Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-10-13
A Living Issue.


 From every know nothing press in the land we hear the demagoguislf appeal that 'the real issue is union or rdisunion-rally to save the union." That men who aspire to the dignity of statemanship should resort to such a spbterfuge to cover up the great vital issues of the different parties is, we confess. somewhat surprising. We have been told that the principles upon which the democratic party came into existence have triumphed, and in that very success have ceased to possess vitalilyl A more absurd paradox never entered the brain of teltl ttelltl that success would destroy the principles of christianity and superinduce another long and dismal lapse of a |" dark age" of superstition and gno- rance, we conld not have a more thorough contempt for the whimsical theorist,
 The great principles of democracy never die They live on perennial freshness, like the favored few, who, if We a1e to be- lieve the poets, have found in the fabulous orient the fountain of eternal youth, and slacked their thirst for immortality. Pdr- ty organisations may pass away and new ones spring up, like mushrooms, to take l theifSrace, but~ the same great political truths must sustain and uphold them The democratic party of Jefferson, of Madison and Monroe was founded on the doctrine of strict construction of the constitution It was not built on the fallacious dogma that majority shall rule," as is some times carelessly admitted, but upon the broader and more philanthropic philosophy |" that the rights of minorties shall be res- pected and guarded" The gallant fancey reviled though he be by shallow empirics and fool- hardy union shriekers, in his recent speech at Washington forcibly illustrates this view of the natter
 | "All, then, that the South asks in this contest IS that you shall observe the constitutional checks l and balances with reference to her She is not i willing that her rights shall be submitted to the l will ot mere numerical majorities For our fathers | our ancestors, and the great patriots of the North agreed that it should be otherwise It was the written compact of our fathers that the minority should receive protection from the constitution against the mere selfish and avarcious will of a 1 preponderant majority. Parties divided themselves originally in this country upon that great principle 1 One desired that the majority should rule in all things, while he other--the States rights party of the counry--desired it should be different. This
 latter party carried the day in the formation of the constitution. and placed checks upon the advance | ment of the majority. And this written constitu- l ton was compact by which majorites should re- strain themselves with reference to the rights of minorities. MajoritiGs need no protection save | their own power. Hence it is easy for the North to cry out for the Union at all hazards and under | all circumstances. It is easy for the North, with its majorites of millions, to say they are for this | Union any how. No matter who may be elected, no matter what may be done, still they will stand to the Union as the great of their prosperity Why! Because with no constitution at all the | North can protect themselves with their predomi- nant vote in the country. But how is it with the South? How is it with the minority of the eoun- l try-the minority States ofthe government Ifthey leave to the mere will preponderant majorities in Congress, the North, in all other cases will seek it's advancement ofpower, will seek it's own sell | fish aggrlndzement and will distribute the money otthe governmentamong themselves, raise as much as they please and do all for their own advancement at the expense of minorities. Minorities gentle men, are the true friends of our constitution, be. cause that constitution is their shield and their protection against the unchecked and unlicensed will the majority.
 Hence it is that my section of the South stands by that constitution. You do not hear so much said there with such fippant tongues about the Union as you do at tic North; but you hear much said there about the constitutions about it's strict construction; about the rigid enforcement of it's checks, and it's balances in favor of these minori- ties because to them it is thing of life and death | Within this government that constitution must | prevail or the minority will be placed as lamb that is led to the slaughter. But let the constitu- ton he observed, and the ights of all sections un der the constitution preserved, and the South is content to abide its fate under the workings of that | instrument. The North may well cry out Unon Uplon! Union! at all hazards, and to the last ex- tremity. And the North, even now, Iunderstand at midnight, is aiming itself and training it's mid night bands for the purpose forcing the Union of | mere maorty upon the South.'
 It is then still 0 1vipg issue whether the consultation shall be strictly construed according to the State Rights theory, or whether we shall fall back upon the old whig doctrines leading to centraization of | power, and making the constitution, in stead of being shield to minorities, the
 
 To show that this is by no means a "vio. lent assumption" we press into service the testimony of the rcsuscitatcd know nothing organization, which under the mis- homer of !" Union party" is already at tempting to steal, like a midnight thief, into popular favor. We have before us a "Calm appealto the friends of American industry" just issued by the executive com mittee, the guardian angels of the "Union candidate" e"-thc old gentlemen's ticket" |" Alex. R. Boteer says;
 "In the light of this programme, it must be ob- vious to all, that the constitutional Union party is the only dmOn5 all the c0nfederatonS nop in the
 field ,ehch IS expressly and unmistakeably as wel in the enunciation Of Hs principles in the antecedens | ot both HS candidates, committed to the policy of 1 awarding adequate protection to American la | bor."
 | The address goes on to state that the black republican party is not half so em- | phatically committed to the doctrine of a "protective tariff "-a doctrine scarcely less odious to every enlightened southern man than Stewards irrepressible conflict ism. Here then is another Huing issue.- If we permit this new fangled party to get into power, the old battle grounds upon which Jefferson, Madison, Hayne, Calhoun, McDufie and Randolph met and vanquish- ed Hamilton, Clay and Webster, will be again filled with contendiug forces and holding plumes, and the intellectual giants who have passed away will have lived to no purpose, if we so soon forget the lessons