The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1875-03-12
STILL SWINGING.

pu ulb OWu AOOA' AAN - VIZ AtsS~
Of this sort of political oscillation we
observe that some Democratic papers
in the East want him for our candi-
date for President! For our part we
don't intend to stand any more of
such foolishness. Andy johnson
may change about "with every wind
of doctrine" as much as he pleases,
but we want the Democratic party
to once more close a solid wall
around its time-hohOred principles
and put forward as leaders only those
who are now and have been in the
past in full sympathy and accord
with those principles upon which our
government was founded and upon
which alone it can be prosperous.
The theory may be true as to the
past, that nations from the earliest
ages, have been changing their forms
Of government, but such a theory ID
hardly tenable for the future. The
advance of civilization throughout
the world, the diffusion of knowl-
edge, the rapid advance of intelh-
gence, forbids the thought that many
nations of earth can, or will, ever be
crushed beneath the iron heel Of des-
potism, as in ages of the past. Cir
cumstances may arise to give tempo
rary control to the vile and unprin-
cipled, as Of late in our own country,
but we have the pleasing hope and
consolation that Error never was
fully established; wrong never thor
oughly accomplished, for Truth and
Justice wage eternal war against
them"
Democracy means the government
of the people, and this political axi-
ON is the corner stone, the very bed
rock upon which the original struct-
ure of our Government was erected.
Our fathers, with almost superhuman
wisdom, cleaning from the past his
tories of the world, were taught to
avoid the rocks upon which the dead
Republic were wrecked - embody-
ing in our great magma charta the
hereditary instincts of the race from
which we sprung, declaiming in tones
never to be forgotten, there were
rights which could not be ignored,
or taken away from individuals, or
nations, the right to form such gov
ernment as the people thereof should
require, to secure unto themselves
and their posterity the greatest
amount of liberty and happiness.
Our old constitution based upon
this fundamental principle, that ma
jorities should rule, with full pro-
lection TO rights of minorities, in
augurated new era in human af-
fairs, setting up a government based
upon popular will, securing to each
individual the right to life, liberty
and prosperity.
This, then, means Demoracy-the
people are masters-the officials are
their servants. 1t means exact JUS
tice and equality before the law, to
all persons. 1t means, unobstruct-
ed, to guide this, our Ship Of State
down the great ocean of time, with
sail unfurled, her Star Spangled ban.
ner Haunting defiantly in the breeze,
bearing within her the worlds best
hope Of human happiness. But
there is one thing Democracy does
not mean, Notwithstanding the funer'
al dirges that toll the requiescdt n
peace, in solemn mockery over the
great expanse Of our nearly ruined
country; Democracy does not mean
to always be led to defeat by rene.
pades and time-servers from Other
parties. We don't charge that Andy
johnson is a renegade or a time
server, but we do say that he pro
fessed allegiance and devotion to The
Constitution and the Democratic
party when he was elected United
States Senator a few weeks ago, anC
il he has now declared his intention
to serve with no party and has re
fused to 60 into the Democratic eau
Gus with all tho other Democratic
Senators, then he is false to hi
promises and pledges to the Democ
racy OF Tennessee, and should be n'
longer claimed as champion Of Do
mocracy or urged as Presidential
leader, TO use homely phrase, WI
want ''square-tocd Democrat" o
nobody as a Presidential candidate
in 1876. With such a man as Thur
man, or Hendrix, or score Of othel
true and tried champions Of Democ
racy whom we could name, and
vigorous fight for the great princi
pies Of which our party name is thu
exponent, We cannot fail. But Il We
do go down, thon il may be said o
us, that like the great Scottish chief
tain, we died, "With our back to th'
Held and our feet TO. the foe, looking
proudly to heaven for death-bed Q