The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1865-09-09
The Abolition OF slavery 0OnsId-
ereda-.saencrnl Views On the Doe
trimc OfStntC Rights.

Gtiit$tihiAN XIV fitN1 " wv iftH8N iiE
communication, but must say TO the author
that ma saeh " proposition" rs he imputes
to W. ever appeared in this paper. We Ger
tainIy have never g enumerated the accept.
ance of Tho proposition he quotes against us,
Cor we hold even stronger views adverse to It
thnn te expresses. We do not believe Tint
thirty.four of the States even, have the right
To declare tho slaves in the thirty.i fifth State
TO be FREQ. That nmtter belongs solely and
only 10 the State itself,
CAStoN CRY, August 25th, 1898.
Enron StAre Rreuts nsaocaAr -" The qres-
ton Of slavery Is practically disposed Of. and tl,eagi,
tation on the subject -hoald cease This proras
sition Il egunelatcd In a paragraph Of the first
issue of w srArr RioHrs DENornAr. As Il seems
To imply The settlement of a question thotsas heeN
n source nj constant agitation for more than forty
years, ever aud avon suhiecting our country To
violent cammotions, engendering implncahlc Sec
tional animosities betwcea her citize,s, and raruf
ising to n deplorablc extent the vital energies Of
the nation, it appears not improper "a review the
proposition.
tf this long disturbing an'l all absorbing subject
Is j" practically disposed If" ! have tailed 10 sen
IL. aud any friendly ray Of light enabling me to
discern it, reality would he gratefully accepted.
That u violent combination of usurpaiious on the
part Of the Government for the time heing, aud
perhaps for all time. has suspended the practical
operation of slavery, no one looking in the face oi
l.Nfsffnr r,.ts "a .f.ax JA.tf Il T. an arHa -
that the Government has acquired It's present att.
tudc npoa the subject hs n persistent disregard Of
constitutional prohibitions, charging lis limits Asi
trauseenling its delegated powers. treating with
supreme and tyranhous contempt ths sovereign
rights Of the several States. with /. specific Tendency
10 The destruction Of those essential principles TIM,
eharacietiac and control a goYerna,ent Of reesaeu.
Ihad thoughteyer constitutional right belonging
to any Sthto prior 10 she telellion was stu indie.
feasible and woall SO remain. until either charged
by the sovereign act a tha State. OF IN the mannes
and form sat forlh in the Consultation Of the United
States. and ms no such constitutional leesee has
been enacted, slavery has stnl 9 statuesry and
Legitimate existence, though practically disposed
Of by The force and violence Of arms.
In view Of these Facts. Is it orthodox State SOW,
%errigniy 10 aaeiit The present accepted disposition
Of slavery as hnal and complete? A true ausne
to the iaterfogatory only requires a glance at the
extraordinary agents employed to produce present
results to oanvinee the mind or The fatal error tina,
she unconditional submission 10 the present dispo.
sitien Of the slavery question would subject the
people.
No Intelligent and candid mas will contend that
the vairns official acts Of the Government "a Rhol.
tsh slavery during the rebellioa was supported hg
constitutional sanction but ut43n The eeatFarv. *
Tho plain. autspoken wnr1s &c ede Consultation,
they We're expressly Forbidden. The advocates az
the unconstitutional ~asseaptioa 81 pnwor hy the
President only attempt a Justification npan the
ground Of dire necessity-contcudias that the COY
ernment WAS being assaulted ny an enemy Of sneh
gigantic Proportions, and welding hfs blows with
such formidable aud fearful checf thar II placed IN
extreme peril The very Nle OF the nation. Henc.
the friends Of impartial i~reeien aud the allies II
esurpatioa urged the Necessity Of psralyging The
arm of rebellion by striking down slavery in u,asr
cohtempt of the Constitution 81 she United States,
and the sacred rights Of the sovereign State.
