The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-09-10
National Ideas, m ChnmpIoned by The
Two Parties.

Two Parties.
A correspondent OF the INTELtIGENcER
at Clarksburg calls attention TO the first
section Of the platform adopted by the
recent New York Republican State Con-
vention as embodying the true doctrine
not only Of the Republican party but OF
National men throughout the land in re-
gard TO the supremacy Of the National
government. We endorse what our cor
respondent says on the subject. We re-
garded the section referred to, at tho time
it was published, as very terse and forci-
ble presentation OF the true doctrine OF
Nationality as against the States Rights
theory OF our government. As matter
Of interest 10 our readers We reproduce
the first section OF the platform from our
columns, as follows:
"The Republic Of the United States is a
Nation and not n league. The Nation is
supreme, with q known constitutional
sphere; ii is girtled with power 10 guard
its own life, to protect its own citizens; to
regulate its own elections, and TO execute
its own laws. The opposite doctrine Of
State sovereignty is the baneiul mother
Of notification, secession and anarchy.
RepubliCanism stands for National supre.
macy in National affairs and State rights
in State concerns. Democracy stands for
State sovereignty with its own twin heresy,
that the Union is mere contederacy OF
States"
While this doctrine Of the Republican
party autagOnizes sharply therecord of the
Democratic party at the outset Of the war,
and during the war, in respect to the su-
premacy Of the Federal Government,
yet, as q late writer has well shown, the
Democratic party when it was for the in
tercst OF slavery and the South TO make a
fight under cover Of National protection,
as against State interference, has never
hesitated to strongly urge extreme views
OF National power. For instance, it
has upheld the power OF the National
Government to provide an army Of Nat.
ional Marshals and Commissioners to pur-
sue and arrest in all the States alleged fu.
gitives from service OF citizens Of the slave
States-at the expense Of the United
States.
1t has upheld the power of the national
government to arrest persons in any State,
and carry them of to other States, without
trial by jury or by any State court. This
was in opposition to State jurisdiction
and the constitutional provision securing
trial by jury.
Ithas upheld the power Of the national
government to carry slavery into oil the
Territories by protective statutes, and by
United States officers to execute them, in
spite Of the opposition OF the people Of the
Territory.
This monstrous power was asserted by
dictum in the Dred Scott decision, in pur.
suance Of the Douglas conspiracy, and
as ajudiCIal fnality was affirmed by Demo.
cratic conventions. The logic of this die
tum carried slavery into every State by the
force OF national law.
The South, in the Charleston Conven.
ton, demanded that this diCtum of the
court should be affirmed in the platform.
The Douglas faction did not deny the
right, but argued that 10 put 1t In the
platform would defeat the party in the
North. Upon that declaration Of mon,
strous extension OF the power Of the ma.
tional government, utterly destructive o.
all,State rights, the Southern Democrats
seeded their States, under the pretense o.
the State right Of secession.
Among the most recent instances o.
Democratic tendency to stretch the ma
tional powers are these:
The claim that the House Of Represen
tativesi because 1t represents the people
has the sole right to Judge the election o
President and the right 10 the supreme
control OF legislation as against the Senate
whose members are elected by the States
The claim that the House OF Represen
tatives can go behind tho duly authenti
Gated returns Of States Of their election o
Electors OF President and Vice President
and can overturn them. .HII"
- And now there Is committee OF th
Democratic House inquiring into the Stat