The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1862-05-24

In regard to 1t. Let the record speak:
"Resoleed, That Congress has no power
under the constitution to interfere with or
control the domestic institutions of the
several States, and that such States are
the sole and proper judges of everything
appertaining to their own affairs not pro-
hibited by the constitution; that all eff
forts of the abolitionists and others made
to induce Congress to interfere with ques-
tions of slavery, or to take incipient steps
in relation thereto, are calculated to lead
to the most alarming and dangerous con-
sequences, and that all such efforts have
an inevitable tendency to diminish the
happiness of the people, and endanger the
stability and permanence of the Union,
and ought not to be countenanced by any
friend Of our political institutions"
Upon these principles alone, SO far as
it relates to slavery, can the Union as it
was be restored; and no other Union, ex-
cept the unity Of despottsns, can be main
tanned in this country; and this last we
will resist, as our fathers did, with our
lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.
But it is said that you must disband
the Democratic party t'to support the gov
eminent" We answer that the Demo-
cratic party has always supported the gou-
ernnaent; and while it was in power pre-
served the government in all its vigor
and integrity, not by force of arms, but by
wisdom, sound policy and peace. But it
never did admit, and never will, that this
administration, or any administration, is
"the government" 1t holds, and ever
has held, that the Federal government is
the agent of the people Of the several
States composing the Union; that it con-
sists of three distinct departments-the
legislative, the executive and the judicial
each equally part of the government,
and equally entitled to the confidence aud
support of the States and the people and
that it is the duty of every patriot to sus-
tain the several departm ents of the gov
eminent in the exercise of all the consti-
tutional powers Of each which may be me-
cessary and proper for the preservation Of
the government in its principles and in its
yigor and integrity, and to stand by and
defend to the utmost the flag which repre-
sents the government, the Union, and the
country.
In this sense the democratic party has
always sustained and will now sustain the
government against all foes, ut home or
abroad, in the North or the South, open
or concealed, in Office or out of office, in
peace or, in war
If this is what the Republican party
mean by supporting the government, it is
an idle thing to abandon tho old and tried
Democratic party, which for SO many
years and through so many trials, support
ed, maintained and preserved the govern
ment Of the Union. But if their real
purpose be to aid the ancient enemies of
the Democracy in subverting our present
constitution and form Of government, and
under pretence Of saving the Union, to
erect a strong centralized despotism on its
ruins, the Democratic party will resist
them as the worst enemy to the constitu-
ton and the Union, and to free govern
ment everywhere. 9
We do not propose to consider now the
causes which led to the present unhappy
civil war. A filter time will come here
after for such discussion. But we remind
you now, that compromise made your
Union, and compromise fifteen months ago
would have saved it. Repeated efforts
were made at the last session of the Thir-
ty-sixth Congress to this end. At every
stage the great mass of the South, with
the whole Democratic party, and the
whole constitutional union party Of the
North and West, unired in favor Of certain
amendments to the constitution apd chic
among them the well.known HCritteade1
propositions which would have avertsd
civil war and maintained the Union All
every stage all proposed amendments ia.
consistent with the sectional doctrines d
the Chicago platform, were strenuouslJ
and unanimously resisted and defeated b
the republican party. The 'sCrittender
propositions never received d singla re.
publican vote in either House. For .
proof we appeal to the journals Of Con.
gress and to the Congressional Globe. 4
We scorn to reply % the charge that
the Democratic party - opposed 70 grslatt'
4 ing aid and support "a the Federal govern
ment ID maintaining is safety, integrity
and constitutional supremacy and iniavol
Of disbanding opr armies md saccumbiue
ltothe South The ehargeis libellous ant
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