The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-10-12
Tle Republican Party.

| len county, Ohio. 1t Is repleto with inter-
esting and instructive statements. We OK.
tract portion relative to the Republican
party, to which we ask tho readers attention.
Said the eloquent orator:
When ventured lately to condemn tho
whole policy Of the Republican party, nm in.
| fluential party newspaper exclaimed" but
what remedy does Mr.. Pendleton propose?
He exhorts rs to return to and stand by the
Constitution--we do not exactly understand
what hc means by that
Gentlemen, that's true that Is the whole
difficulty The Republican party does not
now, and never did know what il was to
stand by the Constitution" They have
never made il the rule of their conduet--.the
guide of their action. They have never ap
preciatcd its wisdom they have never cul.
| tivatod respect for its binding obligation, and
so they have never studied its spirit or it's let.
| ter. Whatever they desire to do, whether
from sincere belief that the good Of the
country demanded il, or that their party in
forest required it, that they have always done.
Their own will, not the Constitution, has
been their rule. And to this standard, and
no other, they have always been perfectly
true.
In 1880 they opposed the establishment Of
| lllt A1ihSUuFi AuulDFNUlhH lEllHs III IE14
they opposed its abrogation. In 1860 they
opposed its re enactment.
| In 1916 they refused the use Of State iails
and State Magistrates 10 execute the fugitive
slave law. on the ground that the return OF
| fugitives was the duty Of the Federal Gov.
ernmcnt In 1850 they refused tn vote II
more stringent federal law, on the ground
| that the return Of fagitiycs was the duty Of
| State governments. In 1856 they passed
/ personal liberty bills, on the ground that the
/ State should not assist the Federal govern
mcnt; and in lS6l they repealed NIL laws on
! the subject, on the ground that neither State
nor Federal government should execute the
| Constitution.
| In 1858 they had possession Of the State
| governments they magniiied States rights,
+ adopted the resolutions of '93 aud 90 at
| their conventions. exhaited the idea of con,
/ federation as against unity, and prepared 10
/ array the States in armed conflict with the
/ Federal authority In 1862 they had pos.
/ session Of the Federal government: they dc.
nouncel State rights, called tho Kentucky
| resolutions treason, and have, as far MS in
/ their power. by mere brute force, as well as
/ bv legislation, reduced and degraded the
/ State governments.
/ In 1856 they declared that - no war c0uld
/ be right. and no peace could be wrong -
/ that If the Souts. desired - change their 20.
/ litcal relations aud form ot government,
/ their right could not be denied In 1862
/ they declared that the trinity of our saliva.
/ tioR was - taxation emancipation and war
! In 1854 they declared that tho interest Of
/ the country required the restriction Of suf.
| frage. and that the Germans and Irish aud
/ English aud French ought 70 be disfran.
chised In 1867 they declare that the inter
! ests of the country requires It's extension.
and iha, it must be given even TO the nc.
| groes.
Ia 1859 Mr.. Chase, tlon Governor Of
/ Ohio. asserted: - We have rights which
| the federal government must not invade !;
/ rights superior t. its power, on which our
/ sovereignty depends aud We mean 70 assert
| these rights against all tyranuical assump-
/ tious of authority" Ia 1867. Gen. Hayes,
! who aspires 10 lie governor of Ohio. asserts
/ that the States have no aeYereignty whatever.
| In 1864 they asserted that the President
/ mad the power, by proclamation, to emanci-
/ pate four millions Of slaves. In 1867 they
| deny that he has the power 70 remove a mem
| her of his Cabinet
/ Ia 1862 party purposes required them to
/ consider the Union unbroken. In Louisiana
| the Federal government had possession Of
/ New Orleans alone. They admitted Hahn
and Flanders to their seats rs representatives
/ from that State. In 1865 il hal possession
Of every foot IF the State; these same men
presented themselves as Senators. aud they
/ arc rejected because the State Of Louisiana
/ has ceased 70 exist.
| In 1862 they desired 10 create West Yir.
/ ginia--they must have the consent Of the old
/ Stale-they elect Governor Pierp0nt and a
| Legislature. and take their laws as the sol
A r
! 10 its own dismcDherment In 1866 they
/ set up a military government over Pierpont
and his legislature on the ground that prior
to his election secession had destroyed the
| State.
In 1861 ard 1862 and 1868 and 1864 and
/ 1865 and 1866. during the war and after the
war, they admitted representatives from
| Kentucky, and now they reject them until q
committee can inquire whether Kentucky
has Republican government.
| In 1863 they established military commits
| sons in Ohio for trial Of citizens, and by
/ their Judgment sent them to death or exile.
] In 1867 the Supreme Court by n unanimous
/ decision, declares these tribunals illegal, and
their sentences void. In 1863 they yexcd
US with many 0aths, and in 1867 the Su.
prcme Court refused to administer them.
| For this they have threatened to impeach
the Judges, and they have actually reduced
! their numbers.
In 1861 they appealed to the patriotism Of
| the people, aud raised immense armies to
maintain the Constitution and tho Union.-
| In 1865 they preferred TO continue the war
rather than make peace on the basis of main.
! tanning the Constitution and the Union.
And to-day calling themselves, with os.
tentatious hypocrisy, the Union party, they
would prefer to recognize the Independence
Of the Confederate States rather than restore
| the Union on the basis of the Constitution.
They have held and abandoned every the
ory Of fgoycrnmentand every political opinion.
ain the short space of one reviewing moon,
| Was statesman, poet, fiddler, and Buioon."
| They have been true to their passions; true
| 10 their desires true to their partisan inter
ests, but never to the Constitution. They
do not understand what it is TO = stand by
the Constitution Theyj proclaim Loudly
| that the Constitution docs not exist either in
| theory or practice in ten States of the Union;
| and their most trusted and able leader, in the
| fullness Of bis contempt for that instrument,
and for the few Republicans who are willing
to obey it, declares, in his own choice lan-
| guage, g that some fragments Of the old and
| broken Constitution stick in their gzzards
and trouble them of nights"
Gentlemen, this is the charge we have al.
ways made. They do not understand what
it is to stand by the Constitution. And it is
! for this very reason, as we assert, that they
/ have clothed our land in tho mourning Of
civil war, destroyed onr form of government,
broken down our guarantees Of liberty, and
] loaded us with this enormous burden Of debt