The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-09-14

such party in Austria to-day, aud ite
leader exchanges every recognition of the
right of the House OF Hapsburg to the
throne of st. Stephen for concession tc
the rights Of the people of Hungary
There is such party in America to-day
and it insists upon rigid adherence to
the provisions ofour written Constitution
and to the primary elementary principle,
Of the equality Of tho States, II Loud ap
plsase
And never in all our history has the
exigency Of the country demanded from
that party such an exhibition Of all its
strength, all its intelligence, all its virtue
as now For nevcr--not in the eorruptions
Of slothful casc-not in the mad excite
ment Of difficult and doubtful war-haye
its institutions been so ruthleslly attacked
and its liberties so greatly imperiled II.
enemies have obtained possession of the
powers of the Government, and WELD
them for its destruction. Applause and
dissent.
| do not speak unadviscdly | mean
what ] say. | do not impute bad
motives, nor quesiion tho sincerity
OF convictions. But / repeat it, the
men who arc in possession Of tho Govern.
ment arc its enemies and it is their delib.
crate purpose TO overthrow its Constitu-
ton aud change its form. [Coutinued
cheers Though Ispeak to party mce.
ting today, | wish to speak in no narrow,
bitter, sectarian sense. Parties are incv-
liable where opinion is free They arc
necessary where opinion is to be carried
into legislation. They are bcpcdcial whom
patriotism gives them direction. aud mod
Grafton curbs their excuses. Their disci.
pline and organization are tho condition Of
their vigor.
Ny experience in life bcgets more and
moro confidence in mems motives, aud
leads me TO expect the most extravagan.
opinions as to policy, combined with the
purcst aspirations for the public welfare.
Attached 10 the principles and organiza-
ton of great party myself. because my
judgment approves them. expec. to
find equal zeal for like good reason in
others. And, therefore, | desire not 10
wound sensibilitics. bat TO appeal to the
reason and conscience aud judgmen,
alone.
The foundation Of the Federal system
that which made It's organization possible
aud It's administration beneficial. is that
the powers Of the Government are all
granted. and. therefore, are limited-thai
the States have equal rights and equal
duties. are equals IN their relations TO the
Federal Government, aud equals as soy.
creigu self. governing States and yet We
see ten States not only deprived of all
voice in the government Of the Union
but deprived of all powers Of seiEgovern.
ment, and subjected to the win Of militia
~ commanders
And we are told this is an incident
and consequence of the war Let us see
The war came upon us-I will not
trace its cause, nor mark its progress
avowedly il was a war on the ono side to
withdraw from the Union; on the other
side, to maintain it. Mr.. Lincoln, Mr.
Seward, Congress affirmed It, ARMED
force" said Mr.. Lincoln, "had disturbed
the practical relations of the Sta,os to the
Federal Government. That force mus.
be met and overcome, and then these re.
lations will be restored" 'Ict members
Of the Senate and Of the House return
and be welcome TO occupy the seats which
they left vacant" said Mr.. Seward
1.-THE rights and dignity and equality Of
the States shall remain unimpaired," said
the resolutions of Congress.
1t would, perhaps, be too much to ex.
pect that in the midst of such war pas
sion should always be restrained by rea.
son, aud all the acts Of government be
kept within Constitutional limits. Ger.
tain it is, many illegal acts were commit
ted. The rights Of individuals wore tram.
pied on-the rights of the States were
disregnrded. But these acts were strenu.
ously defended as being legal, or, at least
as being necessary They were alleged
to be incidental to a condition of war, and
would cease when the war ceased And
fany of you ventured to suggest that
this was not the teaching of history, you
!, were delicately called copperhead, dis.
loyal and the idea that the object or ef:
feet Of tho war would be to change the
Constitution or system of government
was loudly and constantly denied.
The war came TO an end-the armies oi
the Confederates were defeated The arm,
ed force was met and overcome. Sher.
man and Johnston met in North Carolina
Their truce dispersed the forces of the
Confederates, and left in full operation
IL la.no 20 kbo EaJo.nl Hovo.u,nonk a,,n,
all Of the seeded States. This was the
logical conclusion of the war. No plan
of reconstruction, no amendments to the
Constitution were needed. This broke
down every barrier to the legitimate ex.
ercise of Federal authority. This restor.
ed the Union This reinstated the prac-
tical relations of the States.
But it was instantly rejected. Then
the President developed his plan of re-
construction. 1t consisted of an amend
ment of the State Constitutions repudia.
ting the Confederate debt, and abolishine
slavery throughout the States. The
States adopted it, and yet the Union was
not restored
Congress proposed the Constitutions
amendment of 1866, whereby the States
were to be made to purchase peace and
power by the surrender of all control Of
the right of suffrage. and all objection te
the Civil Rights Bill.
!. And before these terms were fairly un.
derstood Congress propounded another
plan; and to see that the work was well
done the new Congress met in extra ses
sion on the 4th of March and to fill ur
o.ov,;oo wb;ah t;n,a .;1.L4