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

degrades the State governments from their
equality in the Union, and from their po-
stion as protectors Of the rights Of their
citizens. It subverts and destroys the
Constitution of the United States, and
then holds out to the people the hope
that it. they will checrfnlly acquIesce in
these things, if they will not only patient
ly submit, but if they will with aiacrity
and zeal. and gratitude, appear too happy
to submit to them, then--unless Congress
changes its mind-unless another plan
shall be suggested--unless the confsca.
cation Of Mr.. Stevens shall be thought q
fitting reward for super-serVieeable loyal.
Ity--they may be permitted to lot negroes
elect aud administer State government
over them, and choose aembers who shall
be admitted to seats III the Senate and
House of Representatives, [Cheors.
Aad this IL not all The States thus
held in military despotism, thus compell.
ed by tyranny, as relentless az ever applied
the rack or turned tic screw, to change
their own constitutions, are then TO be
used TO amend the Constitution Of the
United States, and to impose upon you iu
Minnesota, and you 10 Wisconsin, and us
in Ohio, u government which VIC do no.
approve. Three .iourths Of the States
alone can amend the Constitution Of the
United States. Twenty-six States drive
ten out Of the Union 4 majority Of the
twenty Blk harrass and opprcs, tho ten un.
I'll they consent to change their Constitu.
ton, admit negro suffrage. surrender all
reserved powers, aud yield implicit obc.
dience TO their viii. They will then ad.
NIT them to the Union, aud use their con.
current votes to change the Federal Con-
sti,ution No as TO introduce negro suffrage
and Federal interference in all the
States
DO | state this too strongly !
Congress meets now in extra session.
at great trouble TO ~ members, and vast
expense TO the pcople-aud for what p
For the single, simple. avowed purpose oi
comforting more absolute and despotic
power on the military commander
Great heavens. Have they not enough
power already? The civil government
the tenure Of Office, the rules Of trade, the
maintenance Of order, the administration
of justice, the writ Of haJeas corpus-are
subjected TO their will. The State Off.
GERS must obey them or they will be re.
moved. The courts must render iudg.
ment according TO their dictation, or they
viii be closed The sheriffs must exc.
ecuie the penalties they prescribe, or q
lile Of soldiers will take their places
| And Congress meets TO give them more
power on the eve Of that very day when
the colonies justified their separation from
the mother country on the ground tha:
the King had affected to render the miIi
iary independent of, aud superior to, the
civil power. ICoutinued Cheers.
And they commence their work By ex.
Guiding FROM Congress, without any good
reason, without decent pretext of palli
alton the Representatives from Keutuc.
Ky.
Aud why is all this ruin wrought? l.
| it TO punish treason aud make il odious
These are intelligent men-they know
human nature--they have read history
They know that men viii rebel when they
have causes Of discomfort. They know
that neither Imprisonment nor stripes
nor exile, nor death, restrain the people
of Poland, or Hungary or Ireland from
rebellion. They know that the fear oi
these pupishments will no more curb the
efforts than it will quench the aspirations
for freedom They know that treason ii
the protest of liberty against tyranny
Loud applauses.
Is il to do justice to the negro and tc
accord TO him the enjoyment of natura
rightsy
If the negroes would assuredly vote
with the Democratic party and thus re-
store it to po@cr, would these gentlemen
be so philanthropic and insist on negro
suffrage as a condition Of reconstruction
| ECries of g No, no, not much."l Is suf
frage natural right? Where, then, il
the authority to withhold it from the mi
nor, from the women, from the alien
Life, liberty aud the pursuit of happiness
are inalienable, and they are accorded tC
women, and minors, and aliens as well a,
men, and courts arc open for their securi
ty to all alike. Does suffrage stand OF
the same footing?
The States have the power TO admit ne
groes to vote. and they are counted in the
election of Federal officers. Why not ar
que the question before that tribunal, anc
thus accomplish the purpose, if at all, in {
constitutional manner?
No, gentlemen, these are not the pur
poses of this plan of reconstruction. II
is to revolutionize the Government It'll
to destroy the States. It to build up q
great central government. These Repub
licans hate the Constitution. They hate
limitations on power. They hate to com.
ply with forms. They cling to the idea
Of strong centralized power. They want
government so framed that it will fee
the least impulse of the will Of the major.
| ity, and so strong that they may instant
ly execute it. They prefer to confde tc
the absolute will of an unbridled and ir.
responsible majority tho life and liberty
and property of the citizen rather than tc
the care and protection of the States
They think that because they control the
power of that majority now, they will
WELD it forever. They forget that ter
years ago they invoked the States to pass
personal liberty bills to protect them from
the power of the Federal Government
They forget that when power is confded
| it is used as the passions of the times di-
rect,
They desire also to introduce new polit
ical element into our system, and to hand
over the absolute control of six States ol
L. II.:on 4ho lanront ,nna hinet nnnal