The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1862-05-21
Address Of Democratic Members
of Congress TO the Democracy
of the United states.

tl0n OF our country QemAnus tnat we s00ulo
reason together. Parry organization restrict
ed within proper limits, is 3 positive good
and indeed essential to the pre- servation o
public liberty. Without it the best govern
ment would soon degenerate into the wors
OF tyrannies. In despotisms the chief use o
power Is in crushing out party opposition. -
In our own country the experience oil thu
last twelve months proves, more than any
lesson in history, the necessity OF party or
ganization. The present Administration
was chosen by party, and in all civil act
and appointments has recognized, and still
does, its fealty and obligations to that party
There must and will be an opposition. The
public safety and good demand it. Shall il
be new organization or an old one? III.
Democratic party was founded more thar
sixty years ago. 1t has never been dsband
ed. To-day it numbers one million five hun.
dred thousand electors in the States still 10y.
al to the Union. Its recent numerous victo
ries in municipal elections in the Western
and Middle States prove its vitality. Within
the last ten months it has held State Conven
tions and nominated full Democratic tickets
in every free State in the Union. or nc
other party opposed 10 the Republicans can
the same be said.
SHALL THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY BE NOW DIS.
BANDED2
Why should it? Arc its ancient principles
wrongr What are they? Let its platform
for thirty years speak:
"Resolved, That the American Democracy
place their trust in the intelligence, the pat.
riotism and the discriminating justice Of the
American people.
"That we regard this as distinctive Aa.
ture in our political creed, which we are
proud to maintain before the world, as the
great moral element in form OF government
springing from and upheld iby the popular
will; and we contrast it with the creed and
practice oi Federalism, under whatever name
or form, which seeks to palsy the will of the
constituent, and which conceives no impos-
ture too monstrous for the popular credulity.
"That the Federal Government is one oi
limited power derived solely from the Consti-
tuition; and the grants oil power made therein
ought to be strictly construed by all the de-
pai tments and agents Of the Government;
and that it is inexpedient and dangerous to
exercise doubtful constitutional powers"
And as explanatory Of these the following
from MIR. Jefferson's first inaugural.
"The support of the State Governments
in all their rights as the most competent ad /.
ministrRtions of our domestic concerns, and
the surest bulwarks against anti-republican
tendencies.
"The preservation Of the General Govern.
ment in its whole constitutional vigor as the
sheet. t.anchor Of our peace at home and safety
abroad.
"a jealous care of the right of election BY
the people.
"The supremacy OF the civil over the mil
itary authority.
Economy in the public expense, that la
Dor may be lightly burdened. r
"The honest payment Of and sacred pres.
ervation of the public faith
Freedom Of religion, freedom Of the press
and freedom Of person under protection o.
the ha5eas corpus, and trial by juries impair
TALLY selected"
your party, essential to public liberty and to
the stability and wise administration of the
Government, alike in peace and war. They
are the principles upon which the Cons.itu-
tion and the Union were founded; and, un-
der 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 itshould be disbanded?
Its policy is consistent with its principles,
and may be summed ur 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 despotism;
simple Government; no public debt; low
taxes; no high protective tariff; no general
system of internal Improvements by Federal
authority; no National Bank; hard money
for the Federal public dues; no assumption Of
State debts; expansion Of territory: self.gov.
ernment for the Territories, subject only to
the Constitution; the absolute compatibility
of union of the States, "part slave and
part free;" the admission ofncw States, with
or without slavery, as they may elect; non.
interference by the Federal Government
with slavery in State or Territory, or IN the
District of Columbia; and finally as set forth
in the Cincinnati Platform, in 1856, and re-.
affirmed in 1860, absolute and eternal ''repu.
dIation of all sectional parties and platforms
concerning domestic slavery, which seek to
embroii the States and incite to treason and
armed resistance to law in the Territories,
and whose avowed purposes, if consummated,
must end in civil war and dlsunion."
Such, Democrats, was the ancient and the
recent policy of the Democratic party, run
ming through period Of sixty years--a poll
cy consistent with the principles OF the Con
stitution, and absolutely 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 ye know them" Sectional
parties do not achieve Union trumphs. For
sixty years from the Inauguration Of Jeffer-
son on the 9TH OF March, 1901, the Demo-
cratic party, with short intervals controlled
the power and the policy Of the Federal
Government. For forty eight years ont OF
these sixty. Democratic men ruled the coun-
try; for ,fii.y four years and eight months the
Democratic policy prevailed. During this
period Louisiana, Florida, Texas, New Mex.
leo and California were successfully annexed
to our territory, with an area more than
twice as large as all the original thirteen
States together. Eight new States were ad-
mitted under strictly Democratic Administers.
tions--one under the Administration Of Fill
more. From five millions, the population
increased to thirty-ope millions. The Rev
olutionary debt was extinguished. Two
foreign wars we're successfully prosecuted,
with moderate outlay and small army
and navy, and without the suspension Of the
to6eos corpus; without one inIraction OF the
Constitution; without one usurpation Of
power; without suppressing single news
paper; without imprisoning q single editor;
without limit to the freedom Of press, or OF
speech in or out of Congress, but in the
midst Of the grossest abuse of both; and
without the arrest OF single traitor, tho
he Hartford Convention sat during one Of
The wras, spd 10 the other Senator's invited
the enemy to greet our volunteers with
bloody hands, and welcome them to hospita
Die graves.n ,s.esa u 7aa i
During all this time wealth increased, bu-
'iness OF all kinds multiplied, prosperity
'miled on every side, taxes were low, wages
vera high the North and the South furnish |