Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-03-26
is bound to re spcct.

Is OouHd 10 respect
do not fear The verdict Of the neonIa IN
such an issue | know that if | were to draw
my deductions from the lessons of pasl ul,,orv
should pause and perhaps doubt tn corr CT.
Dess Of my prediction or feel full cou6drucy in
the position which | have asserted. know
that when We look back tn the history of all
other great republics which have existed from
time lmmemorial that one aud all OF them haye
travelled the same road which We are now Dur
suing. Each AMI every une OF them, without
slugIe solitary exception, has found us ta,e
III the usurpatlnn and consequent upprr.atinn
Of political puwer iu the hands of the executive
aud at the rxpeusr OF the legislative aud Judi.
ciaI departments o.! he government. know
therefore that if | We're 10 draw my lessons
from history | would not b. warranted in max
lug the Assumptions which do now make; but
| hope better things OF This Auglo- Saxon race
aud that they may prove an exception to this
historic rule. believe that love for the prio.
ciples OF constitutional liberty and republican
government Is so deeply I'M bcddrd III the hearts
Ut the people OF this great County from one
end OF II TO The other hat they Will rise 10 iD
dlguant Reproduction at the effort 10 west these
powers from them and vest them iu the hands
of 40 ambitious Executive look forward
| therefore, with hope 10 the verdict of this
grand jury OF the nation.
When wealthy when corruption, when usur
| patou marx the Career Of any President or of
any Congress, Of any Legislative department, or
| Of the legislative, executive, and Judicial de
partments Of the Government combined, when
the strong hand Of military power is Invoked
| to decide quest ions which should oily he de-
cided in judicial courts, when ;h' uuircL power
Of au Army and Navy aud eighty thousand
u fice holders eau bt wicl,l':l ~ 4 uull by the
| Executive of any Country. tell you that SCUM,
try is in danger and her Institutions eau Guy
bc rescued by general uplleavaI aud upri-D.g
Of the people, who will assert them supremacy
aud their sovereignty IN the premises
Whatever may he said 0I State sovereignty
| and national sovereignty Il do not now propose
| to discuss thcui;) but none will deny that power
has its origin in the hands Of the people aud
| that they alone can We'll sovereign power
Their will is superior 10 that of States or ma
tiouaties, and when they choose, according
to the priucl pies of cur own legislators, OF our
Own foreathcrs, they can alter the G1yern.
| ment or they can retain it 10 the form in which
| It best pleases them believe that such will
be the verdict Of the people at the next eicc-
ton. believe that when they are again called
upon to decide, the contest, Narrowed down ~
it will be al that time to one point, whether
the principles Of the Constitution shall be
maintained, whether republican government
| shall be preserved, or whether the Executive
shall usurp and WELD all the powers properly
! devolving upon both the legislative and judi
clal departments Of the Government, the peo
pie will be true 10 them selves, true to the in
stitutioos of their fathers, and render such
verdict as will forever estop all further efforts
at the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the executive at the
expense of the other departments Of the Gov
crument