North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-07-11
Address of Democratic Senator's and Rep

EGSGntdthVCSs
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 watch
word of every true man. As essential to
national Union we must maintain unim-
paired the rights, the dignity, and the
equality Of the States, including the right
of representation in Congress, and the ex-
elusive 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,in the assump-
tion of new and arbitrary powers, the Fed
eral Government is subsersive of our svs-
TEN and destructive of liberty. A free in
terchange of opinion and kind feeling be-
tween the citizens of all the States is nee
essarv to the perpetuity of The Union. At
present eleven States are excluded from
the national council. For seven long
months the present Congress has denied
any right of representation to the people
of these States. Laws affecting their high.
est and dearest interests have been passed
without their consent, and in disregard of
the fundamental principle of free govern
ment. This denial OF representation has
been made to all the members from State
although the State, IN the language of the
President, presents itself not only in the
attitude of loyalty and harmony, but in the
persons of representatives whose loyalty
cannot be questioned under any existing
constitutional or legal test. The represen-
tives af 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 representatives of the two Sec
tions producing mutual confidence and re-
spect. In the language of the distinguish
ed Lieutenant General :: 1t is to be regret
ted that at this time there caunot be
greater commingling between the citizens
of the two sections, and particularly those
entrusted to the law making power. -
This state OF things should be removed at
once and forever. Therefore, to preserve
the National Union, to vindicate the suffi.
cheney of our admirable Constitution, to
guard the States from covert attempts to
derive them of their true position in the
Union, and to bring together those who arc
unnaturalIy severed, and for these great ma
tional purposes only, we cord ally approve
the call for National Union Convention,
to be held at the City of Philadelphia, on
the second Tuesday, fourteenth day of An.
gust next, and endorse the principles there
in 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 un-
ion and in spirit of harmony, and with
direct reference 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 re-
stored to their practical relations to the
Union, the Constitution maintained, and
peace bless the whole country.
Signed by w. Z. Niblack. Anthony
Thornton, Michael C. Kerr, G. 5. Sham
Kiln, Garrett Davis, II. Grider, Thomas Z.
NOEL, Samuel J. Randall, Lewis w. Ross,
Stephen Taber, j. w. Humphey, John
Hogan, B M. Boyer, U. G. Bergen,
Charles Goodyear, Charles II. Wi"feld,
A. H. Cofi 9th, Lowell II. Rosseau, Philip
Johnson, Charles A Eldridge, John L
Dawson, Reverdy Johnson, Thomas A.
Hendricks, William Wright. James Guthrie
J. a. McDougall, William Radfcrd, S. S.
Marshall, Myer Strouse, Charles Sit
greaves, S. f. Ancona, K. N. HubbelI, B.
c. Ritter, A. Harding, A. S. Glossbrenner,
E. r. V. Wright, A. J. Rogers, H. M'Cul-
lock, F. G. LeBlond, and w. E. Finck.
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