The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-09-20
0he1ntelligeucer
The Parties to the Contest.
Record of Democracy.
Speech of Col. Poo1man at Mar
tinsville

AT the meeting held in Farmers Hall
Martinsvine. o., wednesday evening
.Is,bl. Col. c. l.. Poorman, editor Of the
ST. ClaIrsville Chronicle, being intro
duced by Or. S. B. West, President OF
the MartinsyiIle Union Club, spoke as
follows:
Mr.. Chairman aud FeIlop- Citizens:
In ordinary times in Government
IKE ours, when the theory Of the
Govarnment is well defined, 1t is
not a matter OF much Importance
which political party may hscehu
10 power. 1t is presumed tnat
whatever party should Obtain the as-
cendancy will carry on the Govern
ment according to the defined theory
Pnt at a time like this when we are
inst emerging from great eiVll war
The Tesult of a conflict of ideas as 10
what the theory of this government iS'
itisa matter of some importance 10
You. and to every loyal man in Inc
land that no party be elevated 10 power
that is not willing to carry on the Gov
ernment according to the theory o! II
as defined by the conflict OF arms.
.f.- REVIEW OF PARTIES.
In the campaign of 1867 in Ohio, we
nave the same parties arrnyed against
each other that fought the contest OF
1890 6S-the Democratic party (so-chIl-
adj and the Republican or Union party.
The Democratic party is an OLD party.
dating its birth back TO the time OF
cratic friends claim a birth antenior 10
,his and saw that Jefferson was the
6rst Democratic President Of the
Union; but if you Will examine care
fully the history OF the earlier years OF
the Republic, you w'll learn tHat InS
original parties were the wing ana
Tory parties during the Revolution
afteI The Revolution the Federal and
Republican parties. Jefferson was the
Renublicau President OF the United
States. These parties occupied the Po-
litical field until after the election IN
1872, Inrthat contest we had four can
didates, each claiming to belong 10 lhe
Republican party. No one at that day
was willing 10 be the candidate OF the
Federal party which perished speedily
after the war OF 1877.
In The contest OF 1928, Andrew Jack
son was the candidate of that element
in our country that was called the
Jackson party or the Democratic party,
nv the opposition 10 General Jackson
lust as we used to call the Democrats
iocofocos. But not ill 1892 did that
marty claim the name of Democrat In
ISIS il was the Jackson party. In 1852
lt became the Dem ocratic party.
JACKSON AND CALHOUN DEMOCRACY.
AT this early date in the history OF
the Democratic party, difference, OF
opinion existed in The ranks oil mai
marty, as TO what WAS the theory oil TINS
Eoyernment, One element Of the party
ied nv John C. Calhoun, held that this
was a confederation OF States, held to-
.yether at the will and pleasure OF the
States; that the States were sovereign.
ties; aud that as sovereignties they had
u right TO determine when their rights
,lnder the Constitution were infrinGed,
and when infringed to determine also
the mode and measure OF redress
There was another element in The Dem
ocratic party--the prepondeTHunE
aIement--under the leadership Oi
Andrew Jackson, that held that this
Government was good ifoVernmtnt
of the people; that IT was organized py
the people OF the United States, and
was not dependent for itS existence on
the States in their organized capacity;
that IL was Government organized, SO
far as anything mortal can be- 10 be
eternal in its duration-for in the great
charter OF our liberties no provision
vas made for dissolution of the Union.
.Tohn G. Calhoun, as the leader of that
element of the Democratic party which
based itself on what Is termed the
Estate rights" theory, educated the peo-
ole OF one section of the nation up 10
his theory; and you recollect that when
the people OF South Carolina determined
thai the law OF Congress, known as the
,'Tarif" act of 1928, was inimIcal 10
the Interests of South Carolina, they
also decided that South Carolina had a
right to resist the enforcement OF this
law of the Government. So far was
this theory of State rights carried. i'll
South Carolina that they organized for
The purpose OF resisting the efforts oil
The general Government to enforce this
law within the limits OF South Carollnai
and you recolleCt very we'll that Andrew
Jackson, the Onion man OF the Demo-
cratic party, proclaimed that the law ol
the general Government should De en-,
forced II IL required the whole power oi
that Government to enforce it, aud fol
the purpose of enforcing II he semitic
revenue cutters of the United States
down into Charleston harbor.y 3 f.aa
DEMOCRACY A UNIT FOR DIsUSIoN.
This conflict of ideas has been going
on in the Democratic ranks ever since,
until in 1856 the whole party became
identified with the theory of John q.
Calhoun; the whole party ignored thor
ouRhly and completely the position oil
Andrew Jackson, and placed ltseli
sQusrely upon the doctrine OF the
Resolutions of '9S"-which was the
doctrine of Calhoun under which he
sought TO establish the nullihcation
movement of 1882.
This heresy of State rights, under the
manipulation of Calhoun, like the lit
tie boys ball in the snow, at each turn
became larger and more powerful un-
I'll it became the absorbing and con-
trolling element in the Democratic
party; and when that party entered on
the contest of 1860, we all very we'll re-
ColleCJ thatits leaders proclaimed that
the elevation of Abraham Lincoln 10
thp nFpaidanRv AUhat taFn1a6 a
northern party, would be good cause for
a dissolution of the Union; that the
States throwing themselves back upon
their reserved rights under the immi-
nene danger which threatened them in
the event of the election OF a sectional
President. would break up the Repub-
lie. This theory of the Democratic
party thus proclaimed early in its his
tory by;John C. Calhoun, was the theory
IN this Government that resulted in The
great civil war through which we have
just passed; and If that civil war has
decided anything, 1t has decided that
theory is not in accordance with the in
tsrpretation OF the Constitution as de-
hued by the results OF the war, has de-
cided that this is not Government
held together by rope of sand; but q
Government OF the people, possessing
within itself the elements OF It's own
preservation. Resting upon the con
seui OF Ane governed IL NJ tne sdme
time rests upon the Constitution which
was intended 10 insure a perpetual
Government for lhe people of this great
country. In this party the Democratic
party OF 1850, under the leadership oi
allaudigham and Thurman aud
PendletOn and Milligsn and BoWles
Was very different party
from the Democratic party of Andrew
Jackson. That's sol The modern
Democratic party differs VeFV= =naleri-
ally from the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. party