Daily clarion and standard., 1866-07-15
Address of Democratic ana conservative
Members Of Congress in Favor of ahe
National COnVenIiOn

address OF democratic ana conservative
Members of Congress in Favor of dhe
National Convention
To the People of the United States =
Dangers threaten. The Constitution, the
citadel of our liberties is directly assailed
The future is dark, unless the people will
come to the rescue. In this hour of peril
national union should be the watchwOrd of
every true man. As essential to national
union we must maintain, 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 a uniform construction
of the Constitution for more than half
century the assumption of new and arbi
trary powers in the federal government is
subversive of our system and destructive of
liberty.
tree interchange of opinion and kind
feeling between the citizens of all the States
is necessary to the prosperity of the Union.
AT present eleven States are excluded from
the national council For seven long months
the present Congress has persstently de-
MED any right of representation to the peo-
Pile of those States Laws affecting their
highest and dearest interest have been pass
ed without their consent and IN disregard of
the fundamental principle of free govern
mcnt This denial of representation has
been made to all the members from a State
although the State, in the language of the
President presents itself not only in an at
| titude of loyalty and harmony, but in the
persons of representatives whose loyalty can
| not be questioned underany existing consti-
| tutional 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 ma
| tionality surrounding the present Congress
There has been no intercourse between the
| representatives of the two sections, produC-
| ing mutual confidence and respect. In the
| language of the distinguished Lieut.. Gen
| eral, 1T is to be regretted that at this time
| there cannot be a greater commingling be-
| tween the citizens of the two sections, par
| ticularly of those intrusted with the law-ma
| king power" This state of things should
| be removed at once and forever Therefore,
| to preserve the national Union, to vindicate
| the suficiency of our admirable Constitu-
| ton, to guard the State 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 a National Union Convention, to
| be held at the city of Philadelphia on the
second Tuesday (the l4th) of August next,
| and endorse the principles therein set forth.
| We therefore respectfully but earnestly urge
upon our fellow-citizens in each State and
| Territory and Congressional district in the
! United States in the interest of union and
| in a spirit of harmony, and with direct ref
| erence to the principles contained in said
| call, to act promptly in the selection of wise,
| moderate and conservative men TO represent
| them in said convention, to the end that
| all the States shall at once be restored to
| their practical relations TO the Union, the
Constitution be maintained, and peace bless
/ 2 -hn1a