The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-08
[From the Dstral Free rress.J


There those ignorant of the first principles Of
the democratic party who believe that these questions of
bank and anti bank tariff aud anti-tarH slavery and
anti slavery, popular sovereignty and congressional SOW
ereigny, III genus all many s'coris to bind
tho democratic party together and to give an odor
nationality" Strange cords these, which instead
o. uniting North and South East and West have
drawn US fat apart, which have sundered Michigan
and all the Northwest from their natural support Of the
principles Of the democratic party, to cordial union
with those who have from the foundation of the govern
mcnt been bitterly opposed to them Strange halluci
nation or what is more probable, consummate duplicty
and dishonesty declare that these Of dsscnson
which at times have almost threatened the dissolution of
the Union and the overthrow Of the government
many cords to bind the party together {.
The democratic party had its origin In the early days
OF the republic. Then 1t there arose division In
the councils of the nation difference of opinion hon
cstly entertained and openly avowed Adams and Ham
on aud their associates were alarmed lest the great
pertinent OF self-Sovernincnt should prove failure.
They believed that the country wsk IN teIss
plunged into anarchy because the federal government
was weak at the head and weaker In the extremities
that neither had power to enforce order within its
appropriate sphere at home, command respect abroad
Entertaining these opinions they constantly devsing
ways and means Of strengthening the national government
to make IL the fountain OF all honor to render indeed i'm
peral ia its character But opposed to these dangerous
doctrines Jefferson and Madison and hosts Of Others
who believed the real danger of system would
from too strong central government They knew that
the tendency OF power was to concentration and they
was in preventing far possible such concentration
Hence they the friends of the States such
They believed that they the real bulwarks of free
do and that far the States could be streng hened
so far republican institutions strengthened They
in favor of State rights and from that day this
at all times and under all circumstances the democratic
party have ever been, and must be, long they
remain true to ther principles the great State rights
party of the country. Starting from this point ii is
never difficult to tell where the democratic party will be
upon any question which may be mooted They opposed
bank because its object to centalize the money
power of the country They opposed protective tariff
because its whole tendency to make the manuac-
ters class subservient to the Central government
They opposed system of internal improvements be-
cause it would not only carry the States but each neigh
borhood humble suppliants for favor to the
feet of the National government at Washington.
They were in favor of the annexation Of Texas the acqu
sition OF California of Cuba, because the admission Of
each State, under well arranged system renders
it and impossible for the Central government
to interfere with control the States within their appro
pirate spheres of action under the constitution They
in favor Of the repeal of the Missouri compromise
line because it nterrcd with the sacred principle of the
equality of the States They in favor of popular
sovereignty and against Congressional sovereignty be-
sustains the legitimate powers of the State gov
ernments the rights of the people to and control
their affairs in their way,whe the other seeks
to vest all power in the Central government at Washing
ton. Once establish this doctrine of the power and duty
of Congress to regulate and control wherever possible
and surrender to majority the right of interfering
directly indirectly with the affairs of every State in the
Union. But such is not now, has been, the
policy the principles of the democratic party. When
and wherever any question has arsen the tendency
design of which to strengthen the federal govern
men at the expense of the rights of the States the
people, the real democracy the country been found
arrayed against it, As has been in he past, so cW be
"a the future