The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-11-02
THE OLD LEAVEN AT WORK.

The discussion of the "prescnt attitude " of
the Democratic party would be incomplete
without referring to its position on the elemental
question of the nature and powers of our
Government and the duties owed to it by the
citizen. For many years prior to the rebellion
there was a marked growth in IL of the pTinci-
pie of State rights. By it Calhounism entirely
supplanted the Unionism of jackson. As
marking this process Of decay, their platforms Of
1852, 1856, and 1860 solemnly adopted, " as con-
stituting one of the main foundations of their
political crccd," the Kentucky and Virginia
resolutions of 1T9S, 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 " National"
has been excluded. Thus that grand old
word of Washington and Adams and Jefferson
has passed out of the Democratic dictionary,
lest some reelection might seem to be cast upon
the letter of Mr. Tilden to William Kent in
1860, in which the country is spoken of as a
confedcracy." In his letter of acceptance he
speaks with ostentatious frequency of our
Federal" Union and the "Fcderal'' Govern
ment. Bolder men of the party are more pro-
nounced. Mr.. Beck, OF Kentucky, now Sena-
tor-elect, vehemently expressed in the last Con-
gress his horror of the word " nation" as ap-
piled to our system, and Senator Eaton, of
Connecticut, pronounces this Government in 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 1867, that /" the State has no right to
sever its relations to the Federal Union or TO
pass any law in dcrogotion of the paramount
allegiance of the citizens of this State to the
Government of the United States,' has been
stricken out, and in the new constitution Of
1915 it Is only asserted that "the people
~ - St,4n Al 4l,n f,t. t. l.,1
fact that from the Federal Union there
can be no secession of any State" thus simply
accepting the "fact," but not abandoning the
I" 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 the
Federal Government in the exercise of all its
constitutional powers as defined by the Supreme
Court Of the United Statcs,'' has been dropped
from the new constitution of 1915. In Missouri
the paramount allegiance" " clause of the old
constitution has disappeared from the new. In
Texas the new constitution contains, with an
Acknowledgements Of its 90 freedom and ndepen-
dence," subject only TO the Constitution of
the United States, the same threat the con-
stitution of Missouri. that the pcrpctuty Of the
Union depends on what it styles the right of
"local selEgovernment, unimpaired, to all the
States The clause Of the old constitution
which repudiates the ' 'hcrcsies OF notification
and secession, which brought the country TO
grief is dropped from the new. In Virginia
a movement was begun, but was ripped in the
bud, to propose an amendment to their consti-
tuition OF 1869 to strike from it the two clauses
declaring Virginia unaterably ga part of the
American naton,' and asserting the "para-
mount allegiance and obedience due from every
citizen to the Constitution of the United States
and the laws OF Congress passed in pursuance
thereof, anything in the constitution, ordi-
nanccs, or laws of any State to the contrary
Notwithstanding Those who know the Gle
mcnts which make up the modern Democrat,
especially the modern Virginia Democrat, know
that they will never rest at peace with
themselves or the world till that declara-
tion has been abrogated and the substitution
| made of counter declaration, which, though
possibly sugar-coated, contains the elements
out of which may some day be Matched a new
treason. These facts are sufficient to prove the
statement that the tendency of thought in the
Democratic party on .his important point is re-
| trograde; that it seeks to drag the country
back to the very source of all our woes that it
| refuses to accept the inspiring thought OF
| nationality, preterring the provincial that it
| seeks to elevate the flag of the State, and the
| allegiance due the State, above the flag of the
| nation and the allegiance due to it, thereby III
| yiting rreconcable forces to new and porten-
| touS struggles. In other words, the Democratic
party, itself dwaried so as to be incapable of a
| great conception or an exalted duty, seeks to
| compress into its narrow cirtl lie of being the
| mighty aspirations and advancing powers of q
great nation, which nobly aspreS to lead in the
| pathway of peoples, and to conduct the vast
| brotherhood of man to the secure enjoyment Of
| liberty, prosperity, and peace victory fol
| such party, in very truth, would be victory
/ for the forces of dGrkncss.-Iiou. El.gaYd 90.
| fhaS0H