Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1866-10-03
An Important Campaign Document
THE USURPATION OR CONGRESS-,
tr. PAPER UPON THE
STATE OF THE COUNTRY,
By HON. JOHN H. JAMES.
By HON. JOHN n. JAMES.

STATE OF THE COUNTRY,
By HON. JOHN H. JAMES.
/ .e RooMs Dem. STATE CENTRAL Com,
COLUMBUS, June so, 1866.
Hon. JOHN II. JAMES Dear Sir =
At a meeting of the Democratic State
Central Committee of Ohio, held at Co.
lumbus on the 26th inst, the Chairman
of the Committee was instructed to re-
quest you to prepare for publication a
paper upon the condition Of the country,
or upon one or more topics connected
Herewith, that you might see fit to dis
cuss. 1t was not the intention of the
committee to prescribe any particular
subject, much less any particular views ;
but, on the contrary, to leave you per-
feetly untrammeled, and free to express
your own-opiEions, whether they should
in all respects accord with those of the
committee or not. In compliance with
the instructions given me, 1 have the
honor to request you TO prepare such a
paper, and trust that it may suit your
convenience and feelings to do so.
I am, dear sir, very respectfully, your
obedient servant, J. G. THOMPSON,
Chairman Dem. State Cen. Com.
URBAxA, O., Sept. II, 1866.
To John g. Thompson, Esq, Chairman
Democratic State Central Committee of
Ohio a.:
SIR:-When your letter of J June Both
came to hand, asking me to prepare a
paper on the condition of the country,
for use in the approaching elections, l
took time to consider the request; and
the decision of your committee soon af-
terwards, to ask the Democratic party Of
Ohio to send delegates to the National
Union Convention to be held.at Philadel-
phia on the 14th of August, gave further
cause Of delay for it seemed not only
proper but necessary to await the result
of that Convention. Several reasons
conduced to this First, it was said by
those who wished its failure, that the
proposed Convention could not meet for
want of responsive cooperation among
those appealed to; next, that if it did
meet, it must prove abortive, on account
Of the discordant elements that would be
/ brought together for concert and third,
that if it did meet, and was likely to
prove eficacious in the way of promoting
harmony among the different sections Of
the Union, there would be an influence
Of another kind brought to bear against
it, in the form of riotous attacks and dis
turbances from without. The incite-
ments to the last result were frustrated
by the good sense of the people of Phil
adel phia, and the provident arrangements
of the Mayor. The first predictions of
failure from other causes have failed of
realization, and the people for whom you
act may now turn their attention to the
paramount object of that Convention
and the representation of all the States
in Congress.
You have also asked me, in a letter Of
a later date, to take part in the canvass
preceding the election, by attending
some of the mass meetings in the State
and addressing the people. Being ad-
monished by my unftness to speak before
large masses in the open air. Iavailmy-
self of another mode of complying with
both requests, by addressing to you this
letter. and perhaps another-if not
deemed too late.
The election of Representatives in
Congress- thing of importance always
is of more Importance now than ever,
because on this depends the future form
and action of our Union Government
1t is no longer a question of mere ex-
pediency-a question of what shall be
done under admitted powers-it is a
question of what the powers shall be-
Under the present Congress and the one
which preceded it, there has been a con-
tinued exercise of powers by them, utterly
without precedent in the present history
of the country, unauthorized by the Con-
stitution, and inconsisteDtwith the Union
of the States and the preservation Of the
States. If the exercise of these unau-
thorized powers be persisted in by Con-
gress, and tolerated by the people,
through their failure to correct the abuse
by new elections, the usurpation must
end in a suppression of the States, and in
their consolidation into one Government,
with a Central Legislature exercising
control over all matters Of police and OF
crime, and over all private rights, both
of person and of property.
This exercise of unlawful powers has
not been confined to the Congress only, |
but has also been initiated if not COM
menced, by the Executive, and on the
part Of both was coeval with the insur
rection. At first these assumptions were
sought to be palliated and justified by
the pretense that we were in the midst of
a war to suppress rebellion, and that the
proper ahd well defined powers Of the I
must be rejected as lnsut1- /
cient, or as inconvenient; and thus the /
became a Government OF
" Orders" instead of Government OF
Laws.
And while this domination of military
necessity was claimed and practiced by
Executive authority, the Congress has
tened with its aid to shield the doers of
wrong by enactments in the same spirit
Of assumption. Now, when the rebellion
is ended, and the insurrection declared
to be suppressed, these assumptions are
more aagrant and persistent than before,
and the members seek to Justify their
later acts by their own former acts as
Drecedents. If these same men shall be
continued in power, theirfutu aets will
Of course be the same and it is vain to
hope for any change in the laws, or for