Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-05-03
Shall Constitutional Liberty be Sup
planted by a Centralized DespOtism
SPEECH OF HON. J. NJ. LEACH,
OF NORTH CAROLINA,
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
APRIL 10, 1872.

Mr.. SPEAKER: Liberty regulated by law |
has ever been the pride and glory of the |
American citizen. 1t has been the source |
and cause of his prosperity and happiness.
The illustrious founders Of our political
system, inspired by the sublimest wisdom
and loftiest patriotism the world has ever
witnessed, established the great fundamen-
tai principle Of selfgovernment, of civil and
religious liberty, equality of rights and pro-
lection to all. And, sir, sacred observance
OF the Constitution for so many years, and
a legitimate exercise of the powers therein
granted by the coordinate departments of
the government, without encrOaChment OF
one upon the other, always recognizing
with strict justice the rights of the States,
and determined opposition to Capitalization,
constitute the Well-known causes that have
resulted in the marvellous growth, unpar-
alleled prosperity, and surprising power
and greatness of the American people. Thus
were the fundamental rights of the indi-
vidual and the States established by the
fathers Of the Republic, who wisely distIib-
uted the powers Of the government between
the three coordinate departments, and
nicely adjusted and limited by proper
checks and balances this power for the de-
clareo purpose of forming perfect Union,
and securing, maintaining and perpetual
ting public liberty to their posterity for
ever.
Sir, those were the sublime feelings and
aspirations that inspired the patriotism and
ENLARGED craftsmanship Of the trainers OF
the Constitution of the United States; and,
in my judgment, had it been always
sacreGly observed and honestly admins
tered according to its letter and true mean
ing, in the same spirit of generous concilia-
ton in which it was established, no local
nor sectional hostility would ever have
dow Il
taken place, nor blood been spilled; but,
on the other hand, national pride and
| brotherhood, and the glad signs Of pros
perity and greatness would lave greeted
! the eye everywhere, and the daily prOcla-
| nation of millions OF free and happy peO-
! pie would have been 'Pcace on earth and
| good will to mani For, sir, all NEIL of
any pretenSe to sense or candOr know that
| ever since the foundation of the Govern
ment there has been Il large party and
portion Of the American people represent
ed from time to time in the coUntry'S his
tory, and that, too, by able and tiistin-
| guiShed men, who believed i'll the right of
Il State OF States to withdraw from the
Union when continued and persistent en-
! croachments upon and violations of the
Constitution justified such Withdrawals and
While l never believed in this doctrine, nor
belonged to that school of politicians who
did, yet it is equally well known that the late
unfortunate war was brought on CATER the
country had previously passed several
TIN eatening crises) by encroachment and
invasion Of the Constitution, in connection
with sectional policy and local rights, as
construed and Interpreted by Northern and
Southern views and influences respectively:
am neither the charge Of traitor to the
Constitution, nor other shallow device OF
the partisan can longer deceive or mSlead
tie people i'll regard to this or any other
historic fact touching the public affairs OF
the country. 1t would, therefore, be well
in my opinion, for the Republican party
who so 1iippantly denomce my section
with treachery and fragrant violations o.
the organic law, to remember that they as
party for the last seven years, at least, tC
say nothing of earlier times, have evinceC
no respect whatever for the Constitution
whenever any Of its clauses at any time
have come in conflict with their unjust anC
wicked legislation, having for its object the
oppression, degradation, impOverishment
and plumber Of the South, and the destruc
ton of the liberty and rights Of her down
trodden people.
Sir, The history of Government and civil
lization, whether in ancient or moderr
times, has no parallel to this oppression
and plumber by Republican miSrule, boil
States Of this Union since the war. The
walls Of Republican wrath have beer cruel
ly poured out upon those States without
stint or cessation for seven long years anC
in recording the public events OF the period
the honest historian VIII have to say thai
naked usurpatiOns OF power, fragrant viola
tiOns of a written Constitution, and the de
StructiOn of liberty, and the local and per
s0nal rights of that portion Of the Union
no I,.fln, Of
nothing more remained than the Yestiges
Of constitutional liberty and States rights
| ask how much longer is this degrading
oppression and grinding despOtism to con
tinGc? Or is there yet meditated by the
: dominant party a more hopeless ruin and
deeper disgrace for my section and the
State | in part represent? If so, we may
have to bend our necks still lower beneath
the CALLING yoke Of relentless tyranny, but
liberty will die!
Sir, desire to be respectful to this body
but L must speak plainly and fearlessl Y il
behalf Of the State Of my birth, and the
people whom L love; whose partiality and
: generous kindness to me have been sc
often tested. The South has stood voice
less long enough, and l stand again in de
fence Of my State and section. Must we,
as state, be regarded Gas Republican
: speeches here almost daily indicate) as
unfit for fratemal association with oul
fellOT-CtiZens Of the Northern States until
we have sacrificed our manhood and tar
nished our honor by silent and cOwardly
submission to wong and oppression, with
out raising our voices in behalf of right
and justice? And cannot we speak Of pO-
litical Wickedness and usuIpation in high
places, or Of corruption and extravaganza
Of the denial Of personal rights and liberty
to the citizen; Of the suspension of the
sacred writ of hdbedS corpus, whereby in
nOcent men are deprived Of liberty and in
carcerated in loathsOme dungeons Cannot
a member on this floor, sitting here OF
right, as one of the council board of the
nation, speak of these Well-attcStcd facts
either here or elsewhere, without subjectme
himself on every occasion, both here and
by the miserable subsidized presses Of the
country, to the insulting, untruh, and stale
appellatiOn of ''traitor,' democrat, ''KII-
KluX," ''rebel?' And this, too, seven
: years after hostilities have ceased.
Sir, North Carolina feels that she is still
one Of the elder daughters Of the great
American family, and in all the higher and
sublimer elements Of character the equal q
any; because she has record and a his
tory that she is justly proud of, aud that
cannot be taken away from her either by
her enemies or the ephemeral politicians OF
the hour. Sir, the first EnslislTman that
ever landed on the soil of the United
States, the gallant Sir Walter Raleigh
rested on the shores of North Carolina, OIL
Roanoke Island, OIL the 4th of July, { pro.
phetlc cOincidence,) 1854, before the PHI
grims landed at Plymouth or jamestown
was settled. The first child Of English pa
rents born in this country first saw the
light Oh her soil and it was of her colon
lists that Governor Burlington, as early as
1882, iii an official dispatch, said