The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-03

above the note Of tame aud indecisive protest. 1t
has Witnessed steady uniform expansion Of its
system Of industry extending at all points with ire
sstible force warning all within the range of it's
circuit of its capacity to subdne and Of its power to
govern, but with, here and there, spasmode excep-
TONS it has scrupulousy discharged it's
engagements and duties.
We need not say to the well-informed student of
American politics, that the government of the United
States is nothing less than the government
OF the democratic party II was created by the lib
eral, enlightened, and humane spirit of the denoc-
racy--it has been maintained and directed by the
head and the heart of the democratic party. We
say this under the influence of no mean, grovelling
partisan feeling we say it in contempt of such
timents and in obedience to the most unquestionable
facts relating to existence State and to the
principles upon which institutions are operated
The great economical questions involved in the civil
administration Of the government, extending to and
controlling foreign relations the domestic inter-
course OF the States established upon basis of alb
soute freedom our social union involving the COM
tiles and Inequalities of life; our commercial and
trade union; postal union our literary scientific,
ana luVouuVt union our union Telegraph
and railway union our professional and mechanical
union all these products of democracy express
sions of its principles and it's policy, and maintained
by its against powerful and systematic efforts to
destroy them.
Not only does the democratic party maintain and
uphold the constitution, but firmly believe that
that compact has no other element of yitaty--no
of Tba oI,c III
cans is essential disunion There is no cohesion in
it. Instead of being bond to hold the parts to-
gether, it is wedge to sever and divide. 1t does
not conciliate it exasperates 1t does not attract
repels it does not unite. it sunders; it does not
vtalize and harmonze, it alienates and paralyzes.
Not only, then, does the democratic party sustain
the constitution but uphods it against powerful
internal foe, whose energies not more devoted to
its downfall than are the principles by which they
would conduct the administration of affairs under IT,
It is full time that the people should be impressed
with the great truth that the maintenance Of the in
tegrty of the constitution is the maintenance of the
government Every unwarranted power exercised
by Congress is blow aimed at the life of the ma
ton. The alien and sedtion laws revenue boun-
ties and projections national banks tho Missouri
Compromise, and all other compromises which invoke
the legislative power solvent for individual or
sectional differences, many infractions Of
compact of Union. by whom have these excresccnces
upon the body-politic been torn Off BY the dem
ocratic party What great measure has its oppo-
nents presented to the country which did not look
to the exercise OF unwarranted powers, regardless
of constitutional restraints? The alien laws the
bank internal improvements bountes to manufac
turers congressional Intervention with slavery
under pretence Of governing the Territores--these
and many other Of the opposition are upon
the records They would build up the legislature,
make it the centre of the arch with arms to grippe
the whole system, and crush out every obstruction
in the way of congressional omnipotence. The evil
genius of democracy is hidden within the legislative
halls as
The work of maintaining the government mean
while is in the hands of the democracy--a work
which looks far more to the future than the present
and past One more century's lease of the federal
Union may settle forever the character Of the pol
cal institutions of the world.
What, then, means this schism in the demo
cratic party about Kansasf Why are our ranks
broken in the face of the foe Have we performed
the work assigned us, and won the prize2 Is there
to be no more unity, no more confidence in each
other--no more brotherhoods Are the country's
enemies, the disturbers of it's peace, better assoc
aes moro Trustworthy and honorable than that glo-
rous old party, with its veteran hosts Of tried and
true mon, the successors Of Jefferson and Jackson