The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1867-01-16


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preserve and perpetuate free institutions,
and once more see . happy, prosperous
and united country--united not by mater.
ial force alone, but by the stronger liga-
ments of reciprocal affection, mutual
esteem, common interests, and cherished
belief in common and glorious destiny.
How long il may be before the ,reins Of
Government will again be in our hands, !
do mot presume to say; but that, sooner
or later, and atno very distant day either,
We will hold them again, and again guide
the chariot Of State as we did formerly
guide it, along the pathway marked out
by the Constitution-a path Of pleasant
ness and peace; do not entertain doubt
For the Democratic party is the natural
party Of free institutions-the party whose
principles best harmonize with our forms
Of Government, in word, the natural
party Of this country. Our whole history
proves this. It was the Democratic sen.
timent that freed us from Great Britain !;
il YVES this sentiment that laid the foun-
dations Of our State and Federal Govern
menta /; It was this sentiment that gave to
our party SO long rule and made its rule
so benefcent and glorious; It was this
sentiment that gave to our country for
more than seventy years the prOfoundcst
domestic peace the world ever saw, 60
that Of that long period Of time it
can truly be observed, what cannot be
said Of any such period in any other coun
try, that in il no man in the republic
lost bis life for political offense, no man
ever perished in civil war. Aud il is not
strange that il was 50. For Democracy
administered the Government for the
equal benefit Of all, rejecting sel6shness,
discouraging sectionalism, abstaining from
usurpation, and, with wise jealously of
power, requiring all Constitutions, State
or Federal, to be strictly construed. It
knew the tendency Of power to steal from
the many to the few, the proneness Of
Government to enlarge its authority, and,
the imminent danger of centralization !;
and il therefore clung to our Constitutions
as the great barriers against the evils it
apprchended.
It is to-day what it has ever been, the
great Constitution and Union loving par
| ty Of the country. It loves the Federal
Constitution for the glorious events that
gave it birth-for the glorious memories
Of its mighty trainers, for the incalcula.
BILE benefits it has conferred upon the
country, and yet more than all these, for
the limited powers it contains, and the
reserved rights it leaves to the States and
the people.
And we love eur State Constitution for
the wise form Of government it institutes,
TIE guarantees Of liberty and property it
contains, its express recognition Of the
people as the source of power, and its
care not to trench too deeply on the rights
Of the individual. And our late sad ex.
perience Of constitutions violated, and
their most sacred guarantees trampled un
der foot, only makes us adhere the more
strongly to the instruments designed for
our protection. ,L.
And believe me, gentlemen, that no
party that habitually disregards our Con
stitutional rights can long maintain its
ascendency. This is a land Of written
Constitutions, and has been 50 from its
very first settlement, for even the royal
charters of the olden time, imperfect as
they were, guaranteed many liberties Of
the people, wrung by sturdy manhood
from reluctant Kings, and were in effect
written Constitutions. II has ever been
a part Of American education 10 regard
written Constitutions as essential to our
welfare, happiness and freedom. For more
than eighty years it has been our boast
there was no such thing as an unwritten
Constitution or an omnipotent Parliament
in tho United States And for more than
three quarters Of q century, we have re.
quired every officer, great or small, to
solemnly swear to support our written
Consultation. And time and. again have
we, by amendments, yet further restricted
the powers Of Government, but never, un
til 1865, by amendment, enlarged them.
These are most significant facts, and
the inference to be drawn from them is
not overthrown by the sad experience Of
our late war. In that terrible struggle Q
large portion Of the people became for q
time regardless Of our fundamental laws,
and without even murmur saw them
daily violated. They seemed to think,
and most Of them probably did think,
that in no other way could the Republic
be saved from destruction. A most erro.
neous and dangerous belief, but neverthe-
less entertained by many, though never by
me. ss.f.n ss ,.ll
And even now, when war has ceased
We find majority Of the people Of the
North apparently sustaining a self-styled
Congress in the plainest infractinns Of the
Federal Constitution, and Of the rights Of
tho States. But let no Democrat, there.
fore despair This state of things is nec.
essarily temporary. The force Of reason,
education, habit, wisdom, patriotism and
magnanimity will again be felt, and the
landmarks Of tho fathers will once more
he set up. Then, gentlemen, what is the
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