The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-10-08

I
weak and incapable of giving us the mos
complete protection. If we but maintai
the authority of the Federal Government
as denned and limited by the Constitution
! ana preserve the States in the endowment 0
| their rights according to the Constitution
and IN the absolute control of their domes
tic affairs, and if our laws be 80 honestl-
administered as TO command the approya
OF the people, our political structure vii
become the strongest in the world. II
times OF peace it has been over the peopl
to protect and bless them; and in period
OF war II has been adequate to every neces
sity and emergency"
Upon this l would desire to speak NOR,
earnestly than upon any other subjec
whatever. Upon the tariff, :he revenue anC
| banks We may make mistakes, and after
ward recover the lost ground. But in respec
TO local self-government any mistake is {
disaster.
In respect to that, lost ground is never
recovered. The power that is strong to take
from US the management of our domestic
affairs; to wrest from our neighborhood and
county courts and juries their rightful juris
dictlon; and To strip the State Legislatures
of their legitimate authority, Is powerful
enough to hold and keep them. Already
great additional powers have been given to
the Federal courts, and | have seen parties
60 away from those courts stripped of lands,
and chattels, and homes by the overwhel-
ming costs and expenses, when the matters
in controversy could as well have been
settled in the local courts without impover-
ishing either. Every consideration affect
ing the rights and welfare of the citizen
requires that we maintain our system of
Government, with all the rights and powers
unbroken and intact.
Il ha 70 he
disturbances and bloodshed in the South
will be attributed to any other cause than
political passion? The influences that pro-
duce crime in other localities exist to like
extent in that section. Ambition, avarice,
jealousy, revenge drive men into crime
everywhere. But you assume that they
do not exist as evil influences in the South
and that men are false and cruel only in
the midst of political strife. | appeal to
your own consciousness that you are as
good and true and honorable men then as
ever. Crime should be denounced and
punished whatever the circumstances
whether committed in the midst of politi-
cal excitement or in stealth and secret. /
make no apology for it, But when it is
attributed to Democratic principle or to
Democratic organization, l denOunce the
falsehOod of the accusation and the mean
ness of its author, The great and leading
sentiment of Democracy is equality and
justice, and crime can not spring from such
a source.
If Dixon, of Yazoo CITY, was killed to
prevent his candidacy for Office it was more
than a local outrage But if he and
another candidate came into a controversy,
and the killing resulted without such pur
pose, then the homicide belonged to the
locality, like any other case of grave otfense
Yet Northern prejudice has been appealed
to and excited about it as a political case
His character, if correctly described, was
not such as to excite personal interest and
sympathy in the part of good men any
where. 1t is stated that he had been the
author of number of deaths, and killed
one man from Indiana because of his politi-
cal associations. If you will make note of
the crimes committed in the North, as
reported every morning in the enterprising
newspaper, you will be shocked at their
number and enormity. May [ refer to one
case? 1t occurred in your own State. 1t
was reported in a special telegram to the
Chicago Times on the 18th of this month
The town of WestervilIe is in the county of
Franklin, near by your capital. Henry
Corbin kept hotel and saloon in that
town. His business az a saloon keeper was
offensive to a class of partisans quite numer-
Gus. | understand that he had the lawful
right to prosecute his business under the
laws of the State. But they did not like
the laws which gave him that right. On
the night of the 1Ith of this month, whilst
a number of persons were sleeping in the
hotel at late hour, kegs of powder were
placed in the cellar, and, as is supposed,
Immediately under the room in which
Corbin and his wife and three small children
were sleeping The powder was ignited by
a fuse leading from the street. The eXplo-
sir shn 10 vii IaS+roual +lo
hotel, and injured some of the parties,
especially Corbin badly. Can you con-
ceive crime more stealthy, treacherous
and cruel? The purpose was to destroy an
entire family, and the passion that prompt
ed it was hatred of the liquor traffic and of
the laws that permit it. The probable
death of the innocent mother, and the babe
at her side, and of the two little BOYS
sleeping in the trundle bed. was contem-
plated by the murderers with malignant
pleasure. Now, what think you of the
powder plot" of the stealthy steps, and of
the horrible explosion in the night time
as compared with the YazoO homicide?
But shall Westerville be made type and
representative of Northern society? Shall
our civilization be brought into Judgment
by the powder plot, and the humanity of
our people brought into comparison with
the cruelty of wretches who would murder
sleeping children? Let us judge of one
another fairly. Let us strengthen and not
weaken the bonds that hold the people of
the United States together.
The responsibility now resting upon the
Ohio Democracy is exceeding great. / am
glad to know that the candidates are worthy
the highest respect and entitled to the most
cordial support. The result of the election
may have much influence upon the Nation
al contest of 1880. Why hesitate about
carrying the State? The cause is worthy
your utmost efforts. Democracy, as defined
by the founders ofour party, as written in
your platform, demands justice for all,
favoritism to none. In the race of life give
all an equal start and fair chance.
My hope and prayer will be that our
success in 1880 shall mean and signify the
permanent restoration of fraternity; the
preservation of our institutions, State and
Federal, in accordance with the letter and
spirit of the Constitution no innovations ;
obedience to the Constitution and the en-
forcement of the laws; protection of all in
the enjoyment of all Constitutional and
legal rights by the authority upon which
the duty to protect is imposed; harmony
between capital and labor, and the enact
ment of such laws as the protection of the
rights of either may require the abolition
of the Coolie system from our country, so
that no more Chinese bondmen shall be
brought to cheaper and degrade labor; the
will of the people not to be defeated by the
exercise of the veto power in cases involv-
ing only judgment and discretion free and
fair elections, and the Inauguration of the
man whom the people elect.
Vote Down the Proposed Amend
mentS.
Here is what Col Williams the able