Every good citizen who has the countrv's inierra.
at heart, shoald yield a respectful assent to the a.
|crees Of his government, however na0eh they might
cnuiitt with individual oplsion. IL executed In cen
ferintis With the Constitutions oF his country. But II
openly and palpably violating the very letter anil
spirit Of that sacred Instruments tearing aSupdrr
the safeguards that protect States against Federal
eheroaehmeRt. exposing their citizens to the ruth
less rasagcs Of n ~ianatieai tyranny. rendering life.
liberty, property, domestic aad social cnioyments
the God given heritage of American citizens
insecure then. | proclaim 1t the right aud duty vi
every friend of constitutional liberty to exercise nj
least n sufieiency Of his hirthriyht preroga,iye 10
establish his determination to resist that centralized
system Of government l 4AHash 4iisf' 6e.autifal temple
tr State Rights. erected by the master architects OF
the Constitution. standing as a lighthouse upon
the hcad!and Ia guide the ship of State ta the
haven al constitutional security when the storms Of
Internal Discussions arise. threatening 10 en-ulf
her IN the vortex of the angry deep. These reHec-
tons are neither intended 10 advocate the enntin-
nance nor the abolition of slavery but simply an
humble hat earnest Offering in defence Of the con
s,i;utional rights of the people, rs strictly applica-
hlO TO all other constitutional infractions as that OF
slavery.
There are many acts of the present party in
power, authorized by the insulting mockcry oi
:. military necessity" aud executed by tho poten-
tialArm of the war power" that should he reject
ed with equal disfayor as the act th.t directs the
death-hlow to slavery. But as this party eyinoes
a disposition to relax lis grippe Of opnrcssions. and
In some instances correcting grave errors Of the
past, IL is no part of Sound policy, or an evidencC
of patriotism TO make disparaging illusions thereto
Bot as the act iihefatlnI the slaves OF the south
oyershadows all others in she grim catalogue Of
Executive usurpations, attacking and overturnine
as it does the fundamental principles of our Gov.
eminent. that derives its just powers from the con.
sent of the governed, it demands the serious con,
sideration Of every patriot that he may in,elligcntly
contribute his influence in perpetunting those cher
ished and imperishable principles embodied in tia,
Constitution Of our fathers.
IL seems to discredit belief that any one who en-
tcrtains a sincere regard for the Constitution of hi
country, with a fixed determination to preserve
protect and defend its provisions as n faithful citi
xen, can indorse the conclusion that slavery i
finally and forever settled. Ii is kindly but or
roneously asserted by some /" That it has not beer
legally abolished, but is practically disposed of
therefore its agitation should cease Acceptin.
this as the intrinsic conditions surrounding tn
subject, no better reason can be imagined pleadin;
the necessity Of investigation. No quiet, peace
loving citizen will w~antonly agitato pointless auC
obsolete subjects. But he that will cyade the res
possibility of meeting those vital issues upon whicl
the perpetaity Of republican government and con
stitutional liberty depend, because the tGrbulen
stream of public eiamor is setting in against them
even If aided by the overawing ~outlawry of mill
tary commissions deserves more the name an,
fate of a slave than an American freeman.
But for the corrupt and cowardiy trucking Q
the leaders that mould and control public senti
ment, we shonld not have beheld our conntr
Ewrithing in agony, the Constitution torn an
trampleA down and left a PROSTATE and bleeding
victim In the bloody clutches of o meTciless DIES
potism. Our last and only hope is an appeal t
the people. the original source of all power in FIRE
governments, to heal the fostering wounds Of GU
afflicted country, by applying the sovereign panace
of State Rights enveloped in the old Constitution
of the Republic.
If the subject of slavery or any other has bee
effectually settled by the constitutional operation
of the law, we should choerfnlly abide by and sup
port its decisions but if it has not been thus dis
posed of, we are under no obligation to respect it
decree, for if it contravenes the Constitution it i
no law at all, but usurpation, and if we are true t
the principles that create and perpetuate free gov
eminent, we viii resist it by all the means places
in our hands by that instrument.
From the unanimity of opinion that peryade
the public mind to accept the present disposition
of slavery without protest, il seems mminently por
tentous and excites startling apprehensions tina
the American people have lost the vigor of thei
ancestors. and are no longer capable of self-goV