New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-01
THE REAL ISSUE.


o. at least what its followers are to regard
as such. and that issue is to be the same
old issue Of States rights, that has been SO
long a running sore to the nation and
source of trouble to very large majority
O.. the people and government. When
ever the leading men and public journal
lists of the Democratic party can find an
opportunity to let their views be known,
they eagerly grasp it and endeavor to
convince the people that their unity IN
support of the national government
can have no good effect and must lnevlta-
blv work death blow to States rights.
These most righteou, leaders ana Jour
nalists do not fail TO counsel unity OF
action on the part OF people as citizens o.
States for the purpose of relnsta5lnS the
Democratic party i'll power but Whom
unity of action is asked of the people as
citizens of the United States III support
of the supreme government, It Is wrong
| because the Democratic party call it CEN
tralization of power. 1t has always been
the policy of designing men to divide the
people. in order the more enectually
to rule them. This i, the case
in Europe. where the people are divided
into a great number of large and petty
States. all possessed of sovereignty and
incumbered with costly governments,
with standing armies, navles, ministers,
plenipotentiaries and the whole retlnue
of State officials, from the emperor, king
| and queen down to the constable and JUS
tice OF the peace or esquire. as the last
named important official is styled IN more
aristocratic countries than our own. 1t
is these expensive governments that keep
the great body Of the people of Europe
ground down and unable to shake
off the men who have 80 effectually
divided them that they might rule them.
Dissolve the States that compose the
American Union, and make each a SOW
ereign State, and the people would soon
drift into the condition OF the people Of
Europe The power that the enemies Of
our federal system now deny to the federal
or national government would then be
exercised by the State governments, and
would be regarded as right. for
sovereignty must exist wherever men
are banded together for the pur-
pose of government Therefore, the
men who are the enemies of
our present federal system and refuse to
confer sovereign power upon the national
government because they pretend to
think it dangerous to the liberties of the
people. are the real enemies of the
people, because they wish to divide them
and rule them by giving that power to
State governments. They understand
the motto that has SO often been quoted
to the people of the country by patriots
of the past and present: Omitted we
stand, divided We fall = and in urging
the people to rally in support of party
that is avowedly in favor of dividing
them by State lines and keeping up sec
tional prejudices, furnish unmistakable
proof of their enmity to republican gov
| eminent.
Senator Blair, of Missouri, was barely
| warm in his seat in the United States
Senate before he took an opportunity to
let his views be known upon the subject
that is regarded by his Democratic con-
freres as the real issue in the next Presi-
Dental contest He regards the recon
| struction laws as unconstitutional, and
promises to do all he can to restore to
each State its right, as formerly possessed,
to regulate suffrage. Mr.. Blair was
elected to his present position by the aid
OF Democratic votes in the Missouri
Legislature, and when the time comes will
most likely range himself with the De-
mocracy in time to play conspicuous
part in the Presidential campaign Of 1872.
The Democrats of Kentucky are also
getting ready for the fray. The Louisville
Ledger of February IS has two significant
articles-one headed ''The Real Issue, -
and the other "a Few Plain Words to
Democrats" The first article concludes
with the following remarkable paragraph
The only true Union men are those who
are in favor of the old Union of the States.
| And we have assurance that the Democratic
party in the Northern States will restore
such Union if it regains power. Surely
We want no better allies. An alliance with
any not Of that faith would be one not tit to
| be made.
The article headed "a Few Plain
| Words to Democrats" concludes as fol-
| lows
We arc on the threshold of an election
more important to the country than any
| which ever preceded it. If the Democratic
party fail to elect the President in 1872,
| the disaster will be almost, if not quite.
| irreparable. With another lease of
power for four years the revolu-
| tiOnists will have accomplished their pur-
| pose, and orr confederation Of co equal
States will be thing Of history. The indi-
viduality of the States can not survive an
other radical administration. The consti-
| tutiOnal limitations upon federal encroach-
ments will all be lost, and we shall become in
very truth, a strong government. with abso-
lutte power on all subjects concentrated in
the central government at Washington.
On the contrary, with Democratic Pres
ident, and a return to the Democratic the
DRY in the administration of the general
and State governments, the life OF the
States, the vitality Of the constitution and
the liberty OF the people may be measure
ably restored. All is not vet lost. though
| the innovations have been great and the