Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1879-07-31
HON. IL. F. ARMFIELD.
HIS ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF HIS
COUNTY--WHAT THE DEM
oCRATs DID IN CONGRESS

servant TO render an account OF hi
stewardship, is honored, perhap
more in Iredell than in any count,
in the State. In pursuance of thi
rule, in Statesville, on Tuesday
18th inst, at the adjournment o
court tor dinner, Col. r. F. Arm
field, the member of Congress from
the seventh district, was called or
for speech. Anticipating the call
quite large crowd he'd assembled
IN the courthouse. The speaker
commenced by alluGing to the prac.
tlce and commended the practice
"ot frequent recurrence to funda-
mental principles" He stated in
a clear, emphatic and concise man
ner the questions at issue between
the President and the staiwart Re
publican leaders and the Democrats
lc party, in the last session of
Congress, and which made the ex :
ira session necessary. He showed
the wisdom of the Democrats in
the last Congress in forcing the
issue, and claimed that the discus
sions which ensucd in the extra
session in reviewing the fundamen-
tai principles of government, to say
nothing of anything else, were
worth a thousand times more to
the people of the United States
than the cost of the session.
Congress had been convened in
extraordinary session by the procla-
lnation of Mr.. Hayes, because the
outgoing Congress had failed to
make the necessary appropriations
tor the support Of the government.
The appropriation bills were pass
ed by the lower House, bnt they
were saddled with " riders" de
manding the repeal Of laws allow
ing the use of the United States
army at the polls demanding that
no more Epcr-serviccable United
States marshals should be allowed
TO over-awe the people at the bal
lot box, and demanding the uncon-
ditional repeal of what is known as
the iron clad' test oath. The
bills failed in the Senate because
that body was Republican and the
direct issue was joined. In the
extra session the bills were again
passed, this time by both houses,
and were vetoed hy the President.
The country is familiar with how
the bills were re-enacted and sent
back to the President, with such
qualifying clauses as withholding
any appropriations which could be
used to enforce the condemned
laws, and how all but the bin known
as the United States marshals bill
were subsequently, approved by the
President and are now the laws OF
the land. These facts furnished
Col. Armfeld with a theme for an
hours speech, which many said was
one among the best OF his life. lie
asserted what is generally known,
that the Southern Democrats in
Congress, in both houses were
much moro conservative than
Northern Democrats, and that the
term rebel brigadiers'' would
henceforth have much less effect as
a political war cry at the North
because of that conservatism.
While the Democracy had not
accomplished all it had desired, it
had nevertheless joined such an
issue with Republican doctrines as
made the discussion of the funda@4
mental principles of the government
necessity. The speeches on both
sides had gone out to the people
they had been caught up by the
press and re-echoed on the political
rostrum, and in private converse
ton, suntil the people would be
prepared to vote irtelli9cntly at the
grand assize in 1850, at which time
Democracy and constitutional lib
erty, as well as constitutional re-
strictions, must surely prevail. 1t
had been said that the Democratic
party had backed down." but the
charge was false. 1t had not
backed down, nor would it ever
surrender to any power tithe OF
the liberties that belonged to the
people. 1t was the party of law
it was the party of constitutional
limitations as well as constitutional
power. Its Traditions wore well
grounded in the hearts and affcc-
:ions of the people. 1t was the
party of the people and its cardinal
principles were government by
the people, according to the CON
stitntion framed and understood bv
its founders. He said the time might
come whom the Democratic party
might back down." but that
would only be when its votarirs
and partisans were forced to choose
between party supremacy or party
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and the constitution
Of the country aud its love for the