American political scene than there are "-stans" in central Asia. To add to the "teabaggers," the "truthers," the "birthers," the "deathers" and the "astroturfers," we now have the "Tenthers."

Govs. Rick Perry of Texas and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, both Republicans, now stand foursquare for the proposition that time can be frozen - and, perhaps, even history reversed - through the application of the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution - "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." - to our monstrous federal government.

Now, I've been to Springfield to watch the sausage being made. I was first taken to the gallery of the Statehouse by my father, as a part of my political education.

It was an effective antidote to our tour of the sacred Lincoln sites to watch Speaker Wood call a bill and to see the entire Republican side of the tote board light up - while the only Republicans visible on the floor dozed placidly.

States' rights? Not again! Merciful God, preserve us! Never again!

John Jordan Moore, Bloomington