North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1865-09-13
ADDRESS
THE
DENEoCRA
STATE CENTRAL C COMMITTEE


at the feet of the people OF the Union. The
tramp Of armed men and the crash Of batrl le
are no longer heard, and the recuperative
energies Of the people will speedily 81 the
air with the sounds of the busy arts of peace
The soldier yields place to the citizen, the
commander gives way to the statesman. -
The power of force is succeeded by the pow.
er of reason justice and law. The soldiers
duty of unquestioning obedience to the or.
ders OF superior is supplanted by the more
rational but not less imperative obligations
of obedience to low.
THE SUPREMACY OF THE Law.
Whether we be citizen or soldier, officer or
statesman, ruler or ruled, this obligation
rests with equal weight upon each and all of
us. The doclrne Of implicit and unqualified
obedience to the Constitution and laws of
our Country is now, and IN all time has been,
prominent tenet in the faith of the Democ-
racy OF Pennsylvania, and they have invaria
bly, been found denouncing by voice and op.
I
which seek to weaken the binding force of
the Constitution, attempt to nulity the plain>
est provisions thereof, or actuate those who
aim to subvert it by force Of arms. The
Fe deral Constitution had power enough,
had its mandates been observed in the spirit
in which they were framed, and the warnings
OF tie Democratic party been needed to
have preserved US from the war through
which we have just passed, and to have saved
the nation from the sIupendnus sacrifices of
the blood of her slaughtered sons, the waste
of her national power and PRESTIGE. and the
fearful load of debt and taxation that now
encumbers her. When the nation was pre- .
cipitated into war, obedience to the planest
provisions of that Constitution would have
protected the most precious privileges Of a
free people, and preserved to the patriotic
people CT the country both the form and sub.
stance of the national bill of rights and now
that "arms are silent and the laws resume
their swap" a strict observance of its re-
qurements, rigid enforcement of its obh-
cations in all the States, and feal.y to their
official oatiIs by those in power, are the in.
dices which point the way to harmonious
| unity, permanent peace and a speedy re
sumption of our career of prosperity and
progress. The arbitrary and uncontrolled
will Of the temporary incumbent of place
ought not to be the rule of our government,
! and we hold ''that the Constitution estab-
li>hed by our Revolutionary fathers is ent-
tied to our unqualified respect and obeIi
ence the oath to support is binding, religious
ly, morally and legally, at all times, under
| all circumstances, and in every part Of the
country, upon all public officers, from the
vate citizens" The Democracy of Pennsyl-
van 10 are for the supremacy o! the law.
FREE GOVERNMENT.
The great central objects round which are
grouped the materials, and for which was
constructed the simple and harmonious ma
chinery OF our system of government are
''the blessings of liberty 70: ourselves and our
posteriry." They who formed it, created no
government to administer theurles or to
protect imaginary rights from imaginary en-
emies, but as brave and practical men, deeply
imbued with the spirit Of liberty, AMI fresh
from the bloody civil struggle Of The Revolu
ton, they knew from bitter experience the
value of those blessings, and in the light Of
that experience they framed government OF
law, aud not Of arbitrary power, govern
ment to guard their civil lineriies, an ! not
TO overthrow them The fundament tai pri n
ciples of free government guaranteed To us by
the plain words of the Constitution, distinct
ly reserved, and to be forever held as invioIa
BILE, ha 6eds corpus, trial by jury, the subor
dinati on Of The military to the civil authority
free speech, and free press, form the very
ess ence of our institutions and when they
W no administer the government fail to pro-
tPct US in the exercise of these rights when
they who have carried on gigantic war in
the name Of the Constitution, not only fail to
MAINTAIN its fundamental principles, but are
habitually guilty of their violation, is it not
our duty to turn them from the seats of
power they SO shamefully misuse. and to re-
qnire at their hands reparatinn from the ma
nv wrongs unnecessarily inf cred From
the day that Kunnvmede had its name linked
with human freedom to this hour every man
/ of Anglo Saxon blood has lifted his head
mpre proudly when he heard the great text
of manhood repeated. No freeman shall be
taken or imprisoned or dispossessed of his
| free tenements or liberties. or outlaUed or
| baniehed, or in dnya0ise hurt or injured un-
less by the legal judgment of has peers or by
the tdtos of the land. Dearer than dynasties
dearer than forms of government, dearer than
the lhoorn sentiments of loyalty to the Eng-
, Esh heart, has always been the right of trial
by jury. For two hundred years 1t has been