The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-06-26
[Harper's Weekly.l
The Old Question Re-0pened

The great blunder of forcing an extra
session must now be very clear to intelli-
gent Democrats. Their party has gained
by it nothing whatever, while the Repub-
licans are united upon a principle which
was vidicated by the war. The feeble
Democratic effort to place the Republi-
cans in the position of wishing to control
elections by the army expires in its own
folly while the Republicans assert with
increasing force the fundamental princi-
pie that for all its lawful purposes the
national government is every where and
always operative within the Union. 1t
does not "enter" a State at the will of
the State. For its own lawful purposes
it is always in the State as much and as
rightfully as the State authority. The
denial of this truth was the essence of
the doctrine of secession. The formula
of secession toward the Union was, LET
US alone" Appomattox replied: mo
government lets its armed enemies alone"
The political moral of the war was not
that there are indestructible States, but
that there is an indestructible Union. 1t
cost the country half million precious
lives, thousands of millions of dollars,
hundreds of thousands of MANNED and
wounded men, incalculable private sor-
row and public loss, with the total de-
struction of social and industrial institu
tions, to overthrow the Southern inter-
probation of the Constitution. The Dem
ocratic party, with fool-hardy temerity,
has deliberately attempted to restore
that Interpretation. and in long Congres-
sional speeches has reproduced the argu.
ments of Calhoun and the fire-eaters, as
it the war had no permanent significance
and result whatever, and as if every body
supposed, with Mr.. S. S. Cox, that
Why the so-called North drew its so-called
sword"
The North knows very well why it drew
the sword and what the sword gained
and without the slightest i'll feeling, but
with infexible resolution, the North pro-
poses to maintain it.
1t was very edifying. as we have here
tofore observed, to hear Mr.. Carlisle, OF
Kentucky, arguing to Tammany Hall, in
the approving presence of Mr.. John T.
Hoffman, for the necessity of free cleo
tions. Which, in Mr. Carlisle's opinion
most threatens freedom and honesty oi
elections in New York, the repeaters OF
Tammany Hall, or the army OF the Unit
ed States? Or does he suppose that the
people of New York are such fools that
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the one raised by the extra session, and
the Democratic view of it is sustained by
the old Calhoun argument of State SOW
ereignty. The folly of the Democratic
policy is still further shown, not only by
its disregard of the vital fact that the
Calhoun doctrine of the Union has beer
overthrown by tremendous war, but by
the other equally vital fact that the sen
timent of nationality has been so fosterec
and developed by the growth of th'
country that it is now instructive, anc
every year makes the appeal to State
pride and power as against national pride
and power, more and more pu Grille. Thi
national instinct, however, does not dis
credit or belittle the fundamental princl
pie known as local self, lf,government. Th
power of the small district and politica
community, the complete State organiza
ton, civil, military, and judicial, MAXIM
each State a water tight compartment
adequate to float the whole ship-all thi
r remains untouched, while the suprem
and immediate authority of the Who'll
nation for its lawful ends over every par
of every State continues. To try to reI
resent this view as absorption and Ger
tralization and consolidation is as hope
less as the attempt to show that tn