The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-10-08
Judge Black on Garfield.
TIE ISSUES ALL WITH Us AND THE sc
ClDENTs NOT AGAINST Is.

THE ISSUES ALL WITH Us AND THE &C
CIpENTs NOT AGAINST Us
The following letter from the Hon. J..
s. Black, dated Brockie, York county. Pa
September 22. 1850. sent in reply to an
invitation to attend the great Democrat
ic mass meeting in New York on Thurs
day evening, will command the attention
of thinking men of all shades of political
opinion:
GENTLEMEN: I cannot attend the meet
ing of Democratic-R Republicans at the
city of New York on the 23rd inst But
| can assure You of my concurrence IN
its object, and, if time, and space per
mitted, | could give you reason for the
faith that is within me. | trust we are
approaching the end of our long strug-
gle against the oppression and fraud of
the anti-constitutional party. They have
sought the destruction of our government
by every possible means III their REACH
by our government | mean the whole
system of fundamental law under which
we live including the granted powers of
the Federal Union, the reserved rights
of the States and the personal liberty of
the citizen. These three are all vital
points of our political organization. and
the lite of the nation depends as much
upon one as upon another. If you want
TO kill man it makes no difference
whether you knock out his brains, stab
him through the heart or tear open his
bowcls-either way he is done for. Ger
tainly an American who forcibly tram
pies on civil liberty or by violence extin-
gushes the rights of the States lis no
less a traitor tohis country than one who
resists the just authority of the Federal
Government
| need not remind you with what
manifold treachery our opponents got
possession of the power which they have
so frighttully abused AT the beginning
of the war they solemnly pledged them
selves to use the forces put into their
hands for the sole purpose of defending
the Federal Government and maintain
ing the supremacy of the constitution
and laws, with all the rights of the States
and the people unimpaired and they
promised that when this was accomplish
ed the war should instantly cease, In
consideration of this special pledge. su-
peradded to their oaths. the men and the
money were put into their hands which
completely subdued the armed opposition
of the South to the Union But when
the conflict was over they announced that
the victory instead of defending the
government had revolutionized and over
thrown it; that the whole doctrine of
State rights had exploded and personal
liberty was consequently thing of the
past that the military was above the
civil authority, and through the instrrl-
mentality they Uhe central oligarchy)
might kidnap, imprison Judge or jury.
The right of suffrage had ceased to eX-
ist except when il was exercised bv their
permission and in any way which suited
their purposes. Destroying all the clcc-
ton laws of half the States in the Union
they filled the State offices with notorious
thieves and filed Congress with redempt-
ionless rogues who did not pretend to any
title except what they got by force aud
fraud, and in all the States they claimed
the right to be represented at the State
elections by the bayoncts of their standing
army Would you have me enmerate
the corruptions generated by this nfa-
nous system? Count the stars if You
can, try 10 number the sands on the sea
shore.
Their idea of stroug government
was fully developed. Six years after the
war, fraud and force made it so much
stronger than liberty, justice and law,
that the constitution had but seven
friends in the Senate and less than n
third of the members in the lower House.
But the principles of free and honest
government were not destined to be
crushed out forever The moral inhu-
ence OF the Democracy was itself Il pow
er which abashed the anti Constitutional
leaders and benumbed their faculty of
evil doing. Thousands of true men.
who, in moments of error or alarm, had
wandered from the track of their princi
pies ''hastened to retrace their steps and
regain the road which alone leads to
peace, honor, and safety Truth and
Justice gradually regained their natural
aScendancy in the popular heart. First.
The Federal House of Representatives
were redeemed then the Senate 'and in
1876 al overwhelming majority of the
people attested their devotion to free
principles by voting for a Democratic
President. This looked like success
tul yindcation of free government, but
it was not, The anti Constitutional party
has an advantage which more than coun-
terbalances the strength of the people.
1t can cheat at elections, il can falsify
the count, 1t can forge returns, 'There's 5
the respect that makes calamity
of so long a life" We are about
to repeat the experiment We may
be swindled again, but there is not any
doubt that our honest majority is greater
than il was before, The issues are all
with US and the accidents not against us.
Our candidateis is not only uneXoeptionable
but admirable, and has the unbounded
confidence of the whole country in his
talents, integrity and patriotism.
The impulses of personal friendship
and the duties of fair political opposition