The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-18
Who Support the Constitution ?

champions OF tine CONSTITUTION. l0er con-
slant endeavor is to make the defense of the
Constitution an apparent issue between them
selves and the Republicans. And sometimes
we regret to see Republican writers allowing
themselves to be placed in false positions upon
this question.
We hold that the Republican party is the
true constitutional party of this country; that
its great leading measures are not only con-
sonant with the spirit of the Constitution, but
essential to its very existence.
Democratic support Of the Constitution, as
lar as it goes, is purely partisan and technical.
We say partisan, because at this very mo-
ment that party is supporting the Executive
usurping the legislative powers OF the Gov
ernment, contending that he mas the right to
pass laws and to organize State Governments
defending him in making appointments to
office without the advice and consent of the
Senate, which is palpably unconstitutional.
and threatening resistance and revolution if
Congress shall exercise its high cOnstitu-
tional function of impeachment
These are violations of the Constitution
which go to It's very essence, and which affect
itself. For, the President may usurp legis
lative powers, then this is no more govern
ment of law, but of one man. Its distinc
tive character as government of the people
is gone. So, too, the usurpation Of the ap-
pointing power goes to break down the popu-
lar element in the Government, and to
strengthen the one-man power. And if that
md r,o1
administration, which the people were so
careful to keep IN their own hands-namely,
impeachment-is to be denied to them except
at the cost of revolution. then, indeed, the
essential and distinctive features of our
Government as a republic are obliteratad, and
it must take its place among the oligarchies,
and as a very despotic one at that.
Now, these grave and fundamental viola
tions of the Constitution are each and every
one of them sustained and carried on by the
Democratic party. On the contrary, it is the
endeavor of the Republican organization to
maintain this Government in its integrity and
purity, as a Government OF the people. They
insist that when laws are to be passed the
legislative branch of the Government, and
not the Executive, shall pass them; that
when appointments to Office are to be made,
the advice and consent of the Senate shall be
obtained; and that the legitimate exercise Of
any of its constitutional functions by Con-
gress shall be respected as the expressed will
of the people.
We say, in the second place, that the Demo-
cratic support OF the Constitution is technical
This has been striklngly exemplifed ever
since the commencement of the great strug-
gle in which the nation is still engaged.
When the South rebelled the Democratic
party insisted that the Government had no
right to coerCe a State. The State might not
have right to secede-they were not agreed
upon that-but at all events there was no
constitutional power to coerce it if it did
secede. This was the Democratic interpre-
tatlon of the Constitution. and IN accordance
with it that party allowed the Rebellion to 90
on unchecked until the close OF Mr.. Blu.
chanan's administration, when it had already
acquired such power and consistency that a
four years war, with the attendant expense
and suffering, was required to suppress it.
Had the Democratic Interpretation of the
would have succeeded, and the Government
of the United States would have been over
thrown.
During the continuance of the war th
same narrow construction OF the Constitution
was still maintained by the Democratic party
They thought it far more important that Val
landigham should be defended in his assumed
right to discourage enllstments, preach trea
son, and encourage the Rebels to hold out t.
the bitter end. than that cur armies shoul
triumph in the field. The loss OF battle, il
which thousands OF our brave boys shoul
lose life or limb, was nothing to them com
pared with securing trial by jury to som
miserable spy or conspirator Or hotel-burneI
or assassin at the North. In other words, tn
national existence was to be ieopardized, an
thousands of our Union soldiers suffer deatl
rather than that some poor Northern traito
should be deprived OF a single one of thos
technical fOrmalities which the COnsttutio
has thrown around the life and liberty
the citizen In time Of peace. The
interpret the Constitution with the utmos
liberality in IaVor of traitors and the
aideIs and abettors, but with the utmol
strictness against these endeavoring to saw
the lie of the nation.
The great difference between the two pa
ties is this s:-The Republicans believe that I'll
war was constitutional; that, being constitV
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