Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-09-14
Ni5rrllufnrollG.
a D D r ES s
Of the State Central Committee no. 4,

OF the state CentTai CoinInigtee- Q. Z.
To the People Of Pennsylvania:
FELLow-CITIzENs There have been anita
gonistical principles and antagonistical parties
in governments, from their first institution to
the present time. The one. taking from the
people all power of self-goyernment, and III
effect denying their right as well as their ca
pacitv to govern themselves The other
claiming in the language Of our Declaration
of independence, ''that al men are created
equal that they are endowed by their creator
with certain inalieuable rights; that amongst
these arc life, liberty, and the pursuit Of hap
piness. That to secure these rights govern
ments, are instituted among men, deriving
their Just powers from the consent Of the go
Ierned that whenever any form Of govern
Inent becomes destructive Of these ends, it IS
the right of the people to alter to abolish if,
and to institute new government, laying It's
foundation on such principles, and organizing
its powers in such form as TO them shall seem
most likely to effect their safety and happi-
ness
1t was these antagonistical principles that
led to our war of Independence. The great
mass OF the American people then asserted,
distinctly and unequivocally, that all power
was inherent in the people That they not
but the capacity also 10 exercise the right.
The British of that day and their adhorents
In this country, denied this right as well as
this capacity Our fathers heroically main
tanned their positions, and established their
governments upon the principles for which
they fought. and the right of man to govern
himself, and his capacity to do 1t, IN this
country at least, are truisms which no man
dare deny.
But although We conquered from reluctant
England, and obtained from all the govern
tnents of Europe the recognition Of our govern
ment, thus established, yet the dospots Of the
old world have ever looked with 4 jealous eye
upon our republican institutions, and We had
n party among Us during the war Of the reyo-
luton. and we have never been without such
party since, that practically have denied
man right and ability to govern himself.
When the constitutions of the several states
of the Union were under consideration, this
party, without an exception, were strenuous
in their endeayors to clothe the government
with strong, if not with arbitrary power; TO
keep, as they said, the people in check. They
took all the power they could from the people
and vested it in the governments, thus reyers-
ing the declaration that governments derived
their Just powers from the consent of the GO
verned; and it has taken the friends Of the
people from that time TO the present to correct
these arbitrary provisions in their organic
law. In some of the States, the aristocracy
has so intrenched itself behind the barriers of
wealth and exclusive privileges, that, even in
this age of progress, the people have not yet
been able entirelyto dislOdge them; and, If
not III their organic law, in their ordinary
Legislation the people of those states have been
subjected to a restriction of their rights, and
tyranny in their government scarcely ex-
ceeded in those countries where despotism
prevails.
In framing the constitution Of the United
States, these opponents of the peoples rights
endeavored TO establish a consolidated govern
ment, which should tend to centTalize in the
general government all the powers and rights
of the several states, as well as of the people
They claimed TO establish q strong and mag
nifcent government with numerous Offices,
high salaries, q standing army, and large
navy, and whenever they were IN power. and
had the opportunity, they carried these views
into effect
The other party, in the days of the revolu-
ton. was composed of those who asserted and
maintained the rights of the people, who put
forth the Declaration of Independence, and
based their government upon the principles
contained in it. Ours was the first govern
ment ever established upon those principles,
and it has been model for all subsequent
governments. In the stormy days of the re-
volution, the Union of the states was held to-
gether more by a sense of mutual danger, and
a sense of mutual dependence, than any coer-
Give authority existing in the government of
the Union. In the organization of the seve-
raj state governments, the friends of the people
endeavOred to make them as democratic as
they could Sill, the influence of habit. an
attachment to the ordinary forms to which
they had been accustomed, partial ignorance
of the forms in which their principles could be
best carried out, and a disinclination to enter
upon new and untried theories, prevented a.
full and complete a reform in their govern
ments as experience has since shown to be ne
cessary, and enabled those Of the other part'
to succeed in their views to greater exten
than they ought to have done. When th'
throes and the troubles of she revolution wer'
passed, and it was found necessary to ESTABLISH
peter form of government for the UnioI
'aah Se Old ARTICLES Of confederation afforded