The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-02-10
State Fights.

The Radicals. have holy horror of
the doctrine of States Rights and re-
gard it as synonymous with that of
secession. 1t was not always thus.
There was time within the memory
of the oldestinhabitants. when these
same Radical Jacobins were the great
est sticklers for this. doctrine which
they now so bitterly denounce. They
even went so far as to claim and exer-
else the authority to annul and set at
defiance the laws of Congress and the
decisions of the Federal Courts which
were not in strict conformity to their
"higher law" ideas. The Republican
National Convention of 1860 forcibly
and emphatically proclaimed the doc
trfne of States Rights in their platform,
making it the chief cornerstone of
their political edifice. In the second
resolution of that platform they de-
clared, ---3Eo
"That the maintenance of the prin-
ciple promulgated in the Declaration
of Independence and embodied in the
Federal Constitution, is essential to
the preservation of our republican in
stitutions, and that the FEDERAL Con-
sTITUTIoN, THE RIGHTS OF THE
STATES and the Union of the States
must and shall be preserved
Here is the recognition of the fact
that our Government is of a Federal,
and not q consolidated, character, and
that the preservation of that charac-
teristic feature and the maintenance
of the rights of the States which they
had reserved to themselves respective
ly in forming the Federal Compact,
are essential to the preservation of
our republican institutions" How
does this read in the light of the &C
ton of that party of the present time
in totally disregarding the rights OF
the States, ignoring the federative
character of the Government and es-
tablishing consolidated empire upon
the ruins of the Federal Union
But not satisfied with this declara-
ton of the States Rights doctrine, in
the fourth resolution of that platform
they still more forcibly declared the
same doctrine in the following Ian.
guage: a
"That the maintenance anviolate o1
the RIGHTS OF THE STA TIES
| A n
RIGHT OF EACH STATE re
CONTROL ITS OWN AFFAIRS
| ACCORDING TO ITS O W a
JUDGMENT. EXCLUSIVELY Y
IS ESSENTIAL L TO THAT BAL
ANCE OF POWER ON WHICH
THE PERFECTION AND EN-
DURANGO OF OUR POLITI
GAL FABRIC DEPENDS"
Itwas upon these declarations o
principles and purposes that the Re
4 publican party succeeded to power
But in this, as in most other matters
they have been false to their profes
sions. With them +" the right of eacl
state to control its own institution
according to its own judgment exclu
esively" has ceased to be a matter o
the least consequence, and they ar
: now striving by fraud and force t.
compel the States to surrender. thei
constitutional right to control thei
own, institutions according to thei
, own judgment exclusively, and t.
compel them to bow to the will of til
: despots who control the Government
That doctrine is to-day as essential ct
} that balance of power on which th
perfection and endurance of our pc
| litical falric depends" as it was on tn
day on which it was so vauntingl
: proclaimed by the Radical disunion
J lists at Chicago. 1t is the doctrine tina
| must yet be recognized and observe
by the Federal authorities if we woul
| preserve the institutions inherite
: from the patriot fathers of THERE
3 public. TEE ra