The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-07-16
COMMUNICATIONS.
DEMOCRACY AND FEDERALISM.

A4eN Communicated.
DEMOCRACY AND FEDERALISM
The comments in regard to the Liberation of Gov.
Dorr, have called forth the animadyersl9ns Of the
"mteltigencer,"a federal paper published IN OHIO:
The pretended real fear of jacoblnlsm, exhibted
by the federal party, has always been marked
feature in its career, designed to strike mortal
blow at the principles Of democracy, and clearly
proving their distrus of the virtue and intelligence
of the people The people Of the republic have re-
turned this compliment to their patriotism, ny allow
ing those who thus doubt, TO remain in private lie;
while they have ever bestowed generous comb
dence upon the party who with one or two trihlng
exceptons) have held the political power SINCE the
days Of Jefferson, and have given to our national re-
nown whatever of glory or honor It may possess
If the Declaration Of Independence is true; u the
brilliant close of the Of 1912 was honorable II
the overthrow of that corrupt monopoly, winch
nearly destroyed the liberties of the people, was
right they all attributable to that jacobnica de-
mocracy, switch is ungraded by worth, and unre-
can forgive the bitterness Of the "lntelGgencer,"
for the gates of the Rhode Island Bastle are open,
and Thomas Wilson Dorr is free. ! have OPP
posed his imprisonment, because it was an attack
upon equal rights, and an invasion Of the rights OF
the people. The people of Rhode Island had petit
toned for the abrogaton of the old King Chares's
constitution which limited the right of suffrage TO
freeholders only or those holding real estate The
federal party, with their usual dstrust Of the peo-
ple wished property to be the qualifying test OF clti'
zenship while the Dorr party wished mind to have
ITS lust superiority. In the New York convention
of 1921, the federal leaders Williams, Van Ness,
and others--took precisely the same grounds; as
Stunning that property would be deprived OF its just
influence, and that the multitude would rule; when
all past experience has shown that the "rch have
taken care Of hemselves'--whie the present proud
standing of the Empire State her wealth, her CON-
mon schools, attest how wisely and how well the
"mob" can rule! To the democratic leaders in the
convention Of 1921, is due the high honor of giving
universal suffrage to the people of New York; thus
giving them the rights of ctzenship--the privilege
| Of saying who shall govern them; right, in con-
nexion with Others, denied by British King, and
maintained and established at Saratoga and York
town. t.-#E
The people Of Rhode Island "petitioned for re-
! dress of rievances"--which was neither "revolu-
tionary nor disorganizing" For years their petit
tons were treated with contempt and the power OF
the manufacturing and landed interest reigned su.
| preme. Where was the remedy--in abect submits
sion, or a recurrence to first principles A conven.
! ton was called; State constitution formed; Gov
Dorr nominated and eiected-the constitution formed
by the federal party having been poted dozen by five
hundred majority, in the heavy poll of sixteen
thousand votes; which was virtual overthrow Of
the anti.Dorr party even if Gov. Dorr received, as
his opponents state, many Illegal votes. For exer.
cising the rights Of governor, Mr. Dorr was tried
for high treason found guilty, and sentenced for III
TO imprisonment. have not the figures within
my reach; but, if the editor Of the Providence Ga
zette will send me the statement made by John
Brown Francis and others, Ia wing statement,) prior
4 to the last presidential election, ! think l can de.
monstrate that Gov. Dorr received majority of the
votes Of the State-his opponents having never es
tabshed the fact that there were sufficient illega
votes to nvalidate his election. In any event, the
constitution proposed at that time by the ant-Dor
party was lost by five hundred majority--a rebukt
to the advocates Of the freehold qualification; al
though since, the people have submitted to one no
liberal they WISH but still far preferable to the
original charter of King Charles, for which the fed
erasts were ready to fight, with the same patriot
ism which they displayed by lowering the flags a
hafmast, and tollng the bells, at the news of tn,
declaration of war, and the surrender of Hull. /
the Declaration of Independence is right in the posi-
from the consent Of the governed; that, when they
become subversive of the ends for which they wer,
established it is the right of the people to alter o.
abolish them, then Gov Dorr, SO far from being
guilty of treason, was martyr to principles which
are eternal
defence of Gov. Dorr, (who, by vote Of the peo
pie, has been released SO much MS TO vndicate thu
democracy from the charge of acobinism
have done this in part, by showing that all we hav'
of prosperity or glory we owe to democratic ad
ministraons who, for period of near half a cen
,
step farther, and assert that the Observation-Disclosures
publican wing party have been, in their career, ia
f cobinical and monarchical. They favored the ga,
law and sedition law Of John Adams in 1898, ant
upheld the Hartford convention in 1872 They
justified the United States Bank in its war upon tn
government, and sustained it in its struggles 70
power and, when vetoed by the patriot Jackson
threw the country into wild scene of dismay By
the discharge of aborers and the panic-cry Of dis
tress and ruin,
They proclaimed. through Daniel Webster, in III,
streets of Baltimore, 'that there were no Sundays ii
, revolutionary times" and have endorsed Henr!
), Clay, whose life, since he left the democracy i
1925, affords no evidence that he would go 70
.iiberty restrained by justice, or democracy grade
by worth" But have not the space to exhibi
more Of the jacobinical despotism of federalism
under its hallowed name Of whig;--I leave them il
the hands Of the people.
The democracy OF the French revolution Is no
the democratic republicanism of the United States
Robesperre, Danton and Marat, governed by n
:, principle, and backed by people, then destitute o
public virtue, cannot be compared with Hancock
, Henry, Otis, Warren, Madison, Jefferson, ant
Jackson, sustained they were by high and emo
bling principles, and loved by people governed b,
convictions of duty. Even Lafayette doubted tn
proprety of democratic republic in France. TIL
excuses of the French revolution cannot be attributes
to the principles of democracyI but to the absence
those feelings of right which alone conduct ma
ton to honor and glory. If we doubt the expert
ment Of free government; if we believe the peopl
ncapable,then indeed, was the "star-spangled Ban
ner'' unfurled in vain. No; we would rather cnl
to the beautiful sentiment Of Bancroft, "that democ
racy and christianity twin sisters--one and In
divisible. have faith to believe that the star O
our hope will never set, and that millions yet un
born will drink at the fountain of liberty, and b
refreshed by the "high swelling regenerating tide o
democratic freedom"
PATRICK HENRY.
u For the Union.
~. PRINTING TEL E1RAPHS