Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1870-11-12

show that every leading Journal and
politician of that party holds that doc
| trine, and intend to carry 1t out, Now
we shall attempt to show that, IL car
ried out, it must result as disastrously
to the Government, as would the docs
trlne of Universal suffrage, if once es>
| tablished, And if we establish this,
| then we believe that hundreds of Dem.
Gcrats in Oregon will be as ready to de-
denoutte the one as the other And mark,
they claim IN the above resolution, that
they will defend the Constitution Of the
United States against aggressions, for
eign or domestic. But, they say, in
the late rebellion, the Government was
the aggressor upon the reserved rights
of the State; consequently, according
to their construction of the Constitu-
ton, they can defend that instrument,
aud at the same time defend a State in
her treason, and call her people patri-
OTIS, because they say, il State, or a
number of States, should Invade other
States, or the general Government,
and attemptto overthrow it, then their
duty would be plain; they would then
defend the Constitution and general
Government by assisting to repel the
invasion. But they also say, that while
single State has no right to invade
any other State, or the general Govern
ment. neither has the Government the
right to invade State for the purpose
of compelling her, by force Of arms; 10
return back into the Union, after she
has passed, by the solemn act Of her
people, an ordinance of secession and
this is the defence meant In the said
resolution But the resolution proposes
to defend also the constitution of our
own State. We ask the people to con
slider how the body which passed the
resolution defended the Constitution of
Oregon? It came to its defence most
nobly, wheh it violated its provision
setting apart the proceeds of the 500,.
900 acres of land az an irreducible
school fund, and absolutely donating
100000 to establish a monopoly in
Oregon, which win be, when essablish>
ed, of no benefit, but curse, to the
State, upon the pretenee that il would
greatly benefit the west side.
If they desired to benefit tho west
side, why did they not give the money,
if give they must, to company who
would build us q railroad, then we
should have been benefited. It came
10 the defence Of the Constitution with
vengeance, when, in palpable viola
ton of that Instrument, it raised the
salary of the State Treastifer from eight
hundred to four thousand dollars per
anuum
And then this famous resolution
closes with the declaration that they
will sustain the Government of the
United States in every Constitutional
requirement OF what avail is this? for,
If the doctrine of the resolutions We
true, there is nothing required. because
the supreme power is with the States,
not with the general Government. But,
to show You that we have made no mis-
take as to the real sentiments of the
resolution; we give the second one
here
I'd. That this Assembly declare
that each State OF the United States i
an independent sovereign community
except in so far as certain powers, which
it might otherwise have exercised, have
been conferred on a general Govern :
ment, established Under d written Con-
stitdtion, and exertiug its authority
over the people of all the States. That
this general Government is limited
| one, it's powers being specific and emu
merated, and all powers not conferred
upon it, remaining with the States and
with the people. That, as well as
grants Of power, the Constitution con.
tains positive prohibitions against che
exercise of certain other powers wisely
intended to guard against the assump
ton of all power, or absolute sovereign
ty, and to protect the people from the
dangers of consolidated Government.
That to preserve this union IN happiness
and prosperity, the Constitution must be
kept inyioIate as the highest law, and
the only source of power IN the conduct
of the general Government.
l z.