The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-02-17

tissues are the Federal Constitution. the
right Of a State to manage its " do
nestle affairs in its own way, the Union
as the founders of the Government cstab-
lished it. and all the wholesome, necessary
powers the people of the several States
ought to ever hold s~crupulously within
themselves, as their only defence against
the aggressions of the General Govern
ment, ard as cheeksagainst Entertainments
upon their sovereign, collective and indi-
eidual prerogatives, by usurpation or force.
The "liring issues" are simply all the
catalogue Of wrongs and infractions, per-
versions and usnrpations, which have been
perpetrated within the last Ave or six
years By the malignant fanatics who have
held control over the land
II is sought. by some who know the
Iprgjudices Of many good men IN the Dem
~ocratic party, to impress upon the people
that slavery is the particular dead issue
most contended for By the opponents of
the party in power. This is false, and
they who charge it, know it to be so. The
Democracy havo nothing TO do with slay-
ery as a party issue-that is a matter 70.
the people of each State to pass upon ex-
Iclusivcly. whether or not they will have
il among them. agrecably to their own
lsovereiga will. The other States, nor the
Democratic party. hare anything to do
with their decision of That question. no
more than they have with the decision of
amy other question of purely domestic,
State concern. The position of the Dem
~ocratic party is tkis: Agreeably to our
Federal system of government, and the
express language of the Constitution, ell
powers not delegated to the General Gov
ernment By the States, and not prohibited
to the States By the Constitution, arc re-
served TO the States, The powers thus
Preserved to the States constitute what is
usually signi6ed By the term Estate
Rights" as applied by the Democratic
party since the days of Jefferson. The
infraction, or usurpstion of any one of
these rights By the General Government
isa blow at the sovereignty Of the States.
and an unwarrantable aggression upon the
prcrogatives Of the people of the States.
1
IF the General Government may with inn
iipanity trample down or seize upon any
one of these reserved State rights. it can
with equal show of resson and similar APP
plications of power, trample down and
seize upon all the rights of the States.
It IS against the pernieious, destroying
Influence of this application of power by
the General Government in any instance
whatever. that the Democratic party con-
tends. Democrats do not fight for the
mere thing Of slavery; but they do fight
for the principle involved in the usurpa-
! ton committed BY the Executive or Con
slgress, under which either the President
or that body assumes to possess the author
ity to declare that slavery shall not exist
in any State of the Union,-forasmuch
as, if this aggression of a State right car
! be committed with regard to slavery, SC
can every other State right be trampled
upon by the Executive or Congress when.
ever the one or the other has the viii and
the power to do SC. And have We no
already ample instances in point, from
even the meagre reports which have
reached tits coast from Washington o.
the proceedings Of the present session Of
Congress It is nov contended tina
) Congress has the right to partition gu
t Estates from other States against the wishes
of he people directly involved that Con
gress has the authority to force Negr,
Suffrage upon States; that the President
has the right to dictate to States whom
the people shall elect to State and Fed
eral elective Offices; that the president
may at will establish military courts fol
the trial Of civilians in loyal States; tia
the General Government possesses tht
s1power to make or unmake States; and
lin short, that the States are but mere dc
sipendencies, subject to the paramount au
thority of the General Government ii
eyery material point.
It is against the monstrous DOCTRINE
(which includes such enormities as thess
that the Democratic party battles. Thes.
/ arc the & living issues which Democrat.
will not accept, viii not tolerate. The.
have experienced the rule and watchee
j the practice of the party in powers 81
] have they taken sufficient observation d
the counsels of .he false leaders who would
have them bow in Submission to the pres
ent condition eff things. They do not be
laieve there are now living any statesmen
or anybody Of men occupying the places
Hhere statesmen ought to be, who are en-
,idowed with the wisdom, the ~patriotism o.
the purity Of the great fathers who made
the Constitution and founded this Gov,
- M. l- xLA IL -,