The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-08-24

other words, the republicans declare that
the United States is nation, while the de-
mocracy only accept of it as compact or
confederation of states. The enc accepts
it as a government of the people, by the
people, for the people, while the other SIM
ply takes il as league of ttstes, not
government of the people. The idea that
the United States is . nation, carries with
It the idea of indissoubility, of the right
of eelf preservation. The idea OF con-
federacy, comedies that the tic which binds
the federal Union together may be snapped
at the will Of the majority of any one state,
and while it may not concede the absolute
right of secession, yet 1t precludes the idea
of the right of the government Of the
whole, or of a majority of the states, coer-
cling into submission the state or states a.
tempting TO seccdc.
That this was the position of the demo-
cratic party, north and south, at the time
of the outbreak Of the war is plainly stated
by President buchanan IN his annual mes
sage to congress, December 8, 1860, where
in, after stating that state has no "inherent
constitutional right Of secession, but that
it has the inheren, Fright of resistance"
he says: "After much serious reflection, |
" have arrived at the conclusion that no
such power'-that is, as he himself put
it, "the power to coerce state into sub
mission which is attempting to with
" draw, or has actually withdrawn, from
" the confederacy-has been delegated to
congress, or TO any other department OF
"the federal government 1t is manifest,
"upon IA inspection of the constitution,
"that this is not among the specific and
enumerated powers granted to congress;
land it is equally apparent that its cxer-
I" cise is not necessary and proper for car
crying into execution any of these pow
"prs."
| II the theory Of James Buchanan was
CORE c., then 1t would follow that the war
waged by the Union for the suppression of
the rebellion was an unconstitutional war ;
and, indeed, Sandford Il. Church, chief
| ju,t'ce OF the court of appeals of New
York, and now prominently named in con-
ne ton with the democratic gubernatoIial
nomination in that state, explicitly declared
in 1864 ii to he ian unlawful and uncon-
" sti utional war" So, too, Samuel J.
| Tlldeu i, clared TO Governor Underwood,
during the same year 1864, that the war
was unconstitutional aud illegal, and tina,
the army Of the Union had no constitutions
al o. lc al right to 'invade the SOUTH" or
10 pass over the territory of one state for
the purpose of aiding in putting down the
rebellion in another. Here, we may remark
in issiur, we get some light on the Chi
cago peace resolution, which declared the
W II to he failure and demanded cessa-
ton of hosilliies that negoti ,sions might
be entered upon for peace upon the basis
90 of the federal union Of the states"
Granting the theory that the United
5 ates is q 'je 1eral union" as declared in
the s.. Louis platform, and not ''nalion, u
az held in the Cincinnati platform that
Buchanan, Church and Tildea were correct
as to the power of the general govern
ment, and the unconstitu'ionality and lille
gaiiy of the war for the suppression of the
re !, lion, what follows? What is the log
ca| and irresistible conclusion? Why,
at every dollar of the public debt, il being
incurred in the suppression of the rebel.
lin, was Illegally and unconsttutionally
cured, is not II binding obligation on the
part CT the government. and should he re.
pudiated. With this logical conclusion,
with tie avowed sentiments OF Samuel J.
Tilden and the democratic party, is there,
can there, be any doubt that reputation
would follow the restoration OF the democ
rGcy TO power? And reputation is very
simple, a very cay thug to accomplish
A re usal or neglect to make the necessary
appropria' ions on the part of congress, ant
the thing is accomplished, Reputation be
comes fact.
What further follows? Samuel J. Til
DEP, himself, in the same conversation viii
Governor Underwood, already alluded to
tells US. The war being unconstitutions
and illegal, Samuel j. Tilden says tina
every Union soldier who entered or passe(
through a state, at the call of his country
to en- gage in the work of supprcssing tn
rebellion, was trespasser; that every &C
of the army in the suppression of the re
bellion was an act of trespass, and .ha
every Union soldier.participatinp thereil
was a trespasser, and was individually liza
BILE, at common law, to make pecuniar,
compensation for the damages sustained b.
the south, and for every individual thereof
| through the acts of the army 10 which h
, participated The doctrine is too mons
trous to be worthy of consideration, ye
Samuel j. Tildcn explicitly and unequivc
call avowed such a belief, such a doctrine
to Governor Underwood. What woul
, necessarily and logically follow from tn
restoration Of the democratic party t
power, with Samuel j. Tilden as the chic
executive, and with congress whose ms
iority would tie composed of majority c
ex-confederates we leave for our reader
to determine, and then, each for himsel
. to decide whether or not he will in an
, way contribute to its restoration to powel
. to the Bringing about of such result
--z------=
q Decease Of the Speaker of the HOUSE
q One of the most painful episodes in OF
| public affairs has bfca the decease of tt