Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-01-07

then my hopes and my exertiOns shall be
that Virginia shall he one and indivis.
be under the Constitution, and in the
Union.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY; ITS DEEDS
ITS PRtScrrLEs AXDITs DUTIES
To the Constitutional Democracy 1
would uidrcss n word Of confidence and
reliance. With you, Old Men of tho
Party. have been standing shoulder to
shoulder for thirty two years: during that
time no man has seen me pause ur fllter.
This stern and straight consistency, /
trust, has been with US all, frm and
honest reliance on principle principle us
the element of integrity Of character and
as the fundamental clement Of that public
policy which made our party. successful
and renowned, Us the exact maintainers
Of the Union ard the strict defenders of
tue Constitution. In the early history of
the Republic there were soon formed two
parties, the strict cOnstructiUnists and the
lutitudinarians. The National Dcmocra-
cy belonged TO the former and those prin-
cipies affirmed in the Virginia ResuIu-
tiOnsOf '9S and those general and unde-
fined expressions in tile ninth and tenth
! amendments of the Constitution were
adopted as principles Of Interpretation, as
imposing on all the departments of the
government the constant duty so to con-
strue the Constitution and SO to act in all
things, that the General Government
should not assume any powers not grant
ed, but should by these cnutionnrv prin-
ciples Of action, exercise the least possible
power which was necessary for executing
the great purposes of tho National Gov
crnment. You perceive clearly, now,
that strict adherence To this principle
will save us from Centrnlism on the one
knnd-the consolidation OF all power in
the General Government aud from Seces-
siOmsm on the Othnr-the imbecilitv of
the General Govcrnment-the destroying
force which breaks into fragments and
tends To confusion and anarchy.
The country continued divided between
these two parties only-Only these two
until the South Carolina difficulties about
1890, when n new party sprang up under
Nit Calhoun, opposed to the person, the
measures and principles Of our ,grcat cap.
tain, Andrew jackson. This wns tie
party of Notification, opposing tariff
policy as unconstitutional aud seeking to
overthrow the Union on this shallow and
uniuunded pretence, for they as individu-
ais and as masses had but shortly before
sustained this policy withnmflinching per-
tinacity. Although they wanted to nbro-
gate the Union then and for this pre;cnce
und claimed to be SUCCESSORS IF Madison
and Jefferson they Orraycd themselves
with the latitudinnrians against the con
stitutinnal democracy under Jnckson.-
We met the combined force in the cleo
ton of 1892 and carried Virginin: with
this furce, still against us we Carried it in
1926. In 1910 that party. rank and file,
came to us and We were defeated in the
national election and barely saved Nir-
ginin. Since that time, these new mon
these R0ri hOmines-hnve had control of
the places Of honor and profit to the entire
| exclusion Of the national party and lIaye
been constantly instiiling the tutll poison
nf their SecssiOnism into the public mind,
until our young men have been corrupted
and our old men may hare forgotten their
love of the Constitution and tho Union in
tho insidious insinuation Of unsound prin-
ciples and in tue wrongs which have been
perpctrated or threatened against South
erU institutions. AS party We have
finally and firmly triumphed, ON the prin-
cipla of strict construction, against a
National Bank, against Internal improve
nisnt by the General Government, against
tariff as u nero engine of protection, a
Gainst religions -fnnaticism, in politics, for
the divorce of Bank and State and against
Nulliieatiun-and by standing strictly
on the Constitution.
Let us now stand on the same platform
and having purgcd our vision from false
Impressions and from the passions with
which the wrongs of others have bccluud-
cd our Judgements and our love Of couu-
try. look to the principles which have
guided us to prosperity at home and
eminence abroad and from the Indications
they give us see where we nre drifting,
without observation-disclosures Union
without Country. Let US remain with
the CONsTITUriON-the Old Ship of the
Gattle-line, and il orr Pilots are mislead-
ing Us, throw them ovcrbonrd;-right her
helm and lay her keel straight to the port
of tho Union, with the Stars and tie
Stripes floating to tho breeze and her jack
staff, Us the index of our safety, pointing
to Heaven.