Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-05-10
Adare.. OF the Democratic Mem be re
ef Congress tn the People OF the


u The following y the address referred 70 In our
dispatches a. having been issued by The Demo
cratic members Of Congress We invite for il a
careful perusal:
FELLow-cIruEx The perilous condition Of
our country demands that we should reason to
gether. Party organization, restricted within
proper limits, j. positive good, and indeed es-
sential 20 the preservation OF public liberty.
Without IL the best Government would soon de
generate into the worst Of tyrannes. In despO-
tisms the chief use of power Is IN crushing out
party opposition. IN our own country the expe-
rience Of the last twelve months proves, more
than any lesson in history, the necessity Of party
organization. The present Administration was
chosen by party, and in all civil acts and ap-
pointments has recognized, and still does, IT.
feality and obligations TO that party There mus,
and will be an opposition. The public safety and
good demand IL. Shall II be a new organization
or an old oneG The Democratic party was found
ed more than sixty years ago. Ii has never been
disbanded. To-day it numbers one million five
hundred thousand electors in the States still loyal
10 the Union. lis recent numerous victories in
municipal elections ia the Western and Middle
States prove its vitality. Within the last ten
months il has held State Conventions and homi
mated full Democratic tickets in every free State
in the Union OF no other party opposed TO the
Republicans can the same be said.
SHALL THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY BIZ now DIsBANDED'
Why should itI Are it, ancient principle,
wrongI What are theyl Let its platforms fol
thirty years speak:
"Resoired, That the American Democracy
place their trust in the intelligence. the patriot
ism and the discriminating justice of the Amer
can people.
THAT we regard this IA a distinctive ieatur.
in our political creed, which we are proud to main
tain before the world as the great moral element
in form of Govern nient springIng from and up
held by the popular will and we contrast it will
the creed and practice of Federalism, under
whatever name or form, which seeks to pals,
the will OF the constituent, and which conceive.
no imposture too mOnstrous for the popular credu
lty.
THAT the Federal Government il one OF limit
ell 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 inexpe
dent and dangerous 10 exercise doubtful cOnsti
tutional powers"
And "A explanatory of these the following from
Mr.. JefleTsOn's first inaugural:
The support of the State Governments i'm all
their rights a. the most competent administra-
tons OF our domestic concerns, and the surest
bulwaIks against anti republican tendencies.
1.-The preservation OF the General Government
in is whole constitutional yigor as the sheet an
chor of peace at home and safety abroad.
"A 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 debts and sacred
preservation of the public faith
Freedom of religion, freedom OF the press and
freedom OF person under protection of the hdbeaS
corpus, and trial by juries impartially selected "
Such, Democrats, are the principles of your
party, essential 10 public liberty and to the sta
bility and wise administration of the Government
alike in peace AMI 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 main
tanned and the Union could not be dissolved
IS THE POLICY or THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WRONG
THAT 1T SHOULD BE DsBANDEDI
It's policy is consistent with its principles, and
may be summed up from the beginning as fol
lows: The support of liberty as against power;
of the people against their agents and ser
wants; and OF State rights as against cOnsOlIdl-
ton and centralized despotism; a simple Govern
ment; no public debt; low taxes; no high pro
tective tariff; no general system of internal i'm
provements by Federal authority; no National
Bank; hard money for the Federal public dues
no assumption of State debts: expansion OF ter
ritory; self government for the territories sub
ject only to the Constitution; the absolute com
patibility of union of the States, "paft slave
and part free" the admission of new States, with
or without slavery, rs they may elect; non inter
ference by the Federal Government with slavery
in State territory, or in the District of COlum
bla: and finally, as set forth in the Cincinnati
Platform in 1856, and rea affirmed in 1860, ab so
lutte and eternal population Of all sectional par
ties and platforms concerning domestic slavery.
which seek To embroil the States, and incite %
treason and armed resistance To law IA the terri
tories. and whose avowed purposes, it consummA-
ted, must end in civil and disuniOn.
Such, Democrats, WAS the ancient and the re
cent policy of the Democratic party. running
through period of sixty years. policy con
sstent with the principles of the Constitution, and
absolutely essential to the preservation OF the
Union.
DOES THE HISTORY or 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
years from the Inauguration of Jefferson the 18th
of March 1901 the Democratic party, Sith 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 fifty four years and eight months the Demo
cratic policy prevailed During this period
Louisiana, Florida. Texas, New Mexico and
California were successfully annexed To our. ter
ritorv. with an area more than twice "a large as
all the original Thirteen States together Eight
States admitted under strictly Demo
cratic AdministratiOns-one under the Admins
tratiOn of Fillmore From FIVE millions the pop
ulation increased To thirty one millions. The
Revolutionary debt eXtingulShed. Two
foreign wars were successfully prosecuted, with a
moderate outlay aud small army and navy. and
without the suspension of the hateaS corpus; with
out one infraction of the Constitution; without
one u<urpation of power; without suppressing a
single newspaper: without imprisoning a single
editor: without limit tn the freedom of the press.
or OF speech in or out of Congress- but in the
midst OF the grossest abuses of both: and without
the arrest OF a single TRAITOR" though the Hart
fori Convention sat during one OF the wars. and
in the other Senators invitei the enemy To greet
volunteers with bloody hands. and welcome
them to hospitahie graves.
During all this time wealth increased business
of all kinds multiplied. prosperity smiled every
side, taxes we're low, wages were high the North
and the South furnished market for each other :
products at good prices; public liberty was secure.
private rights undiStur6ed; every man : house was
his castle: the courts were open 10 all: no pass
ports for travel, no secret police. no spies in
formers, ~ ba>tleS, the right TO assemble peace
ably the right 10 petition freedom of religion
freedom ct speech. free ballot and tree press:
and all this time the Constitution maintained and
the Union of the States preserved.
II