The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-07-10
DEMoCRATIC ADDRESS
TO THE
People Of the United States
WASHINGTON. July 8. 1866.


70 the People of the United States:
Dangers threaten. The Constitution,
the citadel of our liberties, is directly as.
sailed. The future is dark, unless the
people will come to the rescue. In this
hour of peril the National Union should
be the watchword of every true man. As
essential to National Union, we must main
tain, unimpaired the rights, the dignity
and the equality of the States, including
the right of representation in Congress,
and the exclusive right of each State to
control its own domestic concerns, subject
only to the Constitution of the United
States. After uniform construction of
the Constitution for more than half CEN
the assumption of new and arbitrary
powers in the Federal Government is sub
versive of our system and destructive of
liberty.
A free interchange of opinion and kind
feeling between the citizens of all the
States is necessary to the pcrpetuity of the
Union. At present eleven States are ex-
cluded from the National Council. For
seven long months the present Congress
has persistently denied any right of rep.
resentation to the people of these States.
Laws affecting their highest and dear
est interests have been passed without
their consent and in disregard of thefun-
damental principle of free government
This denial of representation has been
made to all the members from State, al
though the State, in the language of the
President, "presents itself not only in an
attitude of loyalty and harmony, but in
the persons of representatives whose 10y
atty cannot be questioned under any Con-
stitutional or legal test"
The representatives of nearly one-third
of the States have not been consulted
with reference to the great questions Of
the day. There has been no nationality
surrounding the present Congress. There
has been no intercourse between the rep
resentatives of the two sections, produc-
ing mutual confidence and respect.
In the language of the distinguished
Lieutenant General, ut is to be regretted
that at this time there cannot be greater
commingling between the citizens of the
two sections: and particularly of those
intrusted with the law making power. =
This state of things should be removed al
once, and forever. Therefore, to preserve
the National Union, to vindicate the suf-
6ciency of our admirable Constitution, to
guard the States from covert attempts to
deprive them of their true position in the
Union, and to bring together those who
are unnaturally severed, and for these
great national purposes only,we cordially
approve the call for National Union
Convention,to to be held at the city of Phil.
adelphia on the second Tuesday, the 18th
of August next, and indorse the princi-
Piles therein set forth.
We therefore respectfully but earnest.
ly urge upon our fellow citizens in each
State, Territory and Congressional Dis
trict in the United States, in the interest
of union and in spirit of harmony, and
with direct reference to the principles
contained in said call, to act promptly in
the selection of moderate and conserva-
tive men to represent them in said Con-
vention, to the end that all the States
shall at once be restored to their practi.
cal relations to the Union, the Constitu-
tion be maintained, and peace bless the