The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-08-18


Union they will not say that they have
been murdered, or have committed sui
eide; but still they deny them represen-
tation, and thus range themselves under
the banner of disunion. These are the
men who should be beaten with many
stripes They arc the unfaithful stewards
who see the right and pursue the wrong.
They are the trimmcrs who always occupy
shaky and uncertain political quagmires.
While they are extricating one foot from
a dilemma, tho other sinks into new
one deeper than the first. This class in
the present Congress have no solid
ground whatever, good or bad, on which
to stand. With feeble protests against
the dictation Of stronger minds, they arc
only practically useful in point of num-
bers for the purpose Of mischief They
may make we'll sounding speeches, but
they answer the roll-call on the side of
destruction, disunion, misrepresentation
and Federal dictation to the States. They
arc nearly all welded to some particular
form Of Constitutional amendment. Each
one is inspired with notion that he has
more wisdom on the subject OF the Con-
stitution than Madison, Washington,
Hamilton and Jefferson combined. They
seem to think that God winkcd at the
ignorance of the days of 1889, but that
they are now His chosen ministers TO give
to the people n new dispensation-a more
perfect Constitution. They want some
thing in il which they vaguely call a
guarantee. They appear TO be afraid OF
somebody that the South may send here.
They arc especially anxious in regard to
the basis Of representation. They are
alarmed at tho idea Of the Southern
States obtaining too many members in
proportion TO their population. This
comes with peculiar force from those who
voted q fcwdays ago to admit Colorado
into the Union, with far less population
than the county in which live in Indi-
ana. But it may be that there is some
thing which ought to be done on this
subject. Let US, however. first have the
Union restored let us have all the
States here; let the family circle be full,
and then We can calmly talk the matter
over. We viii examine the question
from Maine to Georgia. We viii discuss
the rational propricty Of population IN
the six States of New England being
represented by twelve Senators, while the
same amount Of population in New York
is represented by only two. Yes, We viii
take the subject under consideration, and
if the pruning-knife is to be applied, let
it be done with indiscriminate impartial
ty But let the day Of this work give
place to the day Of complete restoration.
Gentlemen, ,.are there no sacred mem
ories clustering around this Constitution !
II cost US the long agony and bloody
sweat of the Revolution. Itsprang from
the minds of those who charged the Brit
/ isn lines 1T 9IonmouIn, IrenTUH, carHto-
"a aud Eutaw Springs, and who saw the
cross of st. George lowered at Yorktown.
1t lifted US in the great days of the past
to nights of national rcnown, further up
the dazzling mountain Of human progress
than the footprints of the proudest ma
tions of the earth had ever trod before
1t has been our cloud by day and our
pillar of fire by night, guiding to regions
of domestic wealth and happiness, more
fruitful and pleasant than Canaan, with
its corn and wine, It's milk aud honey
Like the dews of heaven, its blessings
have descended upon all. It has given
peace aud security to the humblest hearth
stone in the land. 1t has fostered reli-
gion, learning, and public virtue. Shall
it now be torn in shreds and scattered to
the winds? Shall its ruthless enemies,
like the Vandals of old in some sacred
temple, batter it to pieces and reduce it
to a shapeless mass Shall those who
are sworn to obey it be allowed to deface
and ruin it? Shall our children and our
children's children be despoiled of such
an inheritance Will the American
people stand calmly by and see the sub
lime charter of oil their liberties reduced
to the abject purposes of party platform ?
1t cannot be. Upon such an issue | have
faith in the future. Shall the Constitu-
ton stand? Shall the Union be restored
under it These are the questions for
the people to answer, and upon their an
swer depends the destiny of this Repub-
lie.
Let the friends of the Constitution and
the Union band themselves together in
close and solid phalanx. Let them sus-
tain and uphold with unyielding devotion
the Executive in his noble efforts in be-
half of a united government. IF this be
done with unselfsh patriotism, with no
I thought but for our country, our whole
country, then the winds of autumn will
sing the funeral dirgc of the present dis.
union Congress, and the bones of its
members will be left to whitcn on every
political battlefield from the Aroostook
to the Columbia.
i When this great result is accomplished
and Congress elected in favor of the
Union on the principles of an unaltered
Constitution, this country will once more
E assume her ancient and magnificent pro-
portions. Prosperity, order and stability
|, will reign in every department The tri-
umph of the Presidents policy of resto.
ration is the triumph of every branch Of
the business and policy of the Govern.
ment Our foreign relations will instant.
ly cease to vex our venerable Secretary,
The nations of the earth will take notice
that unity and power are here-that the
locks Of the strong man, now shorn in the
lo~ enJ,,nk.ua owJ fro0oharnuo fona