The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-03-31

they arc aIosa nlnvtisy PatbyA tnIs uay,
and they have been o minority every day
from that to this
They commenced at once insidiously
to undermine the Constitution; at first
timidly proposing amendments, but, as
they progressed, boldly and defantly
trampling it down.
81 do not propose to ennmerate all their.
reasonable outrages, or to follow their
progress from the time they were an In.
cendiary torch applied to the fabric Of
our government, to the present, when they
are great conaagration destroying all
before them; but merely to call attention
to the condition Of the government nov,
and to its effects upon the people. ~
The people Of ten States of the. Union
are robbed of every right and power
guaranteed by the Constitution, or re.
served by them in their sovereign capaci-
ty, They have not to-day a single erep-
|resentative in the Legislative, executives,
or judicial branch Of the. government.
They have not even the poor privilege
Of a aterritory, that Of having a delegate
on the floor Of Congress to speak for
them. Slaves have become their voters,
and strangers and enemies their rulers,
Their wealth is ipruins, and the proceeds
of their labor is At the mercy of barbar.
ians. The history of the last seven years
warrants no manin saying that the re
manning States may not soon be in a7sim.
liar state of vassalage. Fhvrv-;;s--4-hnnf
for the people ef those States,1 or safety
fnrfhA neopIe de thaaa. but in the Aresto'
ration of the u {ion upon the basis of tht
Constitution; AID the Unien is practicall,
no nearer restotation to-day than it wa
when Lee wasskn Pennsylvania, or Mo
Dowell was flying in dismay from Bull
run. e.az..,ts lai a er 'Tef
The majority Of the fragmentary Con
gress have bolted their doors agains
more than hall. Of their opponents, il
order that they might override the ex
ecntiye veto, and, if they should deem j
expedieht, drag down the President him
self, and place one of their number il
his stead. They have robbed the Presi
dent Of every important power and pre-
lrogative. They have made his subordi
mates independent of him, and held ou
rewards to them for disobeying and de
flying him; and finally one fragment o
iGongress has dragged him before an
other fragmest for trial, as if he was
pick pocket andr,they were polio
court. s ass
Their schemes for destroying the judi
ciary branch-of the government are al
most matured. They propose by law t
require majoritytof three-fourths Of th
Judges to concur before Judgment can b
given for the rights of the States or th
!, rights of the people, while minority .
4 one.t shall be sufficient to sustai
their usurpations; thus placing falls
weights in the scales Of justice-makiu
six against them count no more tina
three in. their favor. Not content wit
this, they further propose to forbid th
Supreme Court from exercising jurisdit
| tion in any case which themajority of th
fragment may choose to declare politics
in its character Under this arrangemel
the fragment may abolish the judiciar
entirely, abolish the Executive, or estat
lish an order Of nobility, and they hay
| only to declare those acts political j
their character to prevent the peoplefro1
obtaining any redress from the Courts
They have Arenay smeggled through .
! act forbidding the Court taking any col
nizance Of cases arising under the r
i construction acts. This is equivalent
i a bold declaration that they know the
acts to be unconstitutional, tLat they kno
Il "a Court Of their own party must decla
them SO, but that they are determined
enforce those acts in defiance Of Cour
r or Constitutions. Forney, who is Seer
fltary Of the Senate, and has greater faci
+ tiles than any other outsider for KNOWN
) the designs Of the fragment fully col
! firms this inference. lie gives notice b
a letter to the Press that Congress wi
pay no more attention to a decision Of. Il
Supreme Court declaring an act Of thei
: unconstitutional, than they would to IL
! proceedings Of q town meeting.
The Legislative branch of the goyerl
ment, which has virtually usurped or d
! stroyed the oyheFT two divisions Of Il
trinity, is controlled by the represent
tives Of less than one-third Of the viii
& people of this country. The whites
the non represented States number
/ least half as many as the entire Radic'
party; and the elections Of last fall dil
! close the fact that the friends Of const
tutional government, are in majority
j scores Of thousands in the represente
!, States: SO that by no process Of calcul
, ton can it be shown that the rulers Of Il
country represent more than one-third
its people. ~:
. These minority representatives a
/ themselves controlled by Caucus whit
, meets in the night time, concocts j
J schemes, and launches them upon Il
r fragment to be rushed through by d
plying the whip and spur to their fello
fanatics, and the gag to their opponent
This Caucus has only to say to the fra
ment, ssBe. it enacted" and the fragme
i instantly responds, "Itis hereby enacted
i There is not on the face of the earth 2
other people governed by as unau thori
} led. Irresponsible and inscriptions a boo
of men as the Caucus which tyraniz
ever this country. M
r This then is the present condition
) the government: The Executive brant
is destroyed; the Judicial branch Writ
ally destroyed; the Legislative branch
/ mere partisan Caucus. And what b
become Of the maxim Of all Republics
governments that majority shall rul
j A minority here not only rules b
ruins, in defiance Of the protest of Il