Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-01


closely interviewer with the very nature Of
man, to permit its dissolution so long as
free government shall exist. And without
it free government in fact, whatever might
be its name, would soon cease itself TO
exist. Democratic principles are the very
life-blOOd Of free nstitutions-without
them freedom would have no place on the
earth.
But It is time to refer more particularly
to some Of the points Of differences between
us and our adversaries, and to some of the
causes of complaint that justly exist against
Radical administration. And first, let us
briefly consider local self-goVernment and
its opposite, Capitalization. The trainers
Of the Federal Constitution intended that
each State should regulate its own peculiar,
domestic concerns, with no restrictions
whatever, save those imposed by that Con-
stitution for the common welfare Of all the
States. And they intended that this should
be right, and not mere privilege; that it
should not be subject to control or Lmita-
ton by any superior power, as are the
privileges Of counties and municipalities
subject to the control of State LEGISLATURES.
On the contrary, they recognized it as a
sovereign right of the State, and the State
itself as sovereign in everything over which
jurisdiction was not conferred upon the
Federal Government. And hence, after
the adoption Of the Constitution, to snake
assurance double sure" and leave no room
for miscOnception, amendments were adopt
ed, declaring that athe remuneration in the
Constitution Of certain rights shall not be
construed to deny or disparage others re-
tanned by the peoples" and again, that ''the
powers not delegated to the United States
by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it 10
the States, are reserved to the States re-
sPectively, or to the people"
Now, reflect for a moment what would
be the result Of the doctrine of centraliza-
ton should it ever firmly prevail in the
Republic. Then we should have a Re-
public in name, but not in fact; des-
pOtism in reality, by whatever name it
might be called. Then your local laws, in
which no one has an interest but your
selves, would be made, not by representa-
tives chosen by and responsible to the peO-
pie of Ohio, but by members Of Congress,
elected by and responsible to the people of
other States. Your Senator'S in Congress
are but the one thirty-seventh part 81 the
whole Senate-what could they do to pre-
vent local legislation unsuited or detrimen-
tai to Ohio? Your Representatives in the
House are about one-ffteenlh of all its
membeTs-What could they do 70 protect
YOU, were Congress to make your local
laws? Some one may say, "Surely there
is no danger Of any such thing; surely no
one thinks Of Oyerthrowing the govern
ments of the States" But, within the last
ten years, State government after State
government has been OveTthroWn by Con
their stead, such as Congress saw fit TO die
tate; aud this, not in time Of war, but ia
time Of profound aud univeTal peace.
Intimately connected with the subject l
have been considering is the question,
How shall we best promote frateTnal feel
ing among the various sections of the
UniOn?" That such a feeling is highly i'm
po-tant to the material prosperity of every
section is quite apparent, aud that it is still
more important to the maintenance of the
Constitution and the preservation of the
Union is equally true. The most obvious
and efficient course to pursue is that Of per
feet justice and impariiality, as far as they
are attainable. Ii the laws favor one sec
ton at the expense of the others, if they de-
grade one section below the standard of
right and dignity that belongs to all, dis
in their prosperity or wounded in their
feelings must necessarily exist, and respect
and affection foT the Government and love
ofthe Union must necessarily be weakened.
This important truth has. in nv opinion,
been too much disreSarded by our Radical
rulers since the close Of the civil war, and
the sooner their errors are Tectifed the let
ter will IL be for the welfare Of the DeODle
md no e
laws Of Federal taxation, both customs and
internal revenue laws, bear unequally
upon different sections of the country, and
also upon different classes Of the cOmmu
nifty. The course pursued towards the
South has certainly, in many respects, been
wanting in a broad, liberal and wise states
manship, and been calculated rather TO
keep open and irritating the wounds Of
civil war than to close aud 70 heal them
frever. The disregard Of the Constitution
in dealing with Southern States, when not
a hostile arm was raised against the Gov
eminent, has necessarily provoked a conn.,
parison between the mode Of their treat
ment and that of their sister and Co equal
States. It is time, my llOw-citizens, Tor
these unjust and unwise determinations to
cease. We are one people, from the At
lantic to the Pacific, from Canada TO the
Gulf, and common sense and patriotism
alike dictate that the common welfare of
all should be the firm and unvarying pur-
pose Of all.
There is another subject TO which l feel
it my duty to call your attention. allude
to the corruption that has prevailed in gov
eminent during the last fourteen years, and
which is without parallel in the history
of the Republic. Is there a man here who
has not heard of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road Company and the Credit MObilieT?
Is there one of you who does not know, by
sworn testimony taken before COngressiOn-
al committees, that by the frauds Of these
companies, principally ruled and governed
by certain members Of Congress, the people
of the United States are absolutely certain
to lose not less than fifty millions Of dol
lars2
Has any one Of you forgotten that over
four hundred and thirty-fve thousand dol
lars were used by these companies to pro-
cure the passageOf an amendment to the
railroad charter, by the corruption Of MEM
bers of COngress-an amendment that sur
rendered the most important rights of the
Government, and, in the end, eptailed
upon the people the loss to which l have
referred?
Is it necessary for me to produce the
proof, taken at the late session of Congress,
that over seven hundred thousand dollars
were employed by the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company to procure from Congress an
immense public subsidy?
Must l read to you the testimony given
before a Senate committee, a few years since,
to show that bribery of New York custom
house officers had become an established
usage? or is it necessary to more than men
ton the prosecutions by the Government of
merchants, great and small, charged with
defraudiDg the revenue out Of millions by
smuggling, or Otherwise-nOt one Of which
frauds o. Offenses could have been COM
mitted had not Government officers assisted
in its commission?
Have You not heard Of the practices of
the whisky rings, defrauding the Govern
ment out of untold amounts of taxes,
through the cOnnivance and with the aid of
purchased revenue officials?
Must do more than remind You that
the official reports Of responsible officers Of
your army, and the statements Of disinter
ested private citizens have clearly shown
that, through the fraudulent practices Of
Indian agents and contractors, large num-
bers Of Indians whom the Government is
bound by treaty stipulatiOns to support,
have lately been on the very verge Of
starvation, and the country thereby