The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-17
THE LATE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.
SPEECH OF HON VINCENT L. BRADFORD, OF Pa.
Deiiusrei at RsO Castle, Dela,Oare, 0a, 27h, 1883
F.raeta1

There naturally arose out OF the formation of the fede
raj constitution two partiespartes having their origin
in the principles of nature parties which
agatcd the world and will agitate 1t long hu
nature exists Ms il is There two parties among
mankind in political attersone, the party of arisoera
cy the other the party of popular rights, or democracy
it is called. Aud the principles In human nature which
originate these two parties the principles of charity
of Kindness to feow-men, of love for the human
race the hand and of selfish exclusiveness mar
row-mndedness iiliberaty, and bigotry the other
There those who have believed and will believe
hat the few born by the grace of God ready booted
and spurred TO ride the many who by the same ordering
born ready saded and brided TO be ridden. There
are, aud will always be- the one hand, those who re-
gard the great interest of society that the rich
shall grow richer and the poor poorer = who disbeeve
ia the capacity OF for sefgovernnient and think
that the few should always take care Of the interests OF
the many while the other hand (and 1t is redeem
Ing feature in nature) there maryland trust
the in this State win show that they are in the ma
joritywho believe that created equal that we
should call master One, and He the God and
Master Of us all that should love another as
brethren and the great object of in this life should
be to promote the interests OF his felow-men This
the principle of Christianity and 1T ought to
be the governing principle of our common humanity
claim that il the anmang principle Of the democratic
party of this country. Applause do not wish to in
dulge in empty assertions here but shall endeavor to
prove what say. .. .'.-
What was the incipent struggle in nation between
these prncpless The democratic party under Thom
Jefferson contended for what termed strict con-
struCton of the constitution OF the United States. They
contended that the federal government is creature
of the people of the States that it is government of
limited specified powers having right to exercise any
powers beyond those which expressly given TO it by
the federal constitution The democratic party have ever
been the advocates of the idea of bringing the govern
ment to the peoplehe friends of home government
of home legislation in favor of political influence re-
naming the respective State capitals rather than at
Washington the capital of the federal government. You
can the animating principle of this view 1t
from ygilant zeal for popular rights from love
of popular freedom from strong interest in the sue
cess popular institutions and the development of popu
lar happiness The further you remove from the super
vision of the people any delegation their political power
the greater the danger to that power 1t makes vast
practical difference whether your Legislators esate at Do
Washington In the instance they are near to
you under your eye; in the other they far removed
from your presence and influence Here you will observe
the patriotic foresight and sagacy inspired by this love
for their race of the fathers of the democratic party
when jealous for State rights they contended for strict
construction of the federal constitution insisting, as
cardinal principle of their political faith, that the powers
not expressly granted to the federal by the
constitution reserved to the people of the respective
States that there inherent or original sovereign
ty in the general government but that it all lay vested
in the people of the several States comprising the coned
eracy They had patriotic prescence of what would be
the effort of the arisocntic party i'll this country The
great aim of that segfshn@s which have said is the
nnimating principle of arstocracy wherever it exists
has naturally been and will ever continue to be in
this land, to centraize all The porers Of gopenmea at
splendid monarchy, astocracy. by 80 doing, they
simplify the by which that selshness may be graft
fed for once establish the doctrine of implied powers
put out of view the want of original and inherent pot
cal power in the government of the United States
gate it the political capacity and power of the people
of the respective States cothe it with original powers
of Legislation and what will have been done in favor of
this principle of aristocracythe engrossing coveting,
seliishness OF nature! You will have, then,
spring of political power and action at Washington to
be readily pressed by the finger of selfish petenson
class legislation monopoly and everything which flows
from the desire of the rich to richer at the
of the many can thus be obtained. Have not wit
messed practically in the issues which have existed be-
tween these two parties since the of the
government Undoubtedly we have.
Unless two great parties exist among it must be that
the country in state of decay physical and social We
all know that such is not the fact in this country the
contrary ours is the strongest country IN the world 1t
a young giant constantly increasing in strength and
prosperity There seems to be limit to its physical
advance. There is weakness or debility such as gen
crates many petty factions we must therefore expect,
in looking the future that there will ever be two great
political parties in this country mashalIed against each
other But find that this is not the in Delaware
at the present time the socled people party is really
political party, but petty local faction because il
hus no political principles of any magnitude which it
seeks to establish Applause Nine tenths Of its mem
bcrs may consist of those whom you knew as native
Americans but their former expressive of their
principle and having abandoned it, they have abandon
ed their distinctive principle with it, They are after
something as yet undeveloped Feowctzens, you will
find that this peoples party is experiment your
cretluty Their name indicates nothing in conradistinc-
ton to our own our signifies all that can be
claimed for popular right the party ''of the
power of the people" What you have Can |
YOU alter the facts of the case alter the meaning of
name by cant talk about popular sovereignty p
If popular sovereignty means anything 1t means
the power of the people, which for seventy years has
been our principle and practice have objection to
this phrase because ii Is an indirect way OF claiming
our historical name and fame This phrase popular |
sovereignty" strictly speaking is an absuriity. You
cannot speak of sovereignty except where there sub
lection Where there is sovereign, there must of
cessty be subject but there is subject among the
people We are ctzens-not subjects Who, then, is |
subject to this popular sovereignty Can the people
be subject to themseves2 They cannot be both sover
egns and subjects The phrase is illogical conradicto
ry, and unmeanng. Where was it obtained !? The no
on of sovereignty know, is obtained from g the Di
vine right Of kings" monarchy an empire claims
to be called sovereignty but according to our
democratic creed, there is but one sovereign, and
he is the sovereign of the universe. Applause 1t is
only by an impious blasphemy that kings claim to be
soveregns and to govern by divine right This, there
FORE is phrase which ought to be on the lips of
democrat. He may with proprety and should often
speak of the right Of the people TO govern themselves and
to regulate their own institutions but do not let him
use phrase which emanates basphemously from mon
archists and the friends aud advocates of astocacy
IApplause And yet it is a sounding phrase it has
many syabes about it, laughter but after all, love
the old-fashioned and expressive word democracy
great deal better than this modern unmeaning phrase
popular sovereignty" lGreat appause-l
r,s od i'm what is