The Plymouth weekly Democrat., 1867-07-25

from the Lakes to the Gulf, there is not
State nor county, nor township, nor town,
nor neighborhood, nor family in which it
has not an adherent and member.
The Demouratc party dead !. :, 1t can
never die SO long as free government shall
exist. The active, vigorous being of the
one is the essential condition of the exist
ence of the other. SO long as the human
heart aspircs to ameliorate the ills of life,
so long as the human intellect can trace
the cause and effect, so long rs government
is confded to the collective wisdom and
will of the people, rather than to the un-
limited discretion and irresistible power of
one man. so long as there be party which
seeks to increase the liberty of the citizen
and to diminish the power Of the Gov
ernment, to enlarge the sphere of his act
i've development, and to reduce the re-
straints which are imposed upon him, to
crafty his hope of liberty, and to make
effective his hatred of tyranny
There is such party in England to-day,
and it wrests from Government a large
form of representation. There is such a
party in France to-day, and the thunders
of the Tribune cause sleepless nights at
the Tuileries. There is such party in
Russia to-day, and the Car grants amncs-
ty to Polish patriots. [Chcers] There
is such party in Austria to-day, and its
leader exchanges every recognition CT the
right of the House of Hapsburg to the
throne of St. Stephen for concession to
the rights of the people of Hungary
There is such party in America to-day,
and it insists upon rigid adherence to
the provisions of our written Constitution,
and to the primary elemental principle of
the equality of the States. Loud ap-
plause.
And never in all our history has the ex-
igency of the country demanded from that
party such an exhibition ofall It's strength.
all its intelligence, all its virtue, as now.
For never-not in the corruptions of sloth-
full ease-not even in the mad excitement
of a difficult and doubtful war-havc It's
institutions been so ruthlessly attacked,
and its liberties so greatly imperilcd. Its
enemies have obtained possession OF the
powers Of the Government, and WELD them
for its destruction. Applause and dis
sent.
de not speak unadviscdly. I mean
what | say. [ measure my words
[ do not impute bad motives, nor
question the sincerity Of convictions.
But | repeat it, the men who are in
possession of the Government are its
enemies, and it is their deliberate purpose
| Il, -,
its form Continued cheers Though
Ispeak to party meeting to-day, / wish
to speak in no narrow, bitter, sectarian
sense. Parties are inevitable where opin-
ion is free. They are necessary where
opinion is to be carried into legislation
They arc beneficial when patriotism gives
them direction, and moderation curbs their
excuses. Their discipline and organiza-
ion are the condition of their vigor. Z.
My experience in life bcgets more and
more confidence in mems motives, and
leads me to expect the most cxtravagant
opinions as t. policy, combined with the
purest aspirations for the public welfare
Attached to the principles and organiza-
ton of great party myself, because my
judgment approves them, L expect to find
equal zeal for like good reason in others.
And therefore l desire not to wound SEN
sibiitcs, but to appeal to the reason and
nscicncc and judgment alone
The foundation of the federal system,
that which made its organization possible
and its administration beneficial, is that
the powers of the government are all grant
ed. and therefore are limitcd-that the
States have equal rights and equal duties
are equals in their relations to the Federal
Government, and equals as sovereign 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 selfgovernmcnt, and sub
jected to the will Of military 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 causes, nor marx its progress-avowed
ly it was a war on the one 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, chad disturbed the prac-
tcal relations of the States to the Federal
Government. That force must be met
and overcome, and then these relations
will be restored" 'Iet members of the
Senate and House return ard be welcome
to occupy the seats which they left va
can't said Mr.. Seward. 'sThc rights and
dignity and equality of the States shall re-
main 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, and all the acts of government be
kept within the constitutional limits
Certain it is, many illegal acts were COM
trampled on--thc rights of States were
disregarded. But these acts were strenu-
ously defended as being legal, or, at least.
as being necessary They were alleged to
be incidental to condition of war, and
would cease when the war ceased And
if any of you vcntured to suggest that this
was not the teaching of history, you were
Idelicately called coppcrhead, disloyal; and
the idea that the object or effort of the
war would be to change the Constitution
or system of government, was loudly and
constantly denied.
The war came to an end-the armies of
tie Conlederates were defeated. The arm
ed force was met and overcome Sherman
end johnson met in North Carolina. Their
truce dispersed the forces of the Confed-
crates, and left in full operation the laws
of the Federal Government over AL the