The Empire County argus., 1854-03-25
Speech Of MIR. Latham,

1t the Jackson Festival in Washington CHb giuen
IN commenorotion Of the Battle Of Nee0 Orleans.
Mr. D. RATcLlrFE submitted the following toast ::
which was warmly applauded, viz:
California Her abundant gold is not the finest
specimen of her prolific soil-her democratic states
men are the noblest jewels that she has produced.
Mr. LATHAM. Mr.. President and gentlemen: 1t
has been said by celebrated philosophical histor-
an that the history of some men is the history of
their times. To no man, probably, could this re-
mark be applied with more justness than to the
celebrated hero whose victory this light com
memorate. Andrew Jackson was the exponent Of
two great ideas in TIE American government-one
of a military and the other of civil character
And in response to the toast which has just been
proposed desire to show the connexon this old hero
had with the Development Of those principles OF
the democratic party which have added the State
which have the honor in part to represent to the
constellation of the American confederacy. have
said that he established and impressed upon the
American government two great deas-the one
military and the other civil You all recollect that
previous to the war of 1912, it was q very grave
question among the statesmen OF our country who-
ther or not this government could be administered
upon purely civil principles; whether the great ex
perment of self government upon which we had
essayed could be carried out without an army suff-
cient to support it, You know full well that the
belief had become part of th creed of all nations,
that it was essential for the preservation of any
government that there should be established we'll
organized and regular army to carry out and fulfil
its decrees Gen Jackson diss patcd that idea in the
war of 1872 and particularly by the event which
this night we commemorate. He then fully estab-
lshed the fact that the citizen soldery of our coun
trv who had the interests of our country at heart
could WELD its dcstinies and could direct its arms
and lead us on to victory. This then was the great
military principle which he established, that it was
not necessary that we should have a standing army
or large military force to uphold institutions
The old hero knew then, you now know, that our
government is upheld by the love and affection of
the people and if the bark sinks, one plunge, and
we all 90 with it,
But he also established a great feature in our
government of a civil character. refer gentlemen,
to the time when he called to preside over tho
destnes of our nation President of the United
States-an Office which devolved upon him greater
degree of responsibility than ever rested on any
man. Gentlemen, he then clearly and determined
ly distinguished between the powers which legiti-
matelv belong to the federal government and those
which belong to the States. He issued his fiat that
the State government had certain rights and that
the individuals of the States had certain rights and
that so far as the States had not delegated their
rights to the federal government, they reserv
ed to the States themselves that the federal gov
ernment created for special purposes-to extend
the egis of protection Metr tnion-and that it
had no power except what was expressly delegated
in the constitution of the United States. need not
tell you that in all the conflicts which characterized
his admnstraton-the most memorable that have
characterized the history of any administration from
that of Washington down to the present time--he
ever preserved the individuality Of character which
has stamped its impress upon the American people
1t was those principles which he engrafted upon the
policy of the American government that led to the
series of events which do not choose upon this oc
casion to follow-resulting in the addition to the
Union of the State which is one of the bright
est stars of this confederacy. There is probably
not one within the sound of my voice who has not
some friend or relative in the Stase which has just
been toasted And long before the American gov
ernment saw fit to extend its protecting shield
the State of Californa-long before the ninth of
September 1850, when that State was admitted
into the Union-they had there all the machinery
of government, from municipal regulations up to
the full organization of large and comprehensive
State-a State three and half times as large as the
State of New York Gentlemen am here tonight
as representative of progress because my State it.
self has been the result Of progress and therefore
will give you, in conclusion, toast our next
door neigbor--
The Sandwich Islands Pearls of great beauty
set in a Of blue enamel; jewel which will yet
adorn the forefnger of Freedom that points west
ward.