Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-08-22
From The Cincinnati Gazette.
POLITICAL ISSUES OF THE DAY
Speech of Hon. R. W. ThOmp-
son of Terre Haute.
The Democracy Responsible
for the Country's Wrong.
MIR. LineoIn's Congregational Course
Endorsed by Union Men.

MIR. Lineoln's Congregational Course
Endorsed by Union Men.
The Honorable Richard W. Thompson
of Terre Haute addressed the people of Vigo
county, Indiana. on Saturday evening last,
at the Court House in the city of Terre Haute
There was very large number of persons
present, and the most profound attention
was paid to the eloquent gentleman's re-
marks, which occupied four hours in deIiv-
cry. Our photographer furnished us with
a verbatim report of the speech, but want of
room in our columns compelled us to con
dense it into the brief space allotted to it to
day.
Mr.. Thompson introduced his subject
with the remark, that in the present excl
ted condition of the country. il is the duty
of every one to deliberate carefully upon the
course he pursues in the Presidential con
test. He believed that the gieat BODY of the
people desire to do what they consider
right to advance the honor and the welfare
of the country; tits possible that under a
mistaken apprehension of their duty, they
may plunge the cou.Itry into an emban ass
ment still deeper. He said he was satisfied
that there are now at work in this country
some of the most dangerous elements of o
litical destruction, and that If the people do
not furnish some relief against THIN, the,
viii entail upon us more mischief than
many of Us imagine. De had not the slight
est fear that the issue of the Presidential
contest, Whatever il may be, will terminate
the Union, or that the election of any can
didate now in the field will cause such a
proposition to be seriously entertained by
any large number of p. ople.
TIE DIM CRATIC PARTY REsPoNIBLE.
One of the chief elements of mischief
which are now at work in the country said
Mr.. Thompson. is disregard of lava dis
position to set at defiance the constituted
authorities of the country-to make every
thing yield to the behests of party. Whence
sprang all this7 He denied that it origina
ted in The Whig party, which he consider
ed the purest party that ever ex sied. The
Democratic party. by its resistance to Whip
measures, brought into existence the mis-
chievous instrumentalIties uhich it has
since used so injuriously the country and
so fatally to its-lf Referring to this, he
said / wish you to notice what | say just
here, for / speak with del beration when i
say that to the Democratic party are We in
debted for all themischiefnow in the country
lApplause. They first set the examl lie of
disregard of the Constitution and the laws
and they have never filled TO trample both
under their feet whenever they stood in
their path Beginning with the Dorr re-
bellion in Rhode Island, and coming down
they have warred again and again upon
every department of ofGovernment, both ma
tional and State; aud there is scarcely a
Constitution to DE found upon which they
have not laid til cir hands. Look at our own
State. Our first Constitution was of
the best in the country. 1t was cOnsideled
model. But these political empyrics were
not satisfied with 1t, because ii contained
within 1t The conservatism of old fashioned
Whiggery; and thy tore it into tatters, and
put in its place another, which is a m, re
bundle of blunders, aad a disgrace to the
State. 1t looks if its sections had been
written by a number of men, and stuck to-
gether by accident. [Applause.l
TIE SUPREME COURT.
The speaker next referred to the position
of the Democratic party upon the Dred
Scott decision. He said that party was Just
sixty-two years old, and II had spent sixty
of these years in warning against the Su-
premo Court Of the United States, and using
their ever effort to bring it into contempt
tApDlause-l The Virginia resolutions of '9S
are curious productions. They were made
for poll ical purpose They were made
for a class of politicians who sought to set
up in this country code of political rrinci-
piles in direct antagonism TO those of Wa b
ington's administration, which proceeded
upon the i'd a that the government of the
United States according TO the Constitution
possessed the power specifically granted to
do cert ain things, and beyond that right to
30 whatever was necessary incidentally TO
carry out these general purposes. The De
mocracy CHARGED the inauguration of this
system upon Alexander Hamilton. To de-
ny this broad construction, this Democratic
party, then call the republican party, was
formed, and the Virginia resolutions OF l79c
were adopted as the foundation stone upoT
whie it could be built.
These resolutions had but one single OBJ
iecL. to-w,t; to deny to the Supreme Court
the right to decide any political question
lAppIausel He Mr.. Thompson would
like TO know what was meant by saying
that the Virginia resolutions were ongraftt {
in the two Democratic platforms. and We
that the Democracy requires obedience Il
the edIcts Of the Supreme urtl Th'
speaker referred To the pas age of the alier
and sedition laws, and said that the Repub
licans Of Mr. Adams day were unwilling
to submit to the decisi N Of the Suprem
Court which said these laws were constiu
u nal. To Use the language Of MT. J' ffer
son. they pronounced the Judges OF the Su
preme Court the sappers aud miners of tn
Constitution, having the dangerous powe
to decide all questions according To thei
own particular views. The Virz inia reso
lutions were drafted to declare that tn
States themselves had right ~ decide thes
political questions. for themselves MI
Madison's report accompanying the resolu
lions is also part Of the Democratic plat
form. That report says there is no trib ma
above the authority Of the States, d tina
the judiciary is th- lea-t resort only in re
latiOn 10 olher Departments of thu Govern
ment Judge VI .rshall In 1873, when
representative from Virginia, expressly de
MED that the Constitution had conferre G
the judiciary amt political powers whstsve
OF any power except where there was a ca
and the parties were brought in'o Court )
process. Mr. Calhoun in 1881 declare
that the Supreme Court would not be a sa
tribunal TO exercise any such powers. f.
erybody recollects hat Gen. raj Jackson al
his friends abused the Supreme Court
deciding ths, the United States Bank VI
constitutional. The concluding remarks
Mr.. Thompson upon this point were; +
may part / should despair OF ever hoIdi
the Democratic party to his or any 9th
decision that did not suit IL. It's wh'
course has shown how easily it could swe
from our stature books every great measr
Ia Il time hadBc ms Grated. It's ira ks .
marked with ruin. lApplause. IL has
most remarkable faculty for pulling dow
but none for building mp again. Look
its platform. II gives US abundant insta
ces of what Congress cannot do. but nc
Of what il can do. Ii has planted itself I
on negative policy, TO which IT was
point Of fact driven by its hatred Of
Clay.
DEMOCRATIC oPPo ITfoS TO Mr.. CLAY.
Mr.. Thompson referred to the strong
position with which Mr.. Clay's measu
were met by the the Democracy. He q
Clay wa regarded a. the great perso
rival Of General Jackson, and Democrat
leaders saw that the support of any me
ure with which his name was identifiedwo
be a concession on their part, that might
suit in his elect on. Therefore, with