Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-02-19
SENATOR TOOMBs,s IECTTTRE


SENATOR TOOMBS,S LECTURE.
We commence, today, the publication of,the
very able lecture of Senator Toombs on slavery,
recently delivered in Boston. II will be con-
Guided in our next issue.
THE PREsIDENCY-THEP PRINCIPLES
OF THE STATES RIGHTS PARTY.
We intimated, in our issue of Tuesday last,
that the period had arrived when we should
begin to look to the principles that should gov
ern the Democratic party in its selection of
candidate for the Presidency.
We said, at the same time, that we did not
believe it polite, certainly not necessary, to
follow the example set by the Washington
Union of an earnest advocacy of any particu-
lar individual Certainly, when we are pre-
pared to do this, we shall endeavor to avoid the
unfair and insidious course the Union has
seen fit to adopt, to give prominence to its
peculiar choice. Mutilations OF proceedings
Of public meetings, and the suppression of con-
texts, may be in ITS view manly, straight.for-
ward, and honest because in its opinion, it
may be the surest course to success; but we
should feel our sefrespect wounded to pur.
sue such course for the accomplishment of
any end whatever. But Ephraim is Joined TO
his idols we will let him alone
In discussing the principles that should gov
ern the Democratic party in the selection of a
candidate in the approaching struggle, we of
course, are necessarily drawn into an enuncia-
ton of the cardinal principles Of the party
itself political party as all other assoc
Citations, religious, philosophical, scientific to be
enduring and useful, must rest upon some fixed
aud immutable basis. 1t may have been, aud
still may continue to be, popularized by a
name. But this is TOO ephemeral to confer
perpetuity upon any party, unless the princi-
pies from which the name sprang are rigidly
observed, and steadily maintained. Our Wing
adversaries, have time and again, and some
tunes with some reason, charged our successes
to the name that our party bears. We would
not part with that name for Democracy is
tower of strength, and should be, So long as
1t Is the genuine, pure. and undefled Democ-
racy But there is about the same difference
between the various kinds of Democracy as
there is between the wholesome and poisonous
gases of mushrooms, and almost as hard to
tell apart.
What, then, briefly, for il is not our purpose
to philosopher upon this subject, are the lead
ing, cardinal, inherent, principles of the Demo
cratic State Rights party? We say State
Rights, because we consider that Democracy
spurious, which does not assert the inaienable
sovereignty. of the States of this confederacy.
and the unqualified rights of each and all of
them under the Constitution. Indeed. this
may be termed the leading and dearest prin-
ciple of our party. The rights of the States
and resistance, steady, and faithful 10 every act
OF the Federal Government which may tend in
the least degree to impair their rights What
next2 A strict construction of the Consti,u
ton, constituting it to mean only what it saws
and only to have said, whatit meant. To con-
strueit otherwise, would be to open the door to
a latitude that would soon grow flor there is
no plant more rapid in its growth than pocer)
to such an extent, that the true theory Of our
Government would soon be lost sight Of, and
the sovereignty of the States absorbed in
great and onerous central Government
Next we come to consider the equality ofHe
States as contradistinguished from the rights of
the States of which we have just spoken. Two
or more States may have rights, just as two
or more partners may have rights, but it
does not follow necessarily that they have
equal rights. The relation Of those respective
rights and powers to each other is a matter of
arrangement-o OF agreement Of compact
Now, if the Constitution, which is our com
pact, Is clear upon every point, il is upon this
point, Of equality Of the States. Equality of
the States,-because the States are nothing
more nor less than individual sovereignties.
Their rights are not regulated by their terrific.
rial area-hence little Delaware and Rhode
Island have the same rights under the Consti.
tuition that Pennsylvania and New York have.
The old thirteen States vouchsafed this LEAGUE
to US, for il is simply and surely nothing more
than league, formed for the common protec.
ton of all. The Constitution is the article OF
agreement between these distinct sovercignties.
II conferred certain recited powers upon the
Federal Government, 1t gave no other powers
than those specially granted, and we would
look in vain for any Of its provisions, which
even by perversion of language, could be con.
strued as asserting any inequality in the rela-
ton Of the States. The Constitution is our
compact, which we can no more bend to our
purpose than any other legal instrument. It
may be broken, but can never be bent. The
equality Of the States being established, the