The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-11-01
THE OLD LEAvEN AT WORK.

The discussion Of the " preseut attitude +" OF
the Democratic party would be incomplete
without referTingto its position onthe elemental
question OF the nature aud powers OF cur
Government and the duties owed 10 IL BY the
citizen. For many years prior to the rebellion
there was a marked growth in i Of the pTineE
pie of State rights. By {. C~alhounlsn entirely
supplanted the Inionism of JacSson. As
marking this process Of decay, their platforms Of
1852, lSjG, and 1850 s%oleinniT adopted ascon-
stituting one 81 The mail foundations q their
political cretsI." the Kentucky and Virginia
resolutions Of IT'S. which contain the very
essence Of the principle Of secession asserted
upon the election Of Mr.. lincoln IN not one
OF these platforms was the assertion, or even
the Implication. Of the national idea and IN
the platform Of 1876 even the word "NGtonal
has been excluded. Thus that grand old
word Of Washington and Adams and Jefferson
has passed cut Of the Democratic dictionary,
lest some reflection might seem TO bc cast upon
the letter Of Mr.. TilJeu 70 William Kent in
1860, in which the country is spoken of IS a
=" eonfederaey." In his letter Of acceptance he
speaks with ostentatiols frequency Of our
Federal" Union and the "FederaI' Govern
ment. Bolder men Of the party are more pro-
nounced. Mr. Beck, OF Kentucky, nov Sena-
t~or-eIect, yehemenly expressed in the last Goa
cress his honor OF the word /" nation" as an
piled to our system, aud Senator Eaton. OF
Connecticut, prcnouuees this Government ia no
sense a nation, but a Government OF sovereign
States"
The existence Of this tendency is further
shown in the changes made BY the Democracy
in the constitutions Of the reconstructed States.
IN Alabama the clause inserted in the cOnstitU-
ton OF 1861, that the State has no right 70
sever its relations to the Federal Union, or TO
pass any law in deTogation Of the paramount
allegiance of The citizens Of this State 10 the
Government Of The United States" has been
stricken out, and in the new constitution Of
1875 it ia only asserted hat the people
Of this State accept as final the established
fact that from the Federal Union there
can be no secession of any State" thus simply
accepting the "faet," but not abandoning the
. theory Of secession, and this little was
Yielded under the protest Of an indignant MI
nority. In Arkansas, the provision that para
mount allegiance OF every citizen is due to tine
Federal Government 10 the exercise OF all its
constitutional powers. as defined by the supreme
Court Of the United States" has been dropped
from fhe new constitution Of 1870. In Missouri
the paramount allegiance - clause of The old
constitution has disappsared from the new. in
Texas the new eonsta-1On contains, with an
acknowledgment N is = freedom and iudepcn-
denee," subject only to the Constitution OF
the United States, the same threat as the con-
~stitution Of Missouri. thas tie perpetuity Of tie
Union depends on what It styieS the right Of
local selEgove-nmeut,~ unimpaired, 70 all the
States The clause Of the old constitution
which repudiltes the I" heresies of nulliieation
and secession, which brought the country to
grief" is dropped from the new. in Virginia
q movement was begun, but was nipped ia the
bud, to propose an amendment 70 their consti-
tuition OF 1853 70 strike from it the two clauses
declaring Virginia unalterably "a part OF the
American ~natior," and asserting The para
Ii0uDt allegiance and obedience due from every
citizen 10 the Constitution Of the United States
aud the laws OF Congress passed in pursuance
thereof, ANYTHING in the constitution. ordE
Eances. Or laws % any State TO the contrary
notwithstanding" Those who know the ele-
ments which make up the modern Democrat,
especially the modern Virginia Democrat, know
that they VIII never rest at peace with
themselves Or the wo-id till that declare
tion has Deen abTogated and the substitution
made OF a counter declaration, which. though
possibly sugar-coatGd, contains the elements
out OF which may some day be Matched q new
treason. These iccts are sufficient 20 prove the
statement thai the tendency of thought in the
Democratic party On his important point Is re-
trograic that 1t seeks 70 drag the country
back 10 the very source Of al cur woes: that it
refuses TO accept the inspiring thought OF
nationality, preierTing the provincial that il
seeks to elevate the fac Of the State, and the
allegiance due the State, above the nag OF the
nation and the allegiance due to it, thereby IN
wiling irreconcilable forces to new and portel-
tous struggles. In 0ther words, the Democrats
parts. itself dwaried so as to be incapable Of Q
great conception or an exalted duty, seeks 10
compress into lis narrow circle of being the
aspirations and advancing powers OF 2
great nation, which nobly aspires 70 lead in the
pathway Of peoples, and TO conduct the vast
brotherhood Of man TO the secure enjoyment OF
liberty, prosperity, and peace \ victory for
such a party, in very truth, would Be a victory
for the forces Of darkness.-Ho. EIsoTd il
Ptsrsoa.