The weekly Butte record., 1862-06-14
0dttklp Suite AetorO
Address of Democratic Members of Con-
gress to the Democracy of the United
States.

essential TO the preservation OF puDlc liberty
Without il the best government would soo
| degenerate INTO the worst tyrannies II des
pofism The chief use of power Is 10 crushing
out opposition. IL our own country the expe
rience Of the last twelve months proves nor
than any lesson in history the necessity of par
II organization The present Administration
was chosen by party, and in all civil act
and appointments has recognized and still
does, iis featy and obligations 10 that party
There must and will be an opposition The
public safety and good demand il Shall it be
q new organization or an old one The Dem
/ocraiic party was founded more than sixty
years agn. 1t has never been disbanded To
day il numbers l 800 600 electors in the State.
still loyal to the Union. lis recent numerou,
victories in municipal elections in the Westerr
and Middle States proves its vitality. Within
the last ten months it has held State Conven
tions, and nominated fall Democratic tickets ir
every free State in the Union. OF no other
party opposed TO the Republicans can the
same be said.
Shall the Democratic party be now disband
ed Why should it Are its ancient princi
piles wrong? What are they? Let its plat
form for thirty years speak:
-'Resolred, That the American Democracy place
their trust in the intelligence, the patriotism and
discriminating justice of the American people
That we regard this distinctive feature in
our political creed which we are proud to maintain
before the world as the great moral element in a
form OF government springing from and upheld BY
the popular will; and under whatever name or
FORM which seeks 10 palsy the will OF the constitu-
ent, and which conceves no imposture too mon,
str0Hs Tor the popular credulitv.
That the Federal Government is one of limited
power, derived solely from the Constitution: and
the grants Of power made therein ought to be
NrTIctlV construed Iv all he
agents Of the government; and that it is inexnedi-
ent and dangerous to exercise doubtful constitu-
tional powers"
And as explanatory of these the following
from Mr. Jefierson's inaugural:
The support of the State governments in all
Their rights as the most competent administrators
of our domestic concern and the surest bulwark.
against ant-repnbhcan tendencies.
The preservation of the General Government in
its whole constitutional vgor the sheetanchor OF
our peace at home and safety abroad.
people.
The supremacy of the civil over the military
authority
Economy in the public expenses, that labor may
be lightly burdened
The honest payment of our debts and sacred
preservation of public faith.
"rreedom OF religion, freedom of the press. and
freedom OF persons under the protection Of the ha-
beas corpus, and trial by juies mpartally select
| ed
+ Such Democrats, are the principles of your
fparty, essential to public liberty and to the
stability and wise administration Of the Gov
ernment. alike in peace and war They are
the principles upon which the Constitution
and the Union we're founded and. under the
control Of party which adheres to them. the
Constitution would be maintained and the
Union could not be dissolved.
Is the policy Of the Democratic party wrong
that it shond be disbanded?
Its policy is consistent with its principles.
and may be summed up, from the beginning.
as follows The support of liberty as against
power of the people as against their agents
and servants and of State rights as against
consolidation and centralized desporiSm; a
simple Government; no public debt low tax
es no high protective tariff; 10 general sys
TEN of Internal Improvements by Federal au
thoriiy; no National Bank hard moaey for
the Federal D<blie dues no assumption of
State debts expansion of territory s1lf gov
ernuent tor the territories, subject only to the
Constitution; the absolute compatibility of a
Union OF States, part slave and part free :"
the admission of new States. with or without
slavery, as they may elect non-interference
| by the Federal Government with slavery in
Ntaie and Territory, or in the District of Co
snmbla and finally, aS set forth in the Gin
cinaati platform in lS56, and realirmed in
7 500, absolute and eternal Reputation of all
. sectional parties an1 platforms concerning do.
nestle slavery. which seek to embroh the
| States, and ucite to treason, and whose avow
ed purposes, ii consummated, must end in civil
war and dsunion.r
Such WAS the ancient aud the recent policy
Of the Democratic party. running through a
period OF sixty years, a policy consistent with
she principles Of the Constitution, and abso-
lulely essential to the preservation of the
Union.
Does the history of the Democratic party
prove that it ought to be abandoned? By
their fruits shall We know them" Sectional
parties do not achieve Union triumphS For
sixty wears from the inauguration of Jefferson
on the 4th Of March. 1901. the Democratic
| party, with short intervals. controlled the pow
er and the policy of the Federal Government
| Forty weight wears out of these sixty. Demo
cratic men ruled the country for fftv-four
years and eight months the Democratic policy
Teyalled. During this period Louisiana.
fFlorida, Texas, New Mexico and California
were SucceSSively annexed to our territory.
with an area more than twice as large as all
the original thirteen States together Eight
new = tdlt> were a0OlltiSu under strictly Dem
ocrstic AdminStralionS-on under the Ad-
miniSiration Of Fillmore. From five millions.
the population increased to thiriy-one millions
The revolutionary debt was exjnguShed-
Two foreign wars were successfully prosecuted.
with moderale outlay and small army and
navy, aud without the Suspension of the habeas
corpus; without oue iufraciion Of the Consti.
futon; without one uSurpation of power
without suppressing a single newspaper; with
out imprisoning a single editor; without limit
10 the freedom Of the press or Of speech in or
out q Congress but in the midst OF the gross
est abuse ct both aBd without the arrest of a
single traitor" though the Hartford Con
veuuou sal during one Of our wars. and in the
other Senators invited the enemy to greet
our volunteers with bloody hands and welcome
them 10 hoSpitable graves"
n Daring al the time wealth increased. bust
u>ss Of ali kinds multiplied, prosperity smiled
oa-everv side. taxes were low, wages were
high. the North and the South furnished
market for each others products at good