The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-04-27
CANTON. STARK COUNTY, OHIO, APRIL 27, 1870.
PATRICK HENRY.
On the Federal Constitution in I7ss.


at is impossible for me-" SAID Patrick
Henry, "to approve the action of the
Convention. Those gentlemen were EN-
powered and charged by the people, to
amend the Articles of Confederation
wherein they are defective, not to push
them aside. Have they executed the
commission entrusted to them2 No man
will affirm that they have. Instead of
this they have assumed to create new
government and they have proposed for
our adoption a Constitution of Govern
ment with powers the people never |
dreamed of, Constitution of Government |
with powers so extraordinary that I hesi- |
tate not to say, if this Constitution is |
adopted the rights of the States and the |
liberties of the people are gone forever. !
We are told that Union is necessary, we
must have a closer Union, the interests of
the country require stronger Govern
ment. What are the necessities of the
country now, which require all this? We
are now at peace. Our people, if free
from unnecessary burdens, will repair by
their industry the fortunes wasted by the
war. There are no tumults in Virginia.
No enemy from abroad threatens to in
wade our shores. No Arnold now burns
onr towns, no CORVALLIS desolates our
land. Then what is the necessity for this
stronger Government? l Will tell YOU
sir, when we needed nnion-when, if ev-
er, we needed stronger Government,
when We did need to put forth all the
| powers of the country. When Gates was
defeated at Camden, and Sumpter sur
prised and cut to pieces; when the British
were lording it over South Carolina and
Georgia, and burned the homes of the
! planters of those States, and drove them
out to seek refuge among the wild Indi-
ans the other side of the mountains, when
Washington retreated through New Jer-
sey before CORVALLIS; twenty thousand
British veterans driving before them the
shattered remnant of the American army
New Jersey was covered with blood
| and ashes, It's terrified population fleeing
on every hand from the path of the de-
! stroyer-in that hour of our country's
deepest distress, a little band of Ameri-
cans, two thousand half-naked, starving
| soldiers still clung around their beloved
| chief, still gathered about the person of
Washington, still followed the flag Of Ma
| tional Independence there We're men
| without hats, without shirts without
shoes-they left their tracks in blood on
! the frozen snow over which they marched
| then, sir, if ever we needed union
ment This despised Government of the
| Confederation carried us through those
| times, can we not live under it now
| This Government of the Confederation
| achieved the independence of our country.
| 1t did more. What other Government
has ever gone through such a struggle,
and come out of it with the liberties of
the people unimpaired? What other
| country has passed through such trials
without becoming the prey of some do
\ mestic tyrant Their revolution en-
slaved the people of England under Crom-
well, as the great struggle of Rome made
| Julius Caesar Dictator We have won
| our National Independence, and we are
still a free people if we chose not to sub
NIT our necks to the yoke. Will-we take
warning by the fate of other nations All
history teaches one lesson. How have
they lost their liberties? Ambitious men
| obtained the command of a great army
for the defence of their country, and with
that army they destroyed their country's
| freedom. Has our heart waxed gross that
we can not heed the things so plain be-
fore us ? VIII no lesson, however plain,
no warning however lond, awake our
! countrymen from their infatuation? 1t
is the condition of humanity that some-
times we heed not the voice of instruc-
ton, no matter how essential to our woll-
being. We may not believe though one
rose from the dead Liberty is main.
tanned by men with arms in their hands
and is preserved in no other way. Was
there ever a State which surrendered the
control of its military force to others, and
still retained its liberties? Yet it is pro-
posed to Us to adopt this Constitution
When it is inaugurated, Virginia is for
hidden to keep troops or ships Of war
The Central Government Is empowered tC
raise and support armies, to provide anC
maintain navy, to organize and arm anC
and discipline the militia, and to govern
them when 1t shall see fit to call them in,
to its service-all all is surrendered into
the hands of the Central Government
The whole military power of the nation
| With what further means of despotism II
it provided2 Our people went to wa
with Great Britain about a tax of three
pence a pound on tea. Yet here lis
, lay and collect taxes, duties, imports anC
sxcises, to provide for the common de
fence and general welfare of the United
States, and TO make all laws which shall
be necessary and proper for carrying int,
? execution the powers vested in the Gov
ernment. What limit Is there to taxa
tion2 What limit to these powers 0
Government, but the will Of those VIII
administer it? Even with the most hon
est intentions, viii no those who admins
ter the Government be always engagln
e its powers With almost houndles
means of executing its purposes, will no
r patriotism itself be continually devisin
. new schemes for promoting tho genera
y welfare Will not schemes ostensibl
:, for this purpose, be continually urged b
4 all the corrupt and designing members {
9 the community? How long will such
: Government remain incorrupt, with a
its temptations to cupidity and ambition
e In time, as has happened all others coun
e tries, the Government will pass into tn
Q hands Of some unscrupulous faction, beT
on aggrandizing itself and its members Z
v the expense Of their country. The who
n military and financial power Of the couI
'e try viii be in their hands. Who sha
" stay them within the limits Of Justice
e of humanity? They will rule your couI
i try with the sword. The military pow,
? will predominant all over the land. Ava
N with this phantom, this dream of a R.
70 publican President We shall have
"a King. Your armies will make him
n. king, a crowned monarch over our head
p with splendid aristocracy around h
70 throne, host of armies to do his biddin
A. swarms of tax-gathers infesting the who
a land, devouring the sustance of the pc
ID pie, grinding the faces of the poor. II
al liberties of the country are gone III
o- blood of the Revolution was shed in val
re The fate Of all other Republics must
IN ours. Our people are marching down i
A. to the abyss that opens to devour thel
h They, are deaf to the voice of warnin
he deaf to the lessons of the past No h1
o. man aid can help US. He alone who rul
" in the armies of Heaven and among t
= inhabitants of the earth, can save
At from the madness of this hour. He pr
n served our nation from the terrible foes
ss It's infancy; he breathed into our countr
men the spirit of resistance against t
he tyranny of Great Britain he raised ,
at Washington TO lead our people to victor
as and extended over us his own Almigh
in arm to shield and to save To him
IN would appeal; though unworthy to a
Nm proach his throne, would PROSTATE m