The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-04-03
The Attitude of Parties.

| S mlSHt Dc n IOOUlcum OF
iu'n, sense and justice. perhaps, in
-, ~ iollowingi which appears in the
nocratic organ, as to the intents
os'he Republican party in the en-
suing election:
\. goes into the campaign of 1880
WIN the announcements that it in.
aus 70 substitute Federal for local
**ss'hority and central in so much of
Wy sphere of the latter rs has not
TTt'sady Z been absorbed by the former.
rssims to eradicate local self govern
,llsnt and to give us all of monarchy
Ivy the name. 1t is we'll that it's
purposes have been so clearly lndica.
This piece of f1ippant nonsense
hinges upon the late decisions of tho
4 ouDretAe Court of the United States,
@inwhich tits declared in essence that
National supremacy is sovereign as
against conflicting State laws. TO
this end does the Supreme Court of
the United States give its opinion,
which must stand as the final deter
mlnation of the question. and there
the Republican party stands also, and
there it will firmly stand until the
Constitution and laws of the United
States are reversed by an exercise of
the popular will under due form.
This issue presents the two great par
ties in their true attitudes, and they
are not materially changed from
what they were during the rebellion.
AS then, the Republican party now
stands by the integrity of the Union,
the Constitution and the laws of the
General Government. 1t holds that
in all matters of Federal concernment
the power of the General Govern
ment rises superior to the municipal
powers and regulations of the several
States. If there is conflict between
the States and the Federal power the
former must subordinate themselves
to National sovereignty; otherwise
there is no future for the Republic.
The Republican party stands now
precisely where it did when the right
of secession was asserted by a part of
the States, and that assumed right
was decided by an appeal to arms. 1t
stands by National supremacy, and
hence may be regarded as the con-
serving hope and power of National
unity, harmony and perpetuity.
On the other hand, the Democratic
naxty stands now. as did during the
war-On the side OF State sovereignty.
secession and rebellion. 1t interposes
a resisting spirit constantly to the
terms upon which that bloody strug-
gle was settled. 1t opposes the
amendments of the Constitution. and
the laws of Congress ased thereup-
on, and seeks to render them nuga>
tory whenever and wherever they
interpose barriers to its own selfish
purposes and ends. The Constitu
tional amendments which declared
freedom tor the slave, and the laws
h.clothe the freeman with the
rights of citizenship. are contemned,
despised and resisted by the Demo
cratic party, under the same spirit
that led it to sympatize with the re-
bellion and to declare the war for its
suppression "a miserable failure"
The Democratic party, under an ire
pressibe spirit of resistance to the
results of the war has since the re-
turn of peace plotted against the
rights of citizenship as reposed in the
colored man, and has resOrted to
methods of barbarism, which COM
bine lawlessness. violence, outrage,
and even murder. to prevent the col
ored citizen from a peaceful exercise
of his rights OF citizt nship. And
this spirit of hostility to the consli-
tutional rights of the citizen has not
been confined to the freemen alone,
but has arrayed itself against the
white man In the South, who AFRO
gated to himself the right of OppOs~
ing the dogmas and methods of that
party, and he has been slaughtered
upon the altar of Democratic lawless-
ness and hate. THUS the Democratic
party since 1861 bas traced its record
on the page of history with every
variety of misdeeds known to crime.
1t has resorted to secession, rebellion,
disloyalty to the Constitution and
laws of the Nation, outrage, violence,
lawlessnesS, bulldoAng, baIlot-bex
stufiing, false counting of votes, and
all Othsr corrupt methods in manag-
ing elections and in administering
State laws, all of which haye been
crowned with the crime of murder,
for nearly twenty years.
Now we find that party true to its
instincts, and at this late day raising
its puny voice against the decisions
of the Supreme Court of the United
States, under the lingering spirit of