The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-06-08

say that tho doinRs OF the present so-callcd
Congress Of the United States are plain
tIsurpations OF power. II Ia not the Con
gress ordained by the Constitution, but is
An inchoatc, imperfect, fragmentary body,
unknown 10 that instrument, we may be
bound by It's acts rs the acts OF n Govern
ment de fdctc, Just Ne the acts OF nsurpers
exercising dc facfo the powers Of Qoyern-
ment have generally been held binding
but 10 solemnly call Il n Constitutional Ton
gress II mockery Of the Constitution.
Gentlemen of the Convention, l tannot
detaln you by referring In detail 10 the do
ings Of this so-called Congress; but there.
Il one general view Of them that wish 10
present very briefly befOre1 take my acf,t.
No one cnn have aitehtlyely aud impat-
TALLY observed the events Of the last five
years, aud especially Of the last six months,
without being convinced, that an organized
conspiracy exists, having for IL object
fundamental change OF our system that
shall make the General Government SUI
preme. moi only Ia those matters now con
ilded to II by the Constitution, but also In
nearly, IL not In every matter, now belong
ing TO the State GoVrnments: There Is
nothing more striking In our history than
the attachment of our ancestors to local
Enforcement. IL was this feeling,
more than any other, that led them to con
fine the powers Of the Federal Government
the State Governments exclusive jurls1ic-
tiOn over every thing OF local or dOinestio
character. And SO far did they carry this
spirit that even In the States an admins
tratlve, and, In some cases, quasi legisla-
tive power, has always been conferred upon
their various civil divisions. Thus we have
boards Of County Commissioners for eoun-
ties, of trustees for townships, OF directors
for school districts, while every municipal
corporation, from the largest city 10 the
smallest village, has its council, enacting
laws under the name OF Ordinonces. To reg
ulate matters af local concern.
This Is the true spirit and idea of our
Republican institutions, and never was any
thing better devised to secure good Gov
ernmenL 10 educate the people In the sci
ence and practice OF political power, and To
preserve their liberties and free institu-
tions. Opposed to this idea of local self
government Is that of a consolidated cen
tral power, a huge, unrestricted, supreme
and Irresistible National Government.
This was the flyorite Idea of certain class
of politicians ut an early day; but was de-
cisively defeated In the Convention that
framed the Federal Constitution, and was
80 repugnant TO the feelings, sentiments
and habits of the American people that IL
was not until our late terrible civil war
gave rise to the exercise Of Imperial pow
crs' by the general Government (touse Mr..
Seward's languaRe), and to the creation OF
AN immense national debt, that any one
dared to revive the scheme, But no one
can now doubt that II has been revived, or
that the Radical leaders In Congress are
straining every nerve TO carry II into
effect.
One OF the means employed for this pur
pose consists of amendments To the Constl-
tuition, and one of their chief reasons for
excluding the southern States from repre-
sentation In Congress IL, that In their alb
sence, propositions to amend may be
adopted, that were they represented, wOnld
surely fail.
Gentlemen, need not say to you, educa-
ted AS you have been In the Democratic
faith, that such consolidated Government
as these men are striving to establish,
would be one of the worst and most corrupt
of desp0tisms; and that if the people wish
to preserve their liberties and their sub
stance, to have good laws, equal rights and
light taxation, they must never surrender
their admirable system of local self-gov-
ernmcnt. ".