The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-04-19
next State Convention.
Z. Ratiiicatiou Of district nomina-
j. G. AYEnY. Cairman.

J. &. AVERY, Carrman.
6. Selection of place for holding
Hon. j. w. Nesmith in assuming
his duties as President Of the Conven-
ton, delivered the following address:
Gentlemen of the Convention:
] return you my thanks for the hon
or you confer in selecting me to pre-
side over your deliberations. ] enter
upon that duty with desire TO dis
charge it with an honest impartiality,
at the same time invoking your aid
and forbearancc.
| trust that your proceedings may
be governed by that spirit Of friend
ship aud kindness 80 essential to n
harmonious result to your labors. and
the ultimate triumph Of your princi-
pies at the polls.
No Democratic Convention has
ever assembled in this State with
more important duties and obligations
resting upon its individual members
than is now committed to your care.
Those duties and obligations can only
be properly discharged by wisdom in
council and energy III action.
We are beset by an INSCRIPTIONS
enemy, whose principles are spoils,
and whose battle-cry is plumber.
Their principal leaders are the rene
gades and demagogues who have been
purged from your own ranks, and
who now, in their new sphere, feel the
necessity OF exhibiting all the hatred
| for their old friends, and zeal for their
new allies, which might characterize
Judas or an Arnold.
Some Of these leaders, while acting
with the Democratic party, were the
most ultra advocates Of the constiLu-
tionality and divinity of African slav-
cry, now recognize no high order Of
| citizenship unaccompanied by the
woody head, the ebony skin and the
plantigradc foot. Their constitution
al theories aud divine convictions have
found ready market with that party
who regard the subject Of their for
mer hatred as IA nan and brother"
Others OF these renegades in this
State, who fixed" themselves, by
what they subsequently, regretted as a
too early embrace OF Radical doc.
trines, now promulgate the theory
that 'the States have only such rights
as the Federal Government may
| choose TO accord TO them" and de-
monstrate their trucking 10 power
by declaring that tine only objects of
| loyalty and their allegiance are the
| flesh and blood and bones Of the Pres
idcnt in power" When such shame
less abandonment oi principles by the
leaders is rewarded with high places,
what may not be expected OF their
| followers: 1t is with such leaders
and such followers, backed by the
huge corruption funds wrung from
| your own pockets Iii the shape OF
taxes, and reinforced by the moncyed
monopolies of the State with which
you are now about TO stand face TO
| face. In the last two contests in this
| State you have met those leaders and
their followers, with all their corrupt
appliances, and vind;cated your integ
rity and your manhood by their over
throw. The same integrity and hon
esty OF purpose will again cause vic
tory to perch upon your standard.
Our enemies flatter themselves that
the defeats suffered by our brethren
| in recent elections in other States will
contribute to our decentralization here.
| Such arguments, ! admit, il addressed
10 themselves, would be potent, since
their greatest fear is that of being
| found in minority. With us, it will
be an incentive to renewed energy
aud determination that constitutional
liberty and free government shall
have at least one last refuge.
Some of our friends in other States,
suffering under the tyranny and op-
pressions of Radical rule, have sought
temporary refuge in "new departures"
and passive policies" while l
admit that ''loyat men ,0say honestly
d!tcr" upon these questions, it seems
To me that we, rs the inheritors of
that constitutional liberty and free
Government purchased by the blood
and toll of our ancestors, have no
right to barter it, or any portion of it
away for questionable and temper
ary success. What we should yield
now would hereafter be a precedent
for more exorbitant demands. Rath-
er than fritter away our glorious in
heritance by piece-meal, | would pre-
fer to see it wrested from us by force,
and swallowed up at one fell. swoop
in that vortex of consolidated FEEDER
al usurpation which now so palpably
stares us in the face. Honorable
death is preferable to cowardly sur
render. Phenix-like, we may resur
rect from the former, while the lat
ter can never be palliated or defend
| ed.
I may be indulging in vain and
chimerical hopes that our country
will some day again be governed by
the honesty, intelligence, and patriotic
regard for the rights of the citizens
which characterized it's earlier Ad-
ministrations. The mill of the gods
grind slowly, but it grinds exceed
ingly fine, and | still hope and be-
lieve that the time is not far distant
when the people will, in their might
and their power, hurl from political
existence the corrupt charlatans who
arrogate to themselves all of the vir-
tue and intelligence in the land, and
who, in proof of its professions, have
degraded the elective franchise to the
level of negro intelligence and capaci-
ty. The memories Of the past, and
the hopes of the future, will eventual
ly induce the American people to re-
buke and hurl from power an Admin