The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-01-28
CROPPING OUT.

Mr.. Tucker, of Virginia, in speech
delivered in the House of Representa-
tives on Wednesday, in opposition to an
appropriation for the Philadelphia Ex-
position, expressed his love and admira-
tion for the Constitution as he under
stands it. In the course of the debate
it appeared that, in Mr.. fuckers opin-
ion, the war settled nothing. except the
physical superiority of the National
Government over the so-ealled rebel
Confederaey. The idea that this is not
a Nation, but a union of States, which
any State has right to withdraw from,
was boldly proclaimed. This was pre-
cisely the ground taken by the rebels
in 1861, when several of the Southern
States attempted to secede from the
Union. Mr.. Buchanan, then President,
took the same ground, and informed
Congress that the Government had no
right to coerce State. Had the theory
advanced by Mr. Buchanan, and asserted
by the Representatives of the Southern
States, been adopted by the Govern
ment, the Union would have been dis
solved, and instead of Nation, we
should have two, or, perhaps, half
dozen Confederacies, each held together
by rope of sand But it was not
adopted, and war for the Union was the
result. That war was supposed to have
settled the disputed question; and the
rebels in accepting the situation were
supposed to have assented to the propo-
sition that this is Nation, and that no
State has a right to secede. But Mr..
Tucker accepts nothing of the kind.
He stands now where he and his party
stood in 1861, claiming that any State
has constitutional right to secede, and
that any citizen, whether a member of
Congress, a soldier, or in private life,
may hon0-ably and legally side with his
State, and take up arms against the
Government for the avowed purpose of
dissolving the Union.
this year of grace 1875, and in the elev-
enth year after the close of the war.
Mr.. fuckers speech is spoken of by
Democrats as indlscreet. Why indis-
Greet? Democrats had an opportunity
to combat Mr.. fuckers theory, but they
did not do it. Why not! Is it not the
theory of the Democratic party! 1t was
indiscreet, becacse it does not suit the
party to have the theory proclaimed
until they shall have obtained control of
the government; but it was an honest
declaration. that will prove valuable to
the country IL Mr.. Tucker does not
fairly represent the Democratic party,
there are leaders of that party who can
say so. The freedom of debate is not
restricted in the House of Representa-
tives. There is nothing to prevent Mr.
Randall, or Mr.. Cox, or Mr.. Morrison,
or Mr. Kerr, or Mr. Wood, from saying.
in plain language, that this is a Nation.
and that no State has right to secede
from the Union; but they do not choose
to say -. and We presume they agree
with Mr. Tucker4in everything except as
to the propriety of uttering his senti-
ments at this time.
1t is further TO be remarked that near
ly all the prominent candidates for the
Presidency Oh the Democratic side op-
posed the war for the Union on the same
ground that Mr.. Tucker now advocates,
and it is safe to predict that nc man can
be nominated on the Democratic side
who favored the war. Put this and that
together, and the main issue is made up.
There will be other issues in the ap-
preaching contest, but this one whicf,
Southern Democrats are making promi-
nent is bound to he a controlling one
CiHcinn0tj Gazette.