The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-09-30
Friday, Septembr 80, 1870.
Senator Thurman on the Political Sit
uatiOn.

Senator Thurman, of Ohio, one Of
tho most distinguished Teadcrs of tho
Democratic party, has recently dcliv-
cred speech in Cincinnati, which
has boon pronounced tho ablcst polit-
ical address eyer delivered in Ohio in
this or any other campaign. The do
sign of tho speech is to show the To,
pid strides which tho general govern,
mcnt has made towards Capitalization
in the last ten years, under tho rulc Of
tho Republican party, and which
whilst absorbing tho long recognized
powers of the States, havo almost cn.
tirely oblitcratcd all idea of tho just
limits which dcfno tho powers OF
tho General Government and the
States. These changes havo bcsn cf
footed rs we'll by amendments of the
Constitution, as by false intc:prcta-
.tions Of the instrument carried out
and embodied in unconstitutional con-
grcssional legislation. OF these two,
this. last is the most dangerous, and
tho most frequently rcsortcd 10.
The Federal Constitution was cs-
tablishcd in 1883, and Of tho ten arii-
cles Of amendment which were adop-
ted "a the three following years, not
one of them conferred an additional
power upon the government; but on
tho contrary, were al! dcclaratory Of
the rights Of tho States, and were de-
signed to protect these Il gainst FEEDER
al usurpation. Equally restrictive up
on the Federal Government was the
eleventh amendment adopted in 1898;
and the twelfth amendment, adoptcd
in 1904, provided merely for the cleo
tion OF President and Vicc-Prcsidcnt
and conferred no new powers upon the
government. On the contrary, with
the advent of tho Republican patty
into power, amendments were adopt
ed to restrict tho rights Of the States
and to enlarge the powers Of the Fed
cral Government; aud such were tue
18th, 14th, and 18th amendments, The
only amendments of that character
adopted in the course OF cighty-onc
years.
But the assaults upon the instru
mept by false Interpretation and Con
gressional usurpation, have been mo &c
dangerous as they havo been the more
insidious. In timo Of pro Cound
peace, States have been denied repro
sontation in Congress, end have been
compelled to modify or abrogatc their
constitutions ut tho will Of the domi
nant party-martial law has been de-
clared, and millions Of people have
been mado dependent upon tho viii
Of a Brigadicr General for tho enjoy.
mcnt of any civil right-mcmbcrs o
tho State Legislatures kavo becn cx-
PEELED from their seats by act of Con
grossly tho same authority Federal
officers have boon directed to interfere
In State elections and vested with
power to control the same-State
banks have becn taxed out of cxis.
tence-tho right Of Congress to con.
struct works of internal improvement
in State, and to regulate the same
in defiance Of State law, has been
openly declared and boldly acted upon
--the powers of the Federal courts
have been employed at the expense o.
the State courts, bringing the federal
government, day by day, more in con
tact with tho peopic-at tho same
time that the government maintains
n largo army and navy and a larger
host of civil employees, and tho annu
nj taxation amounts to over s5OO,O0O,,
900.
This rapid advance to centraliza
ton the Senator denounccs, for two
rcasons-:1st. as necessarily destruc
tive Of the existence of the Republic
and 2d, as, equally preiudicial TO tho
prosperity Of, the people. n central
dpower may exist and long -en
dure in compact countries of limited
extent; but with such q country and
of so largo extent as ours, tho gov
crnment would either become tht
veriest despotism, Or bo rent int
separate and Independent fragments
But again; in Tho great diversity o
climates, soils and avocations, wha
injustice would be effected by oustint
the local tribunals, and State Logisla
lures Of their just powers, and con
forring. those upon q Government will
alien interests, will and prcjudiccs? 4
consolidated Government would frs
crush out the liberties of the people
and then end in . disruption Of ths
Republic. ',mei - : ..'':.'5.'I
We cannot follow tho Senator In
his thorough, and mastorly reviow :ol
tho wastefut extravagauce Of Ropub
,licanism misrule, made in the inter.
est Of the, bond. holder, and tho rail
road monopolist, aud The, apoculatoor
which have attho same timoi swolled
"a .lJb,sSJ r!t.SHtr2e L..,.1. ss,,I III. T.