The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-09-08
For the Clarion
Letter from an Old Lime WING.
NUABER VIII.


pOdes of radicalism. The name itself, apart
from all other considerations, imports an
hereditary hatred of the vandalism, corrup-
ton and fanaticism of the party Of moral
ideas. No man who understood whiggery or
was ever imbued with its principles can
avoid an involuntary shudder at the thought
of contact with the abomination of Mongrel-
ism. If he has been enabled through the
corruption of the times to retain one par
ticle OF that exalted public virtue which
fired his soul. when the charms of patriotism
allured him to the standard of his party he
would shrink from the touch of Radicalism
as from the viles. eOntagion.
The name originated in England during
the arbitrary reign of the Stuarts. They
were men vino in a long and arduous strug-
gle between liberty and power, opposed and
resisted the entertainments OF the crown
and all the usurpations of that tyraBical
line Of despotic princes That struggle be-
tween the liberties of the people and the
prerOgatiyes OF the crown CONTINUED until
the name of Wing and Tory attained to
fixed and definite meaning in the English
tongue, whiggery meant opposition to des-
potic power. During the war OF the Revo
and Tory. The names still retained their fix
cd and definite meaning. The friends to
liberty were Wings, the minions who were
for sustaining the usurpations of George the
Third were Tories. During the administra-
ton of Andrew Jackson; the high handed
measures OF his administration were char
acterized As infractiOns of the constitution
as executive dictation and an unauthorized
usurpatiOn of power. Men who loved con
stitutional liberty and detested usurpatior,
taking alarm at what they conceived to tn
infractions of the constitution assumed the
name which characterized their principles
and of itself imported who and what they
were-opponentS to Executive encroach-
ment, misgovernment and abuse OF power.
They had their rise in opposition to the
abuses and excuses of government and not
in opposition to the fundamental principles
of the Democratic party. A Wing thenis
an hereditary enemy TO all misgOvernmeut,
to executive or congressional encrOachmelt
and unconstitutional assumption of power.
What affinity is there between a Wig
and the men who hold that gov
eminent is huge monster bound by no OF
legations but with right and power to use
the purse and sword for the enslavement o.
millions, the plumber OF States and the ues-
relation of the people. Those who sustained
these principles OF arbitrary power in the
reign ofthe Stuarts did it from loyalty from
a principle which had been inculcated in
their age and Countrywide divine rights
of King; but these of the present day de ii
from mercenary motives, the greed tor gain.
Abhorrent as such principles ever were TO
the Wings they are now rendered doubly
odius by the base and sordid motives which
prompt their sycophancy.
1t is a cardinal principle in the political
creed of the mongrels that Congress is
supreme. That the dominant party con-
stitute the people, and consequently that
Congress which becomes the collected ma
ton may rightfully DO anything for the
party, and the party rightfully do anything
to retain power. The party being the peo-
pie. From such a cardinal principle it is
impossible that anything can result but en-
croachment, misgovernment ana usurpa-
ton.
Are they enemies to constitutional liber-
ty or vile and corrupt, or is it ignorance,
not understanding the nature and true prin-
ciples of government: What is power but
trust to be held and exercise for the good
of the State or political society and in what
does its abuse consists but in exercising
it for the exclusive benefit of those who
WELD it? 1t is true that under our form OF
government the majority must rule, but
then that majority is not party but the peO-
pie of the State. 1t is the governing power,
and it. equally with the minority or govern
ed, is subject to the fundamental law of the
whole society. For the majority to WELD
the power with which they are intrusted by
the constitution for their exclusive benefit is
a total subversion ofthe principles of govern
ment-the most dangerous encroachments.
The highest form of misgovernment and the
greatest abuse of power tending directly TO
the establishment of 4 hydra-headed tyran-
nv. UndesAhe forms of the British cOnsti
tuition the Stuarts were the rulers. To rule
for their own benefit and extend their pre-
negatives to the usurpation of the rights of
the nation were principles of despotism
which lost the family throne and Charles
his head. and what matters it to the friends
of constitutional liberty whether Stuart,
Caesor a Cromwell or a Congress is the des
pot.
The majority acting under the letter and
spirit of the constitution, recognizing it as
righttully imposing limitations on their
power NAV maintain their ascendency by
the freedom of the press, by speech and
whatever ofreason they may exert, but if the
dominent party constitute the people when
assembled in Congress, they are the people
whose power is above the Constitution, ant
we have seen the effects of the principle in
the threatened destruction of the co-ordi-
nate departments of the government. Does
the Executive presume to exercise his veto
in opposition to the will of the party, he is
impeached, he is made to feel that his
private interest and his public duties are
conflicting. The department itself is shorn
of its due weight and influence, and the
highest official is thus coerced by violence
and bribery. Does the Judiciary, which
stands as the tribune of the people, as check
upon these agents entrusted with power to
declare what are the rights of the people
and what are violations of their will as ex-
pressed in the fundamental law, presume
to differ with Congress- why that is differing
and opposing the will of the people. tor Con-
| gress is the people. The Court must be re-
lnOueIcu - as W lCheCI Thy II VIII. anu iH00~
ofan Independent tribune, We have subser-
Went instrument Ia party purposes. have
now gone beyond The space allotted me-
and this subject will he resumed.
OLD LINE WING.
/ Hon. j ohm Watts N Candidate for
State Senator.
1t affords us no little pleasure TO copy
the following announcement. Judge
Watts is friend of the people and has