The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-05-12
ADDRESS
TO tho People of the United statos by
tho Democratic Members orCongross.

Dcmoeratic.mcmbcrs Of Congress to the
people, on the Goth inst.
TO tho People ofthc United Statcs. Our
presence and official du,ics ut Washington
have enabled us to become fully acquainted
with tho action md designs of those who
control the Radical party, and We feel
called upon to utter u few words OF warn.
ing against the alarming strides they have
mnde towards the cen,raiisation Of power
in the hands Of congress aud tho Exccu
tive. The timo and attention of tho Radi.
cal leaders have been almost wholly diroc.
ted to devising such Legislation as will,
in cir Wow, best preserve their ASCEND.
cncy, and no regard for the wise restraints
imposed by tho Constitution hns checked
their reckless and desperate career. The
President of tito ,United States has been
| formally announced as candidate for re.
| election. Tho declarations OF his selfish
supporters hnsc been echoed by subsi.
dizcd press, and tho discipline of party has
already made adhesion to his personal for.
tunes tho supreme test Of political fealty.
The partisan legislation to which we refer
was dccreed and shaped in secret caueua,
where tho EXTREMIST counsels always dum.
mated, and was adopted by n subaervicnt
maiarty, if not with tho intent certainly
with the effect TO place in tho hands Of the
President power to command his own rc'
nomination, and 10 employ the army, navy
and militia. ut his sole discretion, ns a
/, means Of subscribing ais personal ambition.
u hen the sad experience Of tho last two
years.., so disappointing to the hopes and
renero, s confidence OF the country, is con
silereI. ~ connection with tho violent ut.
terapcc. ana rash puposes of those who
control the Pr. sident's policy. IL is not sur
p.isin, that re ,.ravcst apprchcpsions for
Inc future neac, oil tho nation should be
entertained.
AT time when la. or is depressed. and
every material interest - Iassisd by OPP
prcssive taxation, the pub,.f oiuces bnve
s,ccn multiplied beyond all rsccaent 70
serve MS instruments in the perpe. aston o'
power. Partnership is the only tes ap
piled to the distribution Of this vast patr. ~
age. Honesty, fitness and moral worth
arc openly discarded in favor of trucking
submission and dishOnorable compliance
hence enormous dafalcatinns and wide
spread corruption have followed ms the
natural consequences OF this pcrnicious
system. by tho official report of the Sec
retafy of the Treasury. il appears iha'
after the deduction Of all proper credits
many million. of dollars remain from ex
Colicc,ors Of the Internal revenue, and
that nn proper diligence has ever been used
TO collect them. Reforms in the revenue
and financial systems, which all experience
demonstrates to be necessary to n frugal
administration Of the Government, as well
as measure OF relief to an overburdened
people, have been persistehily postponed
or wiliiully neglected. Congress now adj
journs without having even attempted To
! reduce taxation, or TO repeal the glaring
imposition bj which industry is crushed
and impoverished. The treasury is over.
flowing. and an excess Of SS0, 900 900 Of
revenue is admitted; and yet, instead Of
some measure of present relief. barren
md deinsiye resalutisn is passed 10y the
Senate TO consider the tariff and excise
systems hereafter, ~ If the history Of bro.
ken pledges md pretended remedies fur.
nished any better assurances for future
legislation than experience has done in the
past.
Ship building and the carrying trade,
once sources Of national pride and pros
pcri,y, now langush under crushing Lad
of taxation, aud nearly every other bust.
ness interest is struggling without prof, To-
maintain itself
Our agrieulturisss, While paying heavy
taxes on oil they consume, either TO the
Government, or to monop6list, find the
prices for their own products ~ reduced
that honest Iabor is denied its just reward,
and industry is pros;rated by inyidious dis
crin,iaation Nearly zoo, ,o00, 600 acres ol
public lands which should have been re.
served for the benefit Of the people have
been voted away to giant corporations, neg.
lccting our soldiers and cnriching hand.
fui of greedy spectators aud lobbyists who
nre thereby enabled 10 exercise most dan.
gcrsus and corrupting influence over State
and FEEDER nj legislation. IL the career Of
these c0nspirators be not checked, the
downfall OF free government is inevitable,
and Will, 1t the elevation of military die.
tator on the ruins OF the Republic.
Under pretense Of passing laws 10 en-
f,rce the Four,ceHtii Amendment and for
sthcr purro.es, Congress has conferred the
most dcspotic powers upon tho Executive,
and provided an official machinery, by
which the liberties of the people are men.
aced and the sacred rigb, uf local self gov.
crnmcnt in the States is ignored, if not
tyranically oyerthrowp. Modelled up 10
the sedition laws, 40 odious in history. they
arc at variance with all the sanctiacd thco.
ries of our institutions. And the construc.
ton given by these Radical Interpreters to
the Fourteenth Amendment is. IN use the
language of an cminnet Senator, Mr.. Trum.
bull. Of Illinois. IN .'annibilatnr of States 4"
Under the last Enforcement bill Hthe Ex
ecutiyc may, in his discretion, thrust aside
the Government Of any State, suspend the
writ OF habeas corpus" arrest its Cover.
nor, imprison or dispcrse the Legislature,
silence its Judges, and trample down its
people under the armed heel of his troops.
Nothing is left TO the citizen or the State
which can any longer lie called right; all
is changed into mere sufferance. Our hores
for redress are in the calm, good sense,
the "sober second thought" Of the Amer.
lean people. We call upon them to be true
10 themselves and 10 their post and disre
grrding party names and minor differcn.
ces, to insist upon decent equal cation of
power, the restriction Of Federal authority
within its just and proper limits. leaving
to the States that cotrnl over domestic af
fairs which is essential to their happiness,
and tranquility, and good goysrnment.-
Everything that malicious ingenuity could
suggest has been done 10 irritate the pe0.
pie of the Middle and Southern States
Gross and exaggerated charges Of disorder
and violence owe their origin TO the mis-.
cbievous minds of political managers in
the Senate and House of Representative,
to which the Executive has. We regret to
say, lent his aid and then helped to in
flame tho popular feeling. Tn all this
course of hostile legislation and harsh re.
sentiment, no word of conciliation. of kind
encouragement, Of frntcrnnl fellowship
has ever been spoken by the President or
by Congress to the people Of the Southern
States. They have been addressed only
in the language of prescription.
We earnestly entreat our fellow citizens
in all parts Of the Union to spare no effort
to maintain peace and order. to carefully