The North-Carolina standard., 1843-12-20
speech of HIr. woodbury..

At meeting of the sterling democracy of New
Hampshire, held at Portsmouth, on the 10th No
vember 1S43, Mr.. WOODBURY. was called upon
for Speech, and responded to the callin the fol-
lowing unanswerable and eloquent remarks:
| The Democratic party have great system OF
measures, and those alone they mean to enforce,
and those they can proudly vindieate, against all
opponents whatever. They are u party whose
masses, without intending to be diScourteous or
intolerant use plain language-and meaning what
they say, call a spade-a spade.
Hence, when expressing their deep adherence
of increasing power in the general government
an ardent devotion to state ri ghts-a scorn of all
attempts to govern by the mere patronage of of:
fce,-and a scrupulous regard to economy and
constitutional restrictions-they do not mean to
deal in loose generaities only. On the contrary,
they mean to oppose all specific acts conflicting
with their general views and those of late as we'll
as of olden times, and however they may respect
or esteem in private life the authors of those acts
to oppose them in public, with all the energies
God has given us. Thus they have resisted, and
they will continue 10 resist, an accumulation of
powers at the centre beyond the constitution, not
only when attempted by Alien and Sed1tion laws;
but by Distribution bilIs-being an entering wedge
to assume 200 900, 900 State debts-debts incurred
bv particular States alone-debts which they alone
or remain undischarged, however contrary to our
views of their duty, should and will disgrace them
alone. On similar grounds of principle the de-
mocratic party have opposed and will oppose an
unnecessary and exploded National Bank, no less
dangerous in its influences to public virtue than
public liberty-and this verified of late years not
merely by sound theory but an example almost
co-extensive in its disastrous warnings with the
boundaries of the civilized world.
G. oHy tafp m IN
shield the State from having their courts stripped
of rightful jurisdiction over criminals and con-
tracts by such measures as the Mcleod bill and the
Bankrupt law-and they will resist in all proper
wavs such alarming dictation orders the State
to make districts for the choice of representatives
or such unwarrantable interference as is calcu-
lated to overawe them in extending the right of
suffrage or in attempting other peaceful reforms
of their constitutions and laws.
So, when watchfu over the immense patronage
of the general government in removals and ap-
pointments to ofice-their jealousy is intended to
be heathy-and to prevent if possible any barter
of principle for Office; but not jaundced or fac
tious so as to stop the wheels of government by
having no agents to execute the laws. And sure
ly the more the appointments are made, honestly,
from such as are faithful to democratic principles
the more they are to be desired; while if made
dishonesty the more insidious and pernicious are
they likely to prove in their tendency and the
more severely viii! they be censured.
So, when protesting economy, as cardinal doc
trine, we intend to dscountenace the whole system
of administration, which, during the last two
years. in period of profound peace. has plunged
the nation into a new debt of nearly twenty-five
millions of dollars And it is owing to the strenu
Gus efforts and votes chiefly of democratic MEM
bers of Congress, that the burthen has not been
made much hea avier-and that the expenses, now
falling of by the natural cessation of some, and