The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-09-03

Special Correspondence of Enquirer. /
WEsT LIBERTY, o., Avg. IL.
A largo nnmbCr Of Democratic
neighbors Of Gen. Saunders A. Pi-
att repaired TO his residence last
evening, and after somo very sweet
music from the West Liberty Brass
Band called upon that grntlrmaH
Tor a speech. Gen. Piatt snid
My FELLOW DEMOCRATS AND
NEIOHBoRs need not toll you
how deeply l appreciate this com.
plmentary demonstration. l feel
IL tho more from the fact that II
gives mo an opportunity TO say q
few things wish TO say publicly.
No one knows better than tho
strength Of party ussochtiOn. Next
20 patriotism 20 ones country comes
oYalty TO ones party, and the tlYs
binding the last can not be severed
without attaching n certain amount
of blame 10 the individual who So
cedes. One Is anXious, therefore, to
give his reasons Tor such severance
and Justify himself, II possible, for
the course ho takes.
Ina few words, then, let me say
that / am disioyal to the Republi
can organization because l seek 10
be patriotic to my Government
Undors and me, / attach no blame
whatever to my late political assO.
clatcs. l believe tho great mass TO
De honest, earnest and patriotic and
that patriotism they havo asserted
by their blood upon ali the battle
fields, and their lives IN all the hos
pitnls, ri tho lato war But it docs
not follow, on that account, that as
II party, heated By partizan zeal,
they aro not us dangerous to the
Republic as tho men themselves
tuey went out TO fight.
/ believe IL WAS the desIgn Of the
iatbers in the formation VI our Gov
crnmcnt 10 secure our National IN
dependence through tho General
Government at Washington, aud
the right ofIhe citizens through the
state OrganiZgtloLs. l need not
take your time and waste my breath
in illustrating, or, rather, dumon-
sirating this fact. No ono fact is
clearer to the stuCunt OF conslitu q.
tiOnal law .han this. 1t may nave
been dream OF the fathers and
quito impructicable in execution
but it was the design, and until it is
found impossible, l propose to as.
sist IN giving il life and strength,
Long before the late wal broke
upon US, tho power OF the General
Government had fallen into dlsuso.
The States arrogated TO :hem-
solves all the power that had be.
fore been delegated TO the grand
Central Government. | need reler
to only few instances to demon
strate my meaning. Citizens OF
Massachu usotts were seized and i'm
prisonod IN South Carolina for mere =.
ly exercising the rights guaranteed
by tho Constitution of tho United
States Massachusetts, in return,
enacted laws that equally sot ut de-
fance the rights Of South Carolina
undr our Constitution. The right
to regulate exchange aud furnish a
National currency was usurped by
the States, and our lard was foud-
ed with irredemable trash callud
PAPER money, that enriched u few
"Shylocks" ut the expense Of the
many. Each State had it's code of
laws in antagonisnI to bel sister
States, and to this day you can not
travel through New Jersey without
paying tribute to that State in dr.
rect violation Of the compact under
which tho fathers proposed we
should live in peace and good feels
ing. That Slate was not alone TO
blpme. We have our own aims TO
answer for in that direction. Why,
my fellow citizcns, the General
Government had fallen so low, that
when tho Mexican war camo our
p, esidont, instead of resorung to
the draft, had to call tor volunteers
and humbly solicit the Governors
of States TO furnish him aid IN the
support Of our National flas on the
Il Id of battle
This sort Of practice and their
evil teachings continued until they
eliminated IN secession. South Car.
olina avOwod her right, aud appeal
ed 10 the wager Of battle IN its sup
port, to withdraw from the Union
n th" same way that sho had en-
tered The Union.
My fellow citizens, and especially
my Democrats friends. wnen
man is asked 10 become u Siamese
twin nc has an unJoubted right to
refuse. But having consented to
be ono Of " Slamese twins be cannot
sever The ligature without consult
ing the health aud inclination Of his
brother twin. South Carolina had
the uneuosuoned right 20 refuse 10
enter the Union, but having become
one o. many, her TighI is merged
IN the rights VI all, and nn atJGmpt
to exercise such privilege ol her
own motive is simply rebellion, or