Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1857-02-20
TuE MAN AND run STATE.
FREMONT: OHIO.


Whoever studies that period of national
history, which embraces tho time from tho
adoption Of the Articles Of Confederation
to the formation Of the Constitution, will
learn that there were two parties whose es-
sential and radical difference might be des-
cribed by the terms we have placed at tho
head of this article The leading idea of
one party was man and his rights; Of the
other the state and its necessities. The one
party considered first what was necessary to
guard the rights Of tho man; the other what
was necessary TO the formation of a strong
and efficient government. The maxim of
ono party was, that n strong government
is the first thing necessary to the welfare
Of nation; of tho other, that the less we
are governed the better. jefferson may be
considered the great representative of the
party which would exalt the man at the ex-
pensc of the State; Hamilton of the party
that would exalt the state and belittle the
man. In that immortal Declaration which
is engraven on the hearts of tho American
people, Jefferson set forth tho natural rights
of man as superior to all governments and
unalicnable by any human power. In the
Constitution, largely inspired by the mind
of Hamilton, these natural rights are re-
stricted within such limits rs were thought
necessary to the formation of a government.
1t has been the favorite doctrine of dem
ocratic editors and spcech-makcrs, that their
party has been the inheritor and represent
ative of the opinions of jefferson. This is
partly true and partly false. The questions
which have divided parties have often been
mere questions of financial or commercial
policy. Still we are disposed to admit that
in contests which have involved the rights
of man, the democratic party has in past
times been with great uniformity on the side
of the people. If any man, however, sup
poses that any party carries with it through
a long succession of years, the same issues,
the same spirit, and the same fundamental
principles, he knows little of human history.
All societies, all parties, all churches, all or
CARNATIONS of every kind and for any pur-
pose however excellent, end in being corrupt
ed and perverted from their original intent
The democratic party has not escaped this
, irresistible tendency to corruption and per
version. When it fell under the control o.
Calhoun and the slavery cxtensionsts dur
ing and Immediately after Van Buren's time
it began at once to depart from its origina
stand point of the rights of man, and by ;
natural and necessary progress, reached it
present position in which it denies thos'
rights for part CT the people, and tramplc
on the doctrines of Jefferson and the Declar
alton. No feature Of the last campaign wa
mere striking than the contempt with whicl
S the democratic leaders treated the Dcclara
I ton. Its doctrines that all men are create,
equal, that government is established 70
the good Of all, were spit upon The who'll
mob of writers and speakers on the demo
S cratic side, from the great southern orgar
y that gave tone to the contest, the Richmon,
0 Enquirer, down through the traitorous dc
: scrtcrs from other parties, like Choate, t
i the small fry that buzz and stink in ever
county town, united with one accord in de-
= riding the doctrines Of the Declaration, q
5 windy nonsense, and empty and impractic'
bic theories. A mad dog does not rejct
water with greater loathing, than thes
n demagoges did the Declaration. The
r foamed al the mouth if a man did but quot
N "all men are created equal, and are endowc
with certain unalicnable rights" DC. The
asserted, indeed, with endless repetition, III
n right of a people to establish their own d.
ID mcstc institutions; but under that form
in words, which sounded fair enough, was co
~ cealcd the monstrous doctrine that pa
= Of the people because they are aohite, m'
take away all the rights of another pa,
ly because they are Wack. If the quality
O. color could thus work forfeiture of all Il
rights of man, it is evident that power aloi
is wanting to make the quality of pocer
u equally fatal to liberty. Indeed the ma
tors of democracy at the south, are nc
as openly asserting that workingmen ought
ways to be slaves. When democracy W
found thus corrupted and perverted from
original intent; when it ceased to be
on fender and became an adversary of hum
Q rights, then every man in whom was
mi love of liberty for himself and Others, beg
to ponder his duty under this now order
to things; then commenced that great exod
from the democratic party, of all those W
nj could not be duped with tho word dem
ie- racy when the doctrines of the party ceas
mr. to be democratic. Hence arose the repul
) q can party, n party made up of all thu
democrats who would not support the
rs mocracy of southern task-masters; made
MI. also of MI those men in other parties "
had in them the true democratic regard
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