The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-12-21
TnE SPEECH OF GOV. WOODS.


According to previous announcement, Gov.
Woods visited Albany on last Tuesday, and
in the evening delivered political speech in
the Court House, ostensibly to the ''Grant
Club but really to a prOmiseaous assem-.
blage, sone,third of whom, at least, were
Democrats, who were attracted thither by
CURIOSITY and desire to see the Governor
and hear him declaim Before he began,
George R. Helm, Esq, stated to him that,
in accordance with the wish of several Dem.
ocrats, he would ''divide time with him,
with his permission; that the Governor might
speak first, Mr.. Helm would reply and Gov
ernor W. might close the debate. This prop
Osition he declined, owing, as he said, to the
fact that the Good Templars' Festival would
be held Immediately after the close of the
meeting He could not accept the PROPOSE
ton without materially interfering with ar
rangements. made by his friends prior to his
arrival. Under ordinary circumstances he
would be most happy to meet Mr.. H. in de-
bate. In addition to these reasons be added
that he was not well, and really should be
under; the care of the physician.
After sundry other preliminary remarks,
the speaker attempted to show that the Dem.
Ocratic party inaugurated the War, and that
therefore they are responsible for all the evil
results of the War. He dwelt quite length
lily on this point, and we are sorry to say he
employed the most shallow sophistry to prove
it;Zaiso a partial Justification of history.
What are the material facts? They are sim.
plythese That Mr. Lincoln was elected. in
1860, by the Republican party, on the world
renowned dogma that this country cannot re-
main half free and half slave that it must
be either one thing on the other. This itself
Is equivalent to declaration of war on the
South. he was sectional President If
true to the pledges made prior to his election
he aust war on the domestic institutions of
heSouth. In his speech in Philadelphia,
while en- route to Washington to take his
seat he.said that be ''would rather be assas-
sinated on this spot than surrender" that
sentiment in the Declaration of Independ.
nce--whieh gave Liberty, not alone to the peo-
pie Of this country, but to the acorld for all
future time. " The albany 4rgus, leading
Republican, paper, four days after the cleo
tiOnsof Mr, Lineoln, said
1--WE sympathise with, aud justify the South, as
far as ths-ther rights hare been iaraded to tie
IRENE limit possible ithia the forms Of the Costif-
sion, and, beyond this limit their feelings have
beeuinsulted and their interests and honor assal-
ed by almost every possible form Of denunciation
and fnvectIye ; and If We deemed il certain that
the real GHimns Of the Republican party could be
carried into the administration of the federal Gov
ernment, and become the permanent policy of the
nation, we should think that all tbs instincts Of
self-pfeserTation and Of manhood rightfulIy i'm
pelledfthem % aresoTt 10 revolution and q separ-
alton from the Union, and We would applaud them
and wish them God-speed in the adoption Of such
3 remedy"
In perfect keeping with this virtual decla-
ration Of Var, the Republican party con-
stantly resisted all attempts at Compromise
and paeifcation. They derided the PROPOSE
tions of the Peace Conference. They reject
ed with disdain and seorn the Compromise
Resolutions offered by Mr.. Crittenden al,
though soIemnIy assured by Mr. Douglas, in
his place in the Senate, that Toombs, and
Davis aud WigfaH, aud indeed the entire
South would accept them as a. fnality. The
4ruth fsthey wanted to inanig,urate a War
wifi the South in order to abolish Slavery
and thus carry out Lincoln 5 fayorlte dogma
that principle On. which he was elected.
Chandler openly proclaimed that the Union
needed blood letting! When Fort Sumter
was ,bembanded Iincolnswas in. bis seat, and
had hesf1 for some time; and both branches
of Congress were Republican. The Demo.
cratic party were in the minority in that
body, and hence were utterly powerless tc
pass any Compromise measure whatever.
Proposition after proposition was submitted
by them,a ,aohly to be rejected with. contempt
by the Republican leaders. Under such a
stateef facts it is simply absurd to hold the
Democratic party responsible for the Wer
and IFS consequences. tits fair rule in
politics, and one ignored only by the dema.
gogue, that a party is responsible for all pub.
1ic acts occurring under its administration,
especially if that party have the President
and q majority in Congress, as the Radicals
have had eyer since Mr.. Lincoln's electioni in
1866 BAndsiti sheer folly and arrant dem.
agogism to atteInpt to hold the Democratic
party responsible either for the inauguration
of tkeiWar,oo for any of It's consequences.
Another thought on which Governor
Woods dweIt at some length incidentally was
that tie Yar. was in defence Of the Life Of
the Nation What is the life Of this ma,
tion Is it territory2 No, There was as
much life in this nation when there were
only thirteen STAT les as there is now that we
have thirty six. That which constitutes our
liferour yitslity-is our Constitution and
the laws made hipdrsuance thereof. Every.
body with any eandorlwill admit this. Now,
the official records of the country will show
mosteonelasiEely that the South never made
war on the Constitution and Laws. Had th,
Confederacy been successful not single pro
vision of our Con stitution or Laws would
hare been altered. They would have remain
ed just as they were unless we ourselves saw
ct tosehaage them The South wanted "tC
be let aloheo They fought not to wres
territory from the North, not to oyerturn tn,
Liberty Re enjoy, but for a separation of tn
Nortb from The South and an Independent