Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1844-01-30
/. aa 81 ADDRESS
T th e People ofohio.

%" As the representatives OF the democ
racy Of the State OfOhiO in Convention
assembled, in view Of the important oh
3ects sought to heaccOmplished by gu
action, and of the consequent response
blllty incumbent upon us. we feel it ono
our privilege, and solemn duty, TO de
clare to you the views Of the dem0cracy
OF Ohio, upon those great [Indamenta
and constitutional al principles, which tn ey
believe to be the basis aud supper: o
the American Union, and Of American
freedom.
In the embOdiments Of these views we
will be necessarily led into develop
ment of the common principles OF Amor
lean democracy of which we shall endea.
vOr to present you a fair and faithful ex,
position. ..-
81 That all goternment is designsd for
the benefit Of the GOVERNED; that tue peo.
pie are the original and only legitimate
source of all governmental power; that
governments have no rights, OF powers,
except such as are conferred upon them
by The people, as sanctioned by them, ,aud
cnnformabelO their interests andwill. that
the exercise, by government, Of powers
hOt 81 conferred, or sanctioned, is op-
preston, usurpauon, aud violation OF
the natural rights Of man, and that it is
the inherent, and inalenable right Of ev~
cry people. TO alter, modify, or abolish
au existing government, whenever it fails
toprOmoie the general welfare, or TO se>
cure these rights, and recognize these
principles, we regard as the first, aud es :
Sential principles of all democracy.
These principles were, for the first
time in the history Of theworld ,authorita.
lively announced as the principles of ma.
ton, in the declaration Of American In.
dependence, and constitute the inValua-
bio inheritance of every American cit.
izen, handed down 10 us by our Fathers :,
who mai niained them with their lives,
and scaled them with their blood. And
they are the peculiar inheritence of the
democracy as followers of the fonnder
Of their parly,the writer ofthe DE claratiOn
Of Independence, their consistent advoN
cate throughout long lie the apostle of
democracy, the Immortal JEFFERsoN.
The Constitution of the United States
was framed by a convention, and adopt
ed by the several States previously as
SOciated under articles of confederation
in order to perpetuate and secure 10 all
posterity those great snd original princi-
pies, aud TO establish a more efficient
government.
In order to the formation of correct
opinions in regard to the construction of
this constitution, il is important TO bear
iE mind, that the convention which a.
greed upon it, was a convention ofSlales,
composed OF delegates from separate SOW
ereign (,bough confederated) States;
that every article and clause of il was
voted upon in convention, by Safes, aud
finally, that when agreed upon y in Con
vention, il was then submitted tn the
several states, and. was acted upon and
adopted, atdiIFerent periods by them, in
their separate aud sovereign capa cities as
States.
The government W b existed under
the old cOnfederal ion, was found 10 be
inefficient for Tie general national pur-
poses tor which it was designed. The
States had conferred upon il too little
power; they had retained TOO much of
THAR original aud natural sovereignty to
themselves To remedy this evil, they
framed and adopted the present consti-
tuition, BY which they established a new
General government, upon which they
conferred larger powars,by yielding toll a
greater portion Of Their individual sOver
eighty, This historical fact, while it H.
luslrates the necessity fora certain de-
gree cfVigor in he General Govern
ment, in order loirs efficiency and ata-
biIiJ, likewise clearly shows, that the
Federal Government is but the agent or
creature, and the States are the principals
or creators.
In that convention appeared distinct
and tangible, the germs Of the two great
parties. into which, since The OrgaB'Zl-
lion oc The present government, the
county has been dlvi2ed. On one
side, we're those who, either utterly de-
MED, es greatly doubted, mans capacity
Tor sell guseTnment-whO tegatueu "e
mass Of The people. MOI as men endowed
with reason, Judgment, aud discretion,
but as beings incapable Of understand
ing their own Interests. not, as men ca
pable OfapPreciating their own rights
aud The value oflaws in securing Ihem'
but as an upruly mob, swayed by pas
sion, prejudice, and hatred OF men bet
ter ,or in better circumstances than 'heM
selves who required the iron hand OF
pOEsr 70 preserve them from anarchy and
sell, ,deslEucton--who believed, that men
were made ioT goserLment, and not that
government was Instituted for msn--who
thought ihst government could only be
safely eaadpcted By ihq iuleleclnslsf few,
and should supported by The wsaltbyI