The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-08-11
Opinions of a Statesman,

Among the public niea Of the country,
few sstnud higher as statesmen than the
Hon. Thomas of IN liza. He
was in Omaha a few days ago. and whilst
there, alarge concourse of citizens paia
their respects to him audi called upon him
for Il speech. Though the call was uneX-
tpecttd, he corrteoasly complied, and pre-
sented his views upon SOME Of the leading
questions OF the hour. We print some ex
| tracts from this able exposition which COW
err the past, and point out the duty Of good
well wishers of American free institutions
INST stand Mp at all times, for :" liberty.
safety and Constitutional protection for
q government, which, 1t faithfully main,
tanned, will preserve the Federal Union
without impairing the rights Of the States ::
Substantially IN the discussions OF the
| times there are just two questions, aud
these questions, are of great Importance to
you men of Nebraska. The only question
tis shall we stand by the policy that was
established by our fathers in 1878 aud 1889
that policy which distributes the power
of the government between the federal and
the State governments, or whether we
] shall adopt this modern doctrine Of cen
traization ? This men OF Nebraska is a
question OF vital Importance TO you. For
Que, ] am willing to let well enough alone.
/, The government that our fathers made,
that rests upon the doctlinc, if muy so
express it, Of popular Sovereignty, in regard
to domestic ques tloDs, that doctrine Is the
doctrine to make our institutions perma.
nent. In it lies the security, liberty, pros
perity and happiness of the people. 1t is
proposed in these hitter days to surrender
up the control Of these questions that our
fathers left with the people Of the States,
and to swallow them up in centralized Or
general government If Nebraska has a
question whichis local to Nebraska, why
should the men Of Indiana assume the
right 10 settle il? Why not leave it to
the men Of Nebraska, if it interests you,
ard you alone? Why not allow you to
regulate it in aud according to your own
doctrine?
As man of Indiana / would claim the
right to control MS one of the citizens OF
that State such question within the Inn
its Of that State. But, fellow citizens, it
is so much better to leave it to each local.
ty to decide all local questions, and to
have the General Government to regulate
those questions that properly aud lesiti-
mately belong to them.
! All, gentlemen, in Frarce-ihat land Of
beauty, Of plenty, of prosperity the land
where the valleys are green with the grow
ing harvests, aud the Iii|isides rich with tn
clustering vine--in France where men
ought to be happy and prosperous France
is but Paris. The provinces arc not
known. The men out in the provinces
have no influence. Their power is not
felt. Paris is France aud when you es
tablish tho doctrine of centralized pow
er, then Nebraska is not known, and the
men of Nebraska are not known, but
Washington will be the United States
As it was IN the days OF ancient Rome
when civilized Rome had grown over all
the lands, where Gaul was governed, but
she had no power. The provinces upon
the Danube were governed but they had nc
power.
). X y
| So it will come to us. When it shall bt
that Washington shall become the Rome
then Nebraska and Indiana will become
the Gaul, and the provinces upon tho Da
nube and the Judea, to obey the Contra
law aud to have no government for them
selves. This il not what we want gentle
men. We want a fl m government.
government strong enough 10 maintain tn,
:. power of the people of the United State,
against all powers Of the world but at III,
tine time we want free and Independent
States to regulate tho domestic rights an.
institutions Of the people. That is tn,
: kind of government that has given so mucl
, prosperity for so many years. lie wht
asks new form ofgoyernment enter
) upon an uneXploded field, but a field tina
5 has been occupied 10y despots from tn
G earliest to the present time.
Gentlemen, the question is, will I'VE stan
by the doctrines of the fathers who dis
5 trlbuted the powers of government /
does not bring SO splendid a government
. | do not care much for parade--the shoy
! and display of government. do no
care for this sort of parade which in Eu
!, rope makes tho people fear ard tremble il
, the presence ofpower. prefer that sor
of government that carries safety, security
, prosperity and happiness to the home an,
T hearthstone of every freeman in the coun
try. Who have done wrong must answe
, to their countrymen aud to history 70
what they have done--what good the
+. have accomplished aud what evil they liav
, brought upon their country.