Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-10-07
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE!
The Democracy of Wisconsin.
ADOPTED IN STATE CONVENTION. AT
MILWAUKEE. SEPT. ID, 1862.

We address YOU IN time of great trial and
calamity. We address you IN a tins OF na-
tional suffering and sorrowing. We address
you IN crisis of fearful peril TO the Union,
and TO the free institutions established By our
fathers in the several States. We do 80 with
a solemn sense of the responsibilities resting
upon Us ia common with the whole American
people. We do 80 with the single design of
contributing all our aid to the preservation of
the Union, the Constitution and the Liberties
of the States And we propose to do 80, ac-
corling 10 our lights, feariessly and openly,
let whatever new power frown upon the
ancient American birthright of freedom of
speech
Our State Constitution, asserting the in
violable right of liberty of .oltical discussion.
adopts an American maxim as old as Ameri-
can independence, when il declares that "the
blessings Of tree government can only be
maintained BY frequent recurrence to funda-
mental principles" And whosoever, in what
soever position, asserts that there has come a
time IN American history, when freedom of
speech should be suppressed, when the safe
guard of political opposition should be aban-
doned, and the voice of all parties, except
one, should be silenced; when the Admins
trafion OF the Government should pass un-
censured and unquestioned; when loyalty to
the Institutions of our country should give
way to passive submission to our rulers, has
little sympathy with the spirit of the liberty
won BY the yalor Of our fathers, or of the free
institutions established by their wisdom In
free country the freedom of the people
abides in peace and war, in domestic tran
guilty and civil discord. The Constitution
Of the United States, and the Constitutions
of the several States, provide alike for all the
exigencies of peace at home and abroad, Of
foreign war, and Of domestic instruction.
The Constitution of the United States, and
the laws enacted in pursuance of it, are the
supreme law OF the land in all conditions of
the country. The Constitution is inviolate in
all circumstances OF the people and the gov
eminent. State necessity has no power to
suspend the Constitution or abridee the free
dom OF the people. State necessity, as an
excuse for invading popular liberty, has been
in all history the tyrants plea. When popu-
lar liberty succumbs To the cry of State ne
cessiiy, the land has already ceased to be free.
Loyalty, In America, is the franchise of no
Office or officer. American loyalty is que to
the Constitution alone. Fidelity to the Con-
stitution is loyalty to the Union. There is no
Union outside the Constitution. The Consti-
sutton is the Union. And whatever man, Off
Ger, or party. assumes to be true to the Union,
and not TO the Constitution as our forefaihers
made it, and our fathers enjoyed it, is disloyal
to both. Blind submission To the Administra-
ton of the Government, Is not devotion to
the country the Constitution. The Adj
ministratl0n is not the Government. The
Government is established by the Constitution,
and rests in its provisions. The Administra-
ton is as subject to the Constitution, and as
responsible for its observance, as the people.
The Administration may err, but the Consti-
tuition does not change. And when the Ad-
ministration violates the Constitution, loyalty
to the Administration may become disloyalty
to the Union. Devotion to the Constitution
is the only American loyalty.
In times of peace and prosperity, there is
little danger Of the loyalty of the people for
saking the Constitution for the principles of a
party, or the policy of an Administration.
But in days of civil discord and CONFUSION.
there is danger of patriotism being blindfolded,
mistaking the objects OF Its faith. and trans
ferring to the servant of its altar the devotion
due only to the altar itself And in such
days it is the duties of all parties to consider
wen their position, and to determine how far
their loyalty to the Constitution is consistent
with their support of the Administration of
the Government.
Almost rs old as the Union, founded in the
broad principles OF the Constitution. identified
with all the prosperous history of the United
States. the Democratic party has no new
principles to enunciate, no new loyalty to
pledge. Ii has always been, as it is, the party
of the Constitution. In all Its career, the
Constitution has been Its only creed. 1t has
been depressed by defeat and elated by sue
cess. and has at times mistaken the true path
of duty. But it has never lost sight OF the
Constitution. or wandered far from its WAYS.
Its history chronicles devotion to the Con
stitutIon, and a sympathy with the spirit of
the people, as just and steadiast as human de-
votion and sympathy can attain. Ii not al
ways right, 1t has not been often or long
wrong. Human history can say no more for
any party, in any are or country. The DEM
ocratic party needs to-day no platform but its
history. But in this unprecedented and ter
rible crisis. II becomes us to consider the APP
phcation of oil principles to new conditions.
The Democratic party has outlived many
antagonists. The Federal party, the National
Republican party, the Wing party, have sue
cessively struggled with it, with varied sue
cess; but have successfully disappeared from
history. This was not accidental The DEM
ocratic party was as subject to accident "a its
rivals. 1t has been frequently defeated. But
ii has survived all its defeats. while its ancient
enemies have not survived occasional success.
The reason is apparent. II was founded on
the true principles of our Government, and
guided by true sympathy with the spirit of
American institutions. They rested in mar
rover comprehension of the genius of the
American people, and in mistaken views of
the principles of the Constitution. They died
the death of error; it lives the life of truth
The history of the country is the history of
the Democratic party. With occasional In
termissions. it has administered the National
Government and guided the mark OF Ameri-
can history. Under Its influence. the true
spirit OF the Constitution displaced the mar
row and un-American comprehension of our
system of Government which originally pre-
vailed. and gave tone To the Administrator
OF the elder Adams. Under Its influence the
commercial and economical interests o. the
country were emancipated from the hot house
system of tariffs and currency, which bound
American energy and skill in the chains of
European theory. Under It's leadership, the
American dag was carried in glory through
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