Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1871-04-25
FREEMEN, PoNDERI

paiy", dc.
The democrats in Congress have just issued
the following address:
To the Peolie Of tie United States:
presence aud official duties ut Washington
have enabled Us to becnme fully Acquainted
with the actions aud designs of Ihuse who en-
troll the radical party. sud we icel called upon
to utter lew words of warming against the
alarming strides they have made toward CEN
trallzition of power in the hauds OF Congress
aud the Executive
The time aud attention of the radical leaders
have been almost wholly directed 10 devising
such Legislation will, in their view. best pre-.
serve their aseendeucy. and no regard for the
wise IeS'raints imposed 10y the constitution has
checked their TecE less aud desperate career
The President Of al. United States has been
formally announced u candidate for re cleo
ton The declarations of his selfish sup
P"r'erS have been re>echoed by a subsidized
press, aud the discipline of party has already
made adhesion To his personal fortunes the Su.
preme test OF political fealty. The partisan
legislation to which we refer was decreed and
shaped IN secret caucus, where the EXTREMIST
counsels always dominated. and was adopted
by suhservien' majority. IL not with the in
tent. certainly with the effect to place in the
hands Of the President power to command his
own Tennmlnatinn, and 10 employ the army,
navy aud militia ut his sole discretion as a
means of subServing his personal ambition.
w hen the sad experience of the last two
years, so disappointing TO the homes and GEN.
erouS confidence of the country. is considered,
IN connection with the violent utterances and
rash purposes of those who control the PreSi
dent policy. 1t il not surprising that the
gravest apprehension for the future peace of
the nation should be entertained. At n time
when labor is depressed and every material in
terest Is palsied ly oppressive taxation. the
public Offices have been multiplied beyond all
precedent to serve as instruments in tho per.
PetuatiOn of power. Partisanship is the only
test applied to the distribution of this vast
patronage. Honesty. fitness and moral worth
are openly discarded in favor of truck ling sub
mission and dishOnOrabe compliance. Hence
enormous defalcatiOns and wide spread cor
rup'Iun have followed as the natural cOuse-
quences of this perncious system
By the official report of the Secretary of the
| Treasury. it appears that after the deduction
| OF all proper credits many millions of dollars
| remain due from ex-cOllectOrs Of the internal
| revenue, and that no proper diligence has ever
! been used to collect them. Reforms in the
revenue and fiscal systems, which all exN
! UerIence demonstrates to be necessary TO a
! frugal administration of the government. as
well asa measure Of relief to sn uverburdcncd
| people. have been persis'ently postponed or
wIltulIy neglected. Congress now adinurns
without having even attempted to reduce tax
alton or tn repeal the gIarin., impositious bv
which industry is chcnpPnel and i'm poverished
The treasury is NveI fl"wing aud an excess
OF eighty millions of revenue is admitted and
yer, instead "i N"'nc measure of present relief
barren aud dciusivc resolution is passed by
the Senate :" consider the tariff and excise
hnFns fgnr 81
pledges aud pretended remedies furnished auy
better insurance for future legislation than
experience has done in the past ShipEuild
m" and the carrying trade. once sources nI
nati"nsi pri6e aud pr sICriIy. now laugush
under n rTuShin" load uf Iaxatinn and nearly
every other business interest is struu,,Iir,,
without profit to maintain itself Our H"ri.
cu!tur'sts, while payin" heavy taxes an all they
consume. either To the government or to mo.
u"FuiIS's. ti"d.t price Tor their own products
50 reduced that honest labor is denied lis inst
Toward, aud industry is pr"srru'cd hy iuvdiuus
! discrimination Near 200 UUU. COO acres of
public lands, which should have been ra,erv
ed Tor the benefit of the people. have been
voted away to "Iant curpmrgri"ns nerI.criu,,
our soldiers and ehrchng handful Of greedy
! SIccuiat'rS and lobbyists, who are thereby en-.
! ahicd to exercise mnSt dangerous and cor.
| ruP'InE IHhurnre over State aud Federal leg
i-iat'"n. II tie career of these cnn>pirarnrs
/ be rot checked, the downfall Of free ,,uyeru,
memt Is inevitable. aud with i; the elevation
! al military dictator On the ruins Of the re
/ public.
Under the Tre'cnse "f passing laws to en-
| force Ihc fourteenth amendment aud tor other
! purposes, Cungress has conferred the most ieS>
/ Po:Ic power upon the Executive and provided
an Official machinery by which the liberties of
! the People are meuaced. aud the sacred rjrbt
! OF local seli'guverumrnt in the States is ip.
nUrcd, ii not totally overrLruwn. Modelled
upon the sedI,i"n laws. so odious in history
they are at variance with all the sanctifed
theories of our Institutions and the cunStruc
zion given 10y these radical interpreters TO the
fourteenth amendment is. to use the language
Of an eminent Senator, Mr.. TrumLull. of ii.
Inois, an 'annihilarrum OF the States"
Under the last enforcement bill THE Ex-
ccu'ive may, in his discretion. thrust aside tie
government Of any State, suspend the writ of
Labeas corpus, arrest its Governor. imprison
or dIsperse the Legislature silence its Judges
aud trample down its people under the armed
heels OF his troops. Nothing is left to the
citizen or the State which can any longer be
called right; all is changed into mere suf.
! fcrance
Our hopes for redress are in the ca I'M good
sense, the ''sober second thought OF the
American people. We call upon them to be
true to themselves and to their posieriIy. and
dIsregarding party names and minor litlerCn.
ces. tn INSIST upon decentralization of pOwer
aud the restriction OF federal authority with.
in its just and proper limits, leaving TO the
States that control over domestic fairs which
Is essential to their happiness tranquility and
good government. Everything that malicious
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