The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-08-15

| tuem as party Ol uebtfOyeTb, ana the
first point | shall illustrate Is the destruc-
tion Of the fedora! union. They Destroyed
your union. Are these states in the union
If they have been in the union all the
time, why arc they now rcadnitted under
tho constitutions farmcd by negroes of the
South They have demonstrated to the
world the destruction Of the union, that
ten states did leave tho union, and not
only left the Union, but that those ten
States were destroyed that they not only
did not stay in tho union, but that they
ceased to exist when they left the union ;
for by their legislation they have arranged
for the recreation Of the States upon o
black basis at tho south, supported by tho
army. Then thoy have demonstrated that
this blessed union Of yours can be destroy.
cd, has been sundered, and in violation OF
every pledge given by this party in con-
gress and out Of congress, in violation OF
the tenets Of the fathers, in violation oi
the traditions Of antiquity, in violation OF
that constitution which made your union,
and made it perpetual.
But more than that Thoy demon.
strate their capacity to destroy these
states which make the union itself, for
the states make tho union. They dem
onstratc the capacity Of Congress to destroy
the American States, for these ten States,
in the internal and mischieyous legisla-
ton Of the age, are not spoken Of az
States. In place Of ten States Of the
American union once, you have five mill.
tary districts in place Of ten governors
to preside over the destinies Of those
States, you have FIVE major generals; in
in place OF officers elected by the people
to take charge Of their affairs according
to the doctrines of the fathers, you have
staff officers, and all tho paraphernalia oi
war aud, Instead of that popular con.
sent on which alone free governments cau
be based, in this or any other country
you have barracks, arscnals, cannon, bay.
onets, and all tho dread circumstance and
pomp Of war, in time Of peace. Can O
government be Republic that governs
| in one-third of its boundaries by militia
~ power Of course not They have
destroyed your union by saying thai
these States wero lost to the union
They have destroyed these States by
sweeping them out of existence aud con
verting them into military districts
States, according 10 my theory, are indie
structiblc there is no power to SWEEP
out Of existence an American state liks
the eternal stars in the heavens, they viii
last forever. They arc fixed by the faith
crs in our hemisphere in the sky, in oui
political sky, as it were, to last forever
But their career Of destruction stop
not here. Not content with thus destroy
ing the framework and form Of our gov
ernment, not content with thus destroy
ing your union, they go further. Aftei
destroying the form, they trample on
Ethc life, the soul and the spirit of oul
government. Don't tell me that it is
matter Of no consequence 20 the peopl,
of Indiana whether the principles of civ
il liberty prevail in our sister States O
the South Don't tell me that they ar,
rebel States and no concern Of yours
The man that can see liberty throwr
down TO tho ground, the principle Of Law
tramplcd in the dirt, without any person
al concern, is not an American citizen
I(applausc) for every part and parcel o
this government is your government
The old maxim Of Greece was true one
that, when the liberties Of a countr,
suffered in the person Of the humbles
and lowest citizen, the whole common
wealth felt the pang, and bled from th'
wound" That is the true spirit anC
doctrine Of liberty, and when | portra,
to you the loss of liberty in Virginia, i
is your loss-thc loss of liberty in Geor
gia is tho loss of every American every
where. No rivers bind my love of coun
try. There is a class of men-and some
too, born under a southern sky-whos
affections are bounded by these water
that roll right here by our wharves, blu
not so mine. Every spot of Ameri
can soil is my country and your countr,
in the highest and best sense of the term
Tho people at Washington, not conten
: with sweeping out Of existence your un
ion and your States, sweep out of exist
ence those principles without whicl
States and unions are worth nothing a
all, Though one-third of the State
of the American union, liberty lies deat
in every form. They cay they are guar
anteeing republican forms of govermen
to the people of the South. They say
that is the reason why they put them un
der military government and hold then
with a standing army at the expense o
the taxpayers of the North. Why, 20,
all know what are some Of the lcadin,
principles that characterize republican
form Of government. Can q republican
form of government live without trial b
juryY Why, my friends, for hundred
Of years your ancestors in the old worlC
struggled upon every noble field of bat
tie to guarantee to themselves and thei
posterity forever, as one of the creates
safeguards of liberty, the right of tria
by jury. It is nominated in the blood
bought bond of the revolution, the con
stitution of your country. Your father
fought for it, and they put it in the char
ter Of our liberties, SO that no Congress
no legislature, no upstart tyrant, with hi
sword by his side, could cleave it out o
its place, but it is embedded in that Clio
rious instrument. But what do we see
Why, we saw few days ago a party o
young men, in the State of Georgia, ar
rested upon charge of assault and bat
terry, simply. They were tried by mil
itary commission, and sent to the DIR,
Tortugas as a punishment, and this il
the nineteenth century, and in the Amer
ican republic-peace in all our borders
military commissions, though, and tn,
Dry Tortugas for punishment for assault