The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-08-02
KEYSTONE KEYNO TE s.
A POWERFUL PAPER By THE HON. JERE-
MIAH S. BLACK.

tons of the address to the Democracy
of Pennsylvania by the Democratic
Executive Committee of that State.
The paper was prepared by ex-Secre-
tary jeremiah s. Black :.
The Executive Committee of the
Democracy of this State, to whom the
following address was referred by the
recent State convention, now present
the same to you as embodying some of
the reasons which actuate and control
the organization they represent: We
here solemnly renew our often-repeat-
ed declaration of fidelity to the great
principles upon which our party has
acted from the time of its first organi-
cation. Our ultimate objects are those
of our fathers when they adopted the
Federal Constitution, VIZ: "To form
more perfect union, to establish JUS,
tice, to insure domestic tranquility, to
promote the general welfare, to pro-
vide for the common defense, and Sc
cure the blessings of liberty to our
selves and our posterity." We SIN
cerely believe that the government Of
the United States, administered as it
was in former days, with direct view
to the advancement ofthese principles,
would do for us and for our children
all that any people can reasonably
desire from the political system under
which they live. We are equally sure
that if not carried out in the spirit of
those by whom it was framed, it mist
become curse instead of blessing.
Situated as We are, obedience to the
fundamental law means not only the
honest performance of sworn 'obliga
.tions, but freedom, peace, and pros
perity to all classes of the people. On
the other hand, the usurpation of in
terdicted or undelegated power is not
only a crime, in itself, but the fruitful
parent of other crimes, and will lead,
as it has already led, to indefinite mis-
government, corruption and tyranny,
subverting all liberty, and rendering
the rights of all men insecure. When
we speak of the Federal Constitution,
we mean the whole instrument, with
all its amendments, and acknowledge
the equal obligation of every part
Several of those amendments were
carried by brute force and by frauds
upon the public will SO glaring as to
take from their authors all claim upon
our respect. But we cannot deny that
they have actually become a part of
the Constitution; nor can we avoid
that fact, nor get behind it, by show
ing the corrupt misconduct of the men
who at that time controlled Congress
and mastered the State Legislatures.
Whosoever swears to support the Con-
stitution must perform all that is
Nominated in the bond" Any change
which experience and reason shall
prove to be desirable must be made in
the prescribed way, and not by revo-
lutionary and disorderly means.
THE DECLARATION OF 1871.
No candid person will deny that the
leading men in power at Washington
have been unfaithtul to their duties.
They have broken the pledges they
made to the people, and, in reckless
disregard of their oaths, they have
violated the plainest provisions of the
Constitution. They have deprived the
States of their sacred right of self
government in matters purely local,
and disarmed them of the power to en-
force their own laws for the preserya-
ton Of order within their own bounda-
ries. They have passed bills of pains
and penalties, operating on millions at
once, without regard to the guilt or
innocence of the parties. They have
trampled on all the securities of life.
liberty and property. They h ave
treated the habeas corpus law with
contempt, and denied the right Of trial
by jury. They have sent out .swains
of their hireling agents with instruc-
tons to kipnap, imprison and kill free
citizens for political offenses, without
judicial accusation, without warrant
and without trial. They have not only
trodden upon the great principles, en-
bodied in the original Constitution al
it came from the hands Gifts trainers
but even the amendments, which they
themselves interpolated, have beer
broken without remorse whenever i
} suited their interests. In defiance O
the Thirteenth amendment they hav,
doomed many persons to the wors
kind of "slavery or involuntary servi
tude" in the public prisons, without TIN
; pretence of any "crime whereof tn,
, party was legally convicted" In tn
face of the Fourteenth they hay,
abridged the "equal rights" of who'll
masses of white citizens. Nithou
the least respect for the right of uni
versal suffrage, guaranteed by the Fiji
teenth, they have interfered both forci
bly, and fraudulently to prevent fai
elections, and to set them aside afte
they were held. These outrages upo
justice, liberty and law have been per
petrated, not during the conflict of