Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-05-11


i ment In lls whole constitutional vigor a. the
sheei-anchOt Of our peace at homo and she'y
abroad.
"a jealous care Of the right Of election by
the people.
"The suprsmacy Of tho civil over the militia
~ authority.
ECONOMY In the public expense, that labor
may be lightly burdened.
"The honest payment OF our debts and sacred
preservation Of the public faith. a.
"Freedom of religion, freedom Of the press
aud freedom Of person under protection OF the
habsas cOypus, and trial by Juries impartlally
selected"
Such, Democratic, are the principles Of your
party, essential to public liberty and TO the sta
bility and wise administration Of the Govern
menI, alike In peace and war. They are the
principles upon which the Constitution and the
Union were founded; and, under the control OF
q party which adheres to them, the Constitution
would be maintained and the Union could not
be dissolved
Ia tho policy OF the Democratic party wrong
that IL should be disbanded
Its policy is consistent with lie principles,
and may be summed up from the beginning, as
follows: The support Of liberty as against pow
or of the people as against their agents and
servants; and OF State rights as against con-
soldation and centralized despotiam; o simple
Government no public debt low taxes; no
high protective tariff no general system Of In
ternai improvements by Federal authority no
National Bank hard money for the Federal
puplio dues no assumption Of State debtsj ex-
panson OF territory self-government for the
Territories, subject only to the Constitution
the absolute compatibility Of union Of the
States, "part slave and part iree;" the admis-
sion Of new States, with or without slavery, as
they may elect; non.interference by the Federal
Government With slavery 10 State or Territory,
or In the District Of Columbia; and finally, as
set forth In the Cincinnati Platform, in 1856,
and reaffirmed in 1860. absolute and eternal
"repudiation Of all sectional parties and plat.
forms concerning domestic slavery, which seek
10 embroll the States and incite TO treason aud
armed resistance to law in the Territories, and
whose avoWed purposes, II contaminated, must
end 10 civil war and disunion."
Such, Democrats, was the ancient and the
recent policy Of the Democratic party, running
through period Of sixty yeaTs--a policy con-
sistent with the principles Of the Constitution,
and absolutely essential to the preservation Of
the Union.
Does the history of the Democratic party
prove that II ought to be abandoned2 "By their
fruits shall ye know them Sectional parties
do not achieve Union triumphs For sixty years
from the Inauguration Of Jefferson on the 4h
OF March, 1901, the Democratic party, with
short intervals, controlled the power and the
policy of the Federal Government. For forty
eight years out OF these sixty, Democratic men
ruled the country; for fiity four years and eight
months the Democratic policy prevailed. Dur
ing this period Louisiana, Florida, Texas, New
Mexico and California we're successfully annex
ed TO our territory, with an area more than
twice as large as all the original thirteen States
together. Eight new States we're admitted un
der strictly Democratic Administratlons-One
under the Administration OF Fillmore. From
five millions the population increased to thirty
one millions. The Revolutionary debt was ex-
tinguished. Two foreign wars were success
fully prosecuted, with moderate outlay and
small army and navy, and without the suspen-
sion of the habeas corpus; without one infrac-
ton of the Constitution; without one usurpa-
ton of power; without suppressing single
newspaper; without imprisoning single edit
or; without limit to the freedom Of the press,
or Of speech In or out of Congress, but in the
midst of the grossest abuse OF both; and with.
out the arrest OF O single traitor" though
the Hartford Convention Sat during one of
the wars, and In the other Senators invited the
enemy to "greet our volunteers with bloody
hands, and welcome them to hospitable
graves"
During all this time wealth increased bust
ness of all kinds multiplied, prosperity smiled
on every side, taxes were low, wages were high,
the North and the South furnished q market
for each others products OF good prices; public
liberty was secure, private rights undisturbed;
every mans house was bis castle; the courts
were open to all; no passports for travel, no Sc
cret police, no spies, no informers, no bastiles;
the right to assemble peaceably, the right to
petition; freedom OF religion, freedom ofapeech,
q free ballot and free press; and all this
time the Constitution maintained and the Union
Of the States preserved.
Such were the choice fruits Of Democratic |
principles and policy, carried out through the |
whole period during which the Democratic par
ty held the power and administered the Federal
Government. Such has been the history Of that
party. 1t is Union party, for 1t preserved the
Union, by wisdom, peace, and compromise, for
more than half century.
Then, Democrats, neither the ancient princi
pies, the policy, nor the past history Of the
Democratic party require nor would justify its
disbAndment
Is there anything in the present crisis which
demands III The more immediate issue is, TO
MAINTAIN THE CONSTITUTION AS 1T Is, ARD To ne.
STORE THE UNION AZ 1T WAS.
To maintain the Constitution is to respect
the rights of the States and the liberties of the
citizen 1t is to adhere faithfully to the very
principles and policy which the Democratic par
ty has professed for more than half century.
Let its history, and the results, from the be.
ginning, prove whether It has practiced them.
We appeal proudly to the record.
The hrst step toward 6 restoration OF the Un.
ion as it was is to maintain the Constitution as
II is. So long as It was maintained In fact, and
not threatened with infracsion in spirit and in
letter, actual or imminent, the Union Was un
broken.
To restore the Union, 1t 10 essential, first, to
give assurance to every State and 70 the people
of every section that their rights and liberties
and property will be secure within the Union
under the Constitution. What assurance 30
doubly sure as the restoration TO power Of that
ancient organized consolidated Democratic par.
ty which for sixty years did secure the property,
rights and liberties of the State and OF the peo
pie, and thus did maintain the Constitution and
preserve the Union, and with them tie multiplied
blessings which distinguished US above all other
national ...tr
To restore the Union is TO crush out section
alism North and South. To begin the great
work of restoration through the ballot-box Is to
kill abolition. The bitter waters of secession
flowed frat and are fed still from the unclean
fountains of Abolitionism. That fountain must
be dried up. Armies may break down the pow
or OF the Confederate Government in the South;
but the work Of restoration can only be carried
IN through political organization and the ballot
IN the North and West. In this great work we
cordially invite the CO operation of all men of
every party who are opposed to the fall spirit of
and who, in sincerity, desire the Con-
stitution as 1t ia and the Union as il was. Let
she dead past bury its dead. Rally, lovers of
he Union, the Constitution and Liberty, to the