The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-10-06
Great Speech OF
HON. GEORGE h. PENDLETON,
Reading, Pa, July -, 1865.

the invitation Of your committee to be
present with you to-day, | was impellcd
by an almost irresistible impulse to nc
cept it. had enjoyed tho hospitality Of
your beautiful city, had sat side by side
in Congress with your faithful and able
Representatives for many years in dark
and pcrlous times-with Jones, and Nc
kcntrick, aud Ancona. | had known
most agrceably your worthy candidate for
Governor ] desired once more 10 renew
these agreeable associations. But far
more did ! desire to sec the Democrats Of
Berks county-thosc Democrats whose
rcnown il rs extensive rs tho Union
those Democrats who have been enabled
throughout q. storm Of obleqi,y and con
tumcly aud Sproach unparalleled in po.
litical warfare. to adhere with unfaltcring
fidelity and unbanching courage TO n par.
ty whose principles they believed would
secure life to the Government and liberty
to the people Lond chccrsl ! Ind
attended n thousand meetings in the
Wcs'. ] knew the tone and temper and
spirit Of the rarty there. | wished 10
know il as we'll here. love the Demo.
cratic party; | admire It's discipline and
or2an'z ition; honor the name and fame
of its founders. revere It's principles.
50 broad in their application, so bencii-
cent in their influence. that in all this
broad lnud, discovered as the States have
been, ms they still are there is not State.
nor county. nor township. nor town, nor
n,ighborho,l. nor family. nor house in
which it has not representative and
member. fCh"crs.1 | knew | would
Fl: i here disciples of the same faith-be-
lieying in the same crccd-and | desire,
with you To wor hip at 4 common altar
that | might catch the Inspiration Of your
pure faith. and bc warmed BY the fcrvor
# your cnkindle1 zeal Aud so ] nc
ccptcd the invitations; and came today
though TO do 80 | was Obliged to leave
s'mc true New England Democrats ii
Boston last nieht. am glad | have
come. This meeting shows that your
zeal, aud vigor, and courage are unim
pairel, and fills me with renewed hope
fpr tie future. II shows that whoever
else may fail. Bcrks county will do hel
duty TO the country. tCkeers.l
In my own State. in my own city, w
have several Republican newspapers
which delight 10 tells us that the Demo
cratic party i dead We iry.o convince
/ them 10 the contrary; we hold our con
ycntDDs, make our nominations, conduc
camraigns. poll two hundred lhousanl
votes, scare them always. flaush'cr1 bea
! them sometimes. and yet each day NOR,
positively than the dag before, they tel
us tha; the Democratic party Is dead, ans
/ the disease Of which il died. Thcy vii
/ learn iF ihe.. livn larss enough. 'hat !
can never absolutely die 50 long rs goT
ernmcnt shall lasi; that in this country
| IL will maintain its yigor 50 long rs th'
States shall have free governments, anf
! the Union shall be confederation; fo
/ in thc States it is the rarty Of the people
against power; in the Union. it is the par
~ Of confederation against consolidation
Il has always been 50.
In tho discussions which preceded th'
convention to form the Constitution il
that convention iise (, in tho conventions
in the several State in the early admin
isirations, two differ NJ and opposing the
orics were advocate by able aud patriot
ic men. The one SISTED that the coun
try should be unity, and that the gov
ernment should be strong and centralized
the other maintained that the genera
Offices Of government should be per!ormct
by States. and as little duty and power a
possible should bc conii1cd to the FEEDER
al Union. In tho convention there were
extreme views and extreme men on boil
sides. The extreme men gave up tn
work. Hamilton left the convention, Lu
thcr Martin refused to sign the Constitu
tion-thc extreme views we're toned dow
by the prudence and moderation of Wash
Iington, Franklin and Madison, and th
Constitution was the r.sult-that Consti
tuition which has given us for sevent
years prosperity and liberty; that Con
sttution which. by Its origin at the hand
Of these men whom | have named, by il
bcnefcent influences became sacred to n
American citizens, till the fanatics Of ou
day dragged it from its high place an
degraded it in the mirc Of their partisa
schemes.
The opposing forces were gathcrin
strength during the administration {
Washington, but they were held in chcc
by the power which he possessed. The
met in fierce collision in the term of NJ
Adams. The Democratic sentiment coul
not be neutral in that struggle. 1t wa
indeed, the chief combatant. Itcmerge
victorious in the election Of Mr.. Jeffe
son, and brought with it compact, viz
orous, disciplined organization to suppol
its policy and opinions. Our Democrat
party is that party, aud it insists to day {
1T insisted then. that these fundament
maxims of political science are applies
bic to our Government at all times,
every emergency, and never more appl
cable than to-day in this crisis of our hi
tory-that government is best which 90
erns the least-that confederation is be-
which leaves the greatest possible amour
of power with the constituent States, an
confdes the least possible power to tt
D Federal head-that all just governmer
: derives its power from the consent of th
) governed-that taxation without repr,
sentation is tyranny-that all the State
in the Union are equal-not in territor
, and population, nor wealth, but in dutiC
in rights, in powers granted and power
reserved and that, therefore, Massach'
: setts and Pennsylvania have no more col
stitutional power or moral right to COVER
e Georgia and Mississippi than have Geo