The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1862-05-24
SHALL THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY BE NOW
DIsBANDED?


ism, and the discriminating justice Of the
American people. ,r .-., d.. ~.
"That we regard this as a distinctive
feature in our political creed, which we
are proud to maintain before the world, as
the great moral element in form of gov
ernment springing from, and upheld by,
the popular will and we contrast it with
the creed and practice of federalism, un-
der whatever name or form, which seeks
to palsy the will of the constituent, and
which conceives no imposture too mon
strous for the public credulity.
"That the Federal government is one
of limited power, derived solely from the
constitution !; and the grants of power
made therein ought to be strictly construed
by all the departments and agents of the
government and that it is inexpedient
and dangerous to exercise doubtful consti-
tutional powers" .e a
,a And as explanatory of these the follow
ing from Mr.. Jeferson's first inaugural /:
"The support of the State governments
in all their rights as the most competent
administration of our domestic concerns
and the surest bulwarks against ant-Re-
publican tendencies.
"The preservation of the general gov
eminent in its whole constitutional vigor,
as the sheet-anchor of our peace at home
and safety abroad. .............
IA jealous care of the right of election
by the people.
"The supremacy of the civil over the
military authority
Economy in the public expense, that
labor may be lightly burdened.
"The honest payment Of our debt and
sacred preservation of the public faith.
"Freedom of religion, freedom of the
press, and freedom of person under protec-
tion of the habeas corpus, and trial by ju-
ries impartially selected"
Such, democrats, are the principles of
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
constitution and the Union were founded !;
aud, under the control of a party which
adhere to them, the constitution would be
maintained and the Union could not be
dissolved. d'.3 s&2& -'1'.1
Is the policy of the democratic party
wrong that it should be disbanded? = o
Its policy is consistent with its princi-
pies, and may be summed up from the be-
ginning, as follows: The support of liber-
ty as against power of the people as
against consolidation and centralized des-
potism no public debt low taxes; no
general system of internal Improvements
by Federal authority; no national bank ;
hard money for the Federal dues no as
sumption of State debts; expansion Of terri
tory; self governments for the Territories,
subject only to the constitution /; the abso-
lutte compatibility of union of the States,
"part slaves 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 State
or Territory, or in the District of Colum.
bia; and finally, as set forth in the Gin
cinnati platform, In 1856, aud reafirmed
in 1860, absolute and eternal "repudiation
of all sectional parties and platforms con-
corning domestic slavery which seek to em-
broil the States and incite to treason and
armed resistance to law in the Territories,
and schose auo,eed purposes If consuaa,aa-
ted, asatst end en- ciOi5 aoar and disanion.D
8, Such was the ancient and the recent
policy of the democratic party, running
through period Of sixty years--ai policy
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? aBy
| their fruits shall ye know them" Section
al parties do not achieve Union triumphs,
/ For sixty years from the Inauguration Of
Jefferson on thD 18th Of March, 1901, the
| democratic party,With short intervals, con-
i trolled the power and the policy Of the
Federal government. For forty.eight
years out Of these sixty. democratic men
ruled the country 4 for hfty- four years and
eight months the dem ocratic policy prevail
cd. During this period Louisiana, Florida,
Texas, New Mexico and California were
!. successfully annexed to our territory, with
al area more than twice as large as all the
original thirteen States together. Eight