The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-08-17
The Living Issues Of the Day.

The New York Express says; "The
living issues Of the day will unite the
Democratic party when they meet n
year hence to make their nominations,
and thence to the election. If the
common enemy do not or cannot un.
dcrstand this now, they will then.
These living issues are obedience TO the
Constitution as u whole, the original
articles, the later amendments, and the
more recent amendm cnts. Until they
are changed by the supreme power Of
the people or the Supreme Courtof the
land, one and all will stand, and, there
fore, Governor Hoffman was quite
right IN his Fourth Of July letter, to the
Sachems of St Tammany, in saying
that these amendments we're not INT Of
the issues Of the day. Slavery is abol.
ishcd, and suffrage is extended to all
the States, the latter not in the way
we could wish, nor in q righteous way,
but in Il way, nevertheless, beyond con
troll except by again changing the inn'
damental law. Ifthc discussion among
political casuists means that the Demo-
cratic party do not endorse or approve,
or in any way commend the manner Of
the recent amendments, it may as well
end, for we have yet to see the Demo.
cratic journalist or member OF the
Democratic party, who does not de.
nounce the act done and the manner Of
its execution. And yet no sensible
man in the land, We presume, expects
to see either slavery restored in tho
States, or suffrage taken from the ne
gro. Many of the States, since the
war, as with New York, have recog'
nizcd by State legislation the fact of
negro suffrage. All the States have, or
will, in time, probably, do the same
thing; and when the States thus act,
no II will dispute their right to regu.
late suffrage for themselves, even
though Congress claims the right over
the whole subject by a forced amend,
ment to the Constitution The old en-
cmies of the Constitution were those
who departed from the letter and spirit
Of the fundamental law, rs Alexander
Hamilton, when he advocated a con-
solidatcd Government; the Federal
artv, when they sustained the dogmas
Of the Hartford Convection; the advo-
Gates of ''the high law" and "thc ire
pressible conflict" under the lead of
Mr., Seward, and the Radical party,
when they organized in 1856 and be-,
came victorious in 1860. The defeat
Of the Democratic party al Charleston,
under the secession lead of Butler and
his fire eating companions from the
South, was the defeat of the Constitu-
ton, and for ten years past the Consti
tuition. in its best intent, spirit and
purpose, has been Frustrated by the
i'll starred combinations against civil
liberty and free government. The real
new departure" is to be from despo-
tism and faction to the recognized
rights of men and of States. There
will under Democratic rule. again be
less ia Xation and more accountability
less military government and more of
civil authority less usurpation BY the
Executive over the Federal Judiciary
and Congress, and a clearer record of
and respect for the rights of each de.
partment Of Government, as laid down
in the written Law tor the control of
each Of these departments. If we may
never again see the blessings of a free
government, as it existed from George
Washington to the commencement OF
the civil war, we may at least hope to
save what what is left us in the Consti.
tuition Of our fathers, despite the limo
yations which now distinguish and dis.
figure the administration of law. 1t is,
therefore, worse than idle to waste time
and breath on any Of the impracticable
issues OF the dead past. W. recognized
slavery in 1860 because it was incorpo-
rated in the Federal Constitution. We
recognize freedom to-day because, by
common consent, slavery is no longer
in the Constitution. After this come
the rights of States, the usurpations of
civil Executiveipower, rights of the Ju-
dietary, and the necessity of selecting
pure men for Judges; then questions
of taxes, finances, and a departure from
every innovation which has marked the
Administrations during the last ten
years. The object of saving the peo-
pie and Government from threatened
Capitalization is enough for one cam.
paign. TO save us from this evil of
Reconstruction is worthy our best am
bition and labors, for the pro6igacy,
corruption, and waste ofthe day mainly
grow out of the one man power in
Washington"
The first session Of the national Com.