Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-08-16
The Same Old Fight.

If anyone has doubted that the real is
sue of the present National contest is the
same which the Republicans have been
fighting for ever since the ordinance of
secession was passed by South Carolina,
we would refer him to the following ex-
tract from Mr.. Hendricks letter:
The first work of reform must evidently be the
restoration of the normal operation of the Consti-
tuition Of the United States. with all its amend
mcnts The necessities OF war cannot be pleaded
in time of peace: the right of local self govern.
ment, IA guaranteed by the Constitution of the
Union. must be everywhere restored and the cen
tralized almost persona) Imperialism which has
been practeed must be done away or the princi-
pies OF the Republic will be lost.
There is not "A man in all the Southern
States who will not instantly comprehend
the true inwardness' of this declaration
Ii means, and was intended to mean, that
victory of the Democratic party now
will be the first step toward the revival
of the old, traditional States Rights doc
trine of the Democratic party There is
no other construction TO be placed upon
"the restoration of the normal operation
of the Constitution of the United States -
The Rormdi operation, in the minds of
men like Tilden and Hendricks, was that
the Constitution was merely compact
between States 10 be annulled at any time
10y the contracting parties; that the
Union of State, is merely a league
of Independent nationalitics. some
thing like Germany was before the
Empire was tomed, and when the
different German States united in Zoll
yercin; and, finally, that each State has
absolute control over its own destinies
without any regard to the other thirty.
seven This is The normal operation
which Mr.. Hendricks has in his mind.
This was the Democratic construction of
the Constitution N the time the Rcpubli.
can party came into power in 1861. 1t
was under this construction that thirteen
southern DemoCatiC States passed ordi-
nanCeS of secession. 1t was 10 batter
down this error TINT the war for the Union
was fought Mr., Tiden, the Democratic
candidate for President. and Mr.. Hen
bricks, the Democratic candidate for Vice
President, were hth firm believers in the
right OF the Southrn States Ia Secede, and
were both opposed to the policy of coerc-
ing them to return Mr.. Tilden refused
to sign call for mass meeting in New
York ito sustain the Constitution and
laws of the Unitct States. " because he did
t't btllNNt tllt NllSAlNukttli NdlIaHltd q
coercive maintenance of the Union. Mr.
Hendricks publicly declared that he would
not advise anybody to go to the war. be-
| cause he would MT 20 himself, and the
reason he could act 30 himself was be
cause he believed there was no authority
for forcing the Rebels to lay down their
! arms and acknowledge the supremacy of
the General Government And now Mr.
/ Hendricks declares that this old Demo
cratic construction of a league Of States
must be restored s the first great work OF
reform.
This is no doubtful Interpretation of his
words What he SAYS about 1.-THE right of
local self government beiag restored"
Is misleading. Tie right is nowhere de-
MED. He cannot point to State in the
Union where full snd uncontrolled self
government does not prevail, except per
hap> in Mississippi. where Democratic
mob violence has tiSpoSSeSSed the MAORI
" OF the people. In all of the Southern
States except one he local Governments