The Indianapolis daily herald., 1865-11-06
TINE HoNOHRD PRINCIPLES on
The uOCHACY.

The great leading principle governing the &C
ton OF the Democratic party 10 relation to the
Federal Union, principle time -bonored by that
party. and including within itself all particulars
the subject Of Federal relations, is to pre-
serve the Union Of the States by faithfully OBJ
serving and living up to the provisions Of the
Constitution by which the Union was constituted
and bad this been done by all The people of the
Northern States there woald have been no civil
war. The violation Of this principle has brought
about the moral aud political anarchy that nov
reigns We know that it will be difficult to make
our Republican trends and admit this, but il
IL true, and difficult as may be the task We will
undertake to satisfy them Of the fact for il is not
aqaestion that relates TO the past alone. nor TO
past and present. bnt to the past. present and fu
tnre OF this Republic. The Union has got to be
preserved now. and in the future. II at all, as il
should have been 10 the past. by respeeting the
Constitution 81 N. Union. both IN making laws
anu IA administering the Government. Our Re-
publican friends never did seem 10 comprehend
this proposition. They appear as blind towards
IL as were CHAsLEs the Tenth, Louis PHILLIrPE
and others who thought they could disregard
Constitutions with impunity.
They never did seem to comprehend or apprs-
eiAte constitutional government. Their minds
seem always to be occupied exclusively with the
idea OF yoRcK FowER, unlimited authority, on the
part OF Government, and Of non-resistancs. alb
Ject submission on the part of the people Hence
tue ridicue they always bestow on the idea that
. law IL unconstitutional. These are the ideas
OF government Of the Autocrat Of Russia, the
Sultan Of Turkey. and were the ideas OF the
.AMEsEs and CuARLEsEs Of England. But these
not the ideas OF the Democracy as to what
our Government is. When the Russian Emperor
issues his ukase. proclamation. or imperial order
prescribing what his subjects may or may not
do, il has the force of law. and must be submis
sively obeyed, because the Russian Government
Is one Of force. Of arbitrary power, where the
principle is that the the King Emperor do
no wrong, and Is subject 70 no law, but is simply
a lsw-naker and Iaw-e1ecutor for and upon
bis subjects, who are bound TO obey without
question. How can they do otherwiser They
cannot say the proclamation or Law is uneonsti-
tational, and. therefore. wrongly imposed upon
them. because they have no Constitution. They
have nothing 10 refer to = test to show what
the Emperor may do or may not do. THIS was
the kind OF government our ancestors got tired
OF ia England, and lied to this country to avoid.
The idea had been vaguely limited at by Greek
philosophers. and by some Continental and Brit
ish modern speculative writer's, that all Govern
meIts arose upon contract. express or implied.
betweeI The rulers aud the people. which either
party might break and be held responsible for
tbs breach. and BLACKSTONE refers to the same
IDEA. But the prevailing doctrine of. NJ least,
ali modern despotisms has been that the Govern
ment vas thing OF force. po,Oer. arbitrary, in
capable OF doing wrong, and. OF course. account
able TO one. and that the people we're not fellow
eiuzens, but subjects. bound TO passive obedience.
Bu. these Governments all sat heavily on the
shoulders of the people and pressed the masses
down 10 the earth. while the rulers and their
retaaers rioted in the proceeds Ut their TOLL and
our fathers determined that this idea OF all rights
in the Government aud none in tue people should
be done away with; that IL should no longer re-
main tho dream OF a speculative philosopher.
(this was setted for the hrst time when the com
pact signed by the Plymouth colony, a pie
tuEe OF when hangs IN many parlors in this city,
whether govern meat was matter of contract or
not on which there could be rights and wrongs
aud accountablties on both sides. but that
il should be sestled that government was
matter of contract. aud that the contract
should DO reduced TO writing, 80 that it
should evidence the rights and duties OF
parties. u the exclusion OF ''poral evidence, "
the contract being one. when made. contem
plating pespetuity. analogous to that of marriage.
~ long as there should DO human beings in sue
cession to live 10 and under il. never assuming at
lie making oil the contract, that there would be
any bad alth, or cruel treatment" or M ust con
duet on the part of either party. towards the
o.hsr. tending TO disrupt the Union between the
contracting parties. A contrsc; of Government 10
Que of contemplated perpetuity and good faith.
Ii furnishes test OF the rights of all parties
der IT, aud settles all disputes as to what measures
the majority may impose upon the minority, the
administration upon the people. II il does not.
what Is Il good for,
Now these ideas OF mutual good faith obligation.
traUye accountability. the Republicans never
seem 20 understand. They still hold on to the
Old despoIlc IDEAS that the Government is thing
slmply OF po,rer. force. authority without
liability. lhev seem to hold that the Coustitu-
ton aud laws are made for the people TO obey
but not Tor the admnistration-that that can
commit no wrong of which the people can com
plau or Tor which they eau have redress They
seem ID hold that the Constitution and laws are
merely. like the ukases OF the Emperor. simply
prescribing what tue subject must do or not do
OF be punished, out that they do not bind ad-
mintstration, nor render IL accountable tor dis
regndiug them Hence. when the Governor OF
President. or Others in power, disregard the Con
sututon. the laws, and the rights OF The citizen
or tue several States in the Union. they seem Il
hold that the citizen or the State has no right Il
complain. and no right TO attempt to resent or de
fend himself or itself from Official or legislative
laNless1ess, or plead the example in excuse iei
his or lts own. But. If this be 90, What Is the
Constitution good for? The Emperor OF Rus
"a huds no dithcuty in Furnishing and depressing
hl- people enough without the aid of a CeastItu