The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-04
speech of the Hon, John A. bingham,

speech Of the HOn.'JOhn A. Bingham.
At Cincinnati, on Saturday night, the Hon.
John A. Bingham, Representative from the Six.
teenth Ohio District, and Frederick Hassaurek,
editor of the Voibsblah, addressed large assem-
bly, on the political issues of the day. Judge
Bingham went over the history of the Demo-
cratic party under Pierce and Buchanan and
during the war, especially the course and teach
iBgs Of its leaders on slavery and secession. He
showed cOnclusively that Judge Thurman (the
Democratic candidate for Governor) was in full
harmony with the Vallandlgham school of non
OOercionists. We quote largely from the latter
halt of Mr.. Bingham's eloquent address,
THE UNITED STATES A NATION.
This is proposition SO clear that it never
should have been questioned by any party or
the people Of any State. 1t is admitted that
before the Constitution, under the Confedera-
tion, the several States of the then Union were
sovereign and independent The Articles of
Confederation expressly declared "a union
between the States" confederacy of States,
and by its second act declared that each State
retains its sovereignty, freedom, and indepen-
dence. The Constitution declares that 1.-THE
people of the United States do ordain and esta-
blish this Constitution" Under the Confedera-
tion, in Congress, each State had one vote;
under the Constitution, the people of each State
and OF the whole union have as many votes as
there are Senators and Representatives in Con-
that no alteration of the articles of union
should at any time be made without the con-
6rmation OF the Legislature of every State.
Under the Constitution, amendments may be
proposed by Congress and ratified either
by the Conventions of the people or
the Legislatures of three fourths of the States
as Congress may decide. What becomes of the
boasted sovereignty and independence of the
States Oh this Union when, by amendment, the
people of threefourths of the States without
the consent and against the protest of the
AnrnlA zf 60, y IS Os,L
Constitution? That, it would seem, is a sove-
reignty liable TO material and vital limitations
by another sovereignty, and even against the
expressed will OF all its inhabitants Surely,
Washington was right when he declared that
this constitution of government "made us one
people," and THAT the right of the people to
make and to alter their constitution of govern
meut is the basis of our political system.n The
war has affirmed the words OF Washington. We
are one people or nation, and not a confedera-
tion of ''allied independent States" The triumph
otthe armies OF the people was the triumph of
the nation, and the vindiC6tion OF the national
Consultation as the supreme law of the land.
REORGANIZATION OF STATES.
When the Rebellion was crushed and the
armed battalions in rebellion had surrendered
that vast section of the Union so long the
theatre of conflict was found disorganized,
without a constitutional State Government, and
therefore subject for the time being, to the ex-
elusive legislation OF Congress, and to such ad-
ditional constitutional limitations as the nation
composed of organized States might in the
meantime adopt. The Congress elected by the
people of the organized States proposed for rati-
fCation two amendments of the Constitution,
both of which have been ratified by the requisite
number of States, and have therefore become,
to all intents and purposes, part of the Consti-
tuition of the United States. The Congress- by
law, has made the acceptance by the several
States lately In insuIrection OF these two amend
ments q condition precedent to their reorgani-
zation and restoration to political power in the
Union. During the war for the Union 1t was
Nv DamOprafiC N
tion at Chicago, that the war was failure, and
had failed to restore the Union. After the Re-
bellion was crushed 1t was resolved by the
Democratic party, in convention at Columbus,
that the Union did not need restoration; that
the several States lately in insurrecton were all
the time, and still are, States in the Union, and
could not constitutiOnally be excluded from
equal representation in the Congress of the
United States. In war this Democratic party
declared the Onion dissolved, and opposed ITS
restoration by arms; in peace 1t opposes the
restoration of the Union by law. In the pre-
sence of q great, armed rebellion, resulting in
the utter Reorganization of the Governments of
the eleven insurrectionary States, this party
declares 1t unconstitutional to raise armies by
Oonscription or otherwise, or to appropriate
money to prosecute the war against the armies
of the insurgent States; and after the Rebellion
is put down, that 1t is unconstitutional for the
nation to take new security tor the safety OF the
republic and the protection of the people. This
is the real issue between the party of tue Union
and the Rebellion.
PRESENT DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
No man can doubt this who reads either the
declared principles of the opposing parties or
the utterances Of the representatives of each.
The Democratic platform is very creditable to
the very astute and confessedly able gentleman
who reported it, Mr. Vallandigham 1t was
framed undoubtedly upon the rule that the true
use of language Is TO disguise mems thoughts.
The thoughts OF that party are now what they
were when they entered into the conspiracy in
1854, that there is no American people or Ameri-
can nationality, but, as eX.President Pierce eX-
pressed 1t, confederation OF "allied indepen-
dent States" or as Mr.. Pendleton, by a rheto-
rical flourish, has recently expressed it, q
republic OF republics Look through that
wonderful and remarkable Democratic plat
form OF 1867, upon which judge Thurman stands,
or attempts to stand, and you will look in
VAIN ior any denunciation of that atrocious
ReDellon which for four years shook the con
tnent, covered your heavens with darkness. and
niled tne haDtatlons OF the people with death;
mace the friends of liberty in every land
tremhle with fear lest this last effort of repre-
sentative government this last refuge of civil
and rengious nDerty, should perish from the
earth, and embolden the adyocates of Enronean
oppression and European tyranny IN shout Will
fendish Joy, 'Ihe republic is dead tbe rennhIjT
is dead" Look again through that TemaTkahlf
Democratic platform, and you ind NO ygords .,
gratitude to the returning OF the mn retnrnj,o
braves, to the living and the dead deienders q
the republic, who stood as wall of fire betypee,
us and wars desolation, who hurled bacIT t6i
Iegions of avowed Rebellion, and protected from
pollutOn your homes and your hearths; 3OO mn
Of whom lifted their hands for the last finn
amid the consuming fires Of battle, and CAV
their divine forms TO the dust and darkness {
the grave that their country might live; thereb
teaching the world that death itself is beaItifV
when earned by virtue