The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-02-06
consin, l must rely upon the government

Inc state defends my person from aS
sault; congress has nothing to do wit
!, that.
, The state defends my reputation con
gress has nothing to do with that
The state defends my wiz, and chill
dren; congress has nothing to DO wit
that
The state defends my home from ire:
pass, from arson, from burglary, and a
my property from theft and from robbery
ngress has nothing to do with that
In all my dearest rights, relations, fam
ily, character, person, liberty, and life,
am defended by the laws of Wisconsin
not by the laws of orgress at all.
Nothing is more clear, therefore, tlla
the necessity of guarding with jealous
care against encroachments by the fedora
government upon the rights Of the stat,
governments; for it is only under their au
thority that my most preciou, interests art
secured. The supreme court is organized
under the constitution for the purpose oi
holding, not false balance, but just and
even balance between those rights which
the state government secures, and certain
other rights, just as sacred, ifnot 50 near and
dear, secured to me by the federal govern.
ment against cncroachmcnt by the state,
against insurrection in the state, agains.
invasion from abroad, and II controversies
which may arise between me and the citi-
zens of another statc,-al Of which it is
the duty Of congress to defend or secure.
Suppose congress, under political ex-
element, pass LAW encroaching upon my
rights Of life, or liberty, or person or prop
perty, which belong to the STATE to defend
aud that case arises in the supreme
court to determine whether the state gov
crnrsent or the federal government has
usurped power over the question, shall the
supreme court hold au even balance be-
tween the states on the one hand and the
congress on the other? Or shall that
court hold its balance with one side already
loaded down bya law Of congress in favor
ofits own usurpat;ons?
Upon this very question of its usurpa-
tions shall congress prevent even-handed
justice by placing manacle upon one OF
her hands?
Justice, hitherto represented as majes-
tic woman with eyes bandaged, holding a
pair Of even balances, must hereafter be
represented with false balances in her
hand, with one eye uncovered, no longer
looking straight forward in search Of truth,
bat askant and obsequious, seeking apollo
gies for the usurpations Of central power.
In our system two forces are ever strug
Cling with each other; one tending toward
civilization, the other toward tie states.
Each operating without the other would
destroy the system. As in the solar sys-
TEN, the centripetal force, left to itself
alone, would draw all the planets to the
sun, and thus destroy that system. TIE
centrifugal force left to ITSELF alone would
drive the planets into infinite space, and
thus destroy that system also. But the
combined operation of both forces, the one
balancing the other, retains all in their
orbits. How long could that system last
if the centripetal forces should be doubled!
The other force remaining the same, could
no longer balance it; all wonld go to the
centre IF the centrifugal force were
doubled it could no longer be counterbal-
anced by the other, and the planets would
leave their orbits AMI wander through
space.
So, if the supreme court, which holds
in our system, is to be so chained and
manaclcd that, unless six-eighths of the
Judges shall decide agains it, the decision
shall always favor Capitalization, how long
will it require to concentrate all the DOW
ers of the government at Washington. and
to practically destroy the states as part of
our system?
Aud so on the other hand, if it required
six-eights of the judges to declare the val
idity of a law of congress, would not this
government be in danger of losing its just
authority?
There is another measure proposed in
the house. 1t may pass that body. 1t
has been reported by majority of the ju-
dietary committee.
1t is proposed by law to compel the SUI
preme court to dismiss the appeal of Me
Ardle, and to make all similar appeals to
the supreme court impossible. | can
hardly think such a law can pass the sem
ate. 1t is an open confession that radical
reconstruction is unconstitutional, and
that they dare not come to a decision III
the supreme court
Pass that bill, in addition to the rest
and the last vestige of civil law, or civil
jurisdiction, is swept away, from the Po-
tomac 70 the Rio Grande.
From where / stood this morning, upon
the steps of the capitol, with the flag OF
the union over me, l can look across a
river. and look upon land of absolute.
unqualified dospotisn. If I visit Mount
Vernon and sit down by the tomb OF
Washington, L sit under the shadow of
military dictatorship. more unlimited than
can be found in any civilized country up
on the globe. Constitutional liberty is
already bound, scourged and crowned with
thorus here-hcre in her own sacred tenn
PIE.
Shall the general of the army, urged on
by the radical chief-priests, cruelty her
on this sacred capitol hill, in Ler own
home, under her own banner. amid the
SCOTS and jeers of all the despots IN the
world?
Let the people answer.
Respectfully yours,
j. Il. DooLITTLE.
Patrick was in charge of ferry boat
A lady passenger being frightened by the