The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-09-10

The present contest IL, At the bottom.
fight for constitutional liberty - against
the centralized rule of partixan ring
General Hancock, the soldier and states
man, represents the party Of popular gov
eminent; General Garfield, the smirched
politician, represents the party Of centrali-
ration. II was Garfield who brought tho
accusation against Hancock, when en-
deavoring TO legislate him out of the
army, that he "dared to place the civil
above the military power"
But this was not always 30. There
was 3 time, says the Boston Globe, when
the preservation Of constitutional rights
and the liberty of the people against the
encroachments of armed centralization
was everywhere regarded as the aim Of
all parties, and when it was stoutly main
tanned by every one who sought the suf.
fragss Of the people. Here, for instance,
10 resolution to the point
Rssoteed, That while the Constitution If tho
United States was ordained and established by
the people In order TO torn q more perfect union,
establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility,
provide for tho common defence and secure the
blessings Of liberty, and contains ample pr0vis-
ions for the protection OF the life, liberty and
property Of every citizen, the dearest constitu.
tional rights Of the people have been ifaudulently
taken nom them; their territory has been In
vaded by armed force; spurious and pretended
been set over them, by whose usurped authority,
sustained by the military power of the govern,
men1 tyrAnnical and unconstitutional laws have
been enacted and enforced; the rights of the
people TO keep and bear arms have been infringcd;
test Oaths OF an extraordinary and entangling
nature have been imposed rs = condition OF
exercising the right of suffrage and holding
office; the nghtof an accused person to q speedy
and public trial by an impartial jury has been
denied; the right Of the people to be secure Ia
their persons, houses, papers and effects against
unreasonable searches and seizures has been vio-
lated they have been deprived of life, liberty
and property without due process OF law; the
freedom of speech and of the press has been
ahridSed; the right To choose their representa-.
tives has been made of no effect; that all these
things have been done with the knowledge,
sanction and procurement Of the present admin.
s,ra,on; and that for this high crime against
The Constitution, the union and humanity we
arraign the President, his advisers, agents, sup.
porters. apologisis and accessories, either before
or after the facts, before the country and before
the world and that It is our hxed purpose TO
bring the actual perpetrators Of these atrocious
outrages and their accomplices toasuIe and con.
dign punishment hereafter.
This is not an arraignment of the Grant
administration, or of the policy which
Mr.. Garfield sustained in Congress and
now represents before the people. 1t is
the fourth resolution in the Republican
national platform Of 1856, adopted at
Philadelphia, June II, when Fremont was
nominated.
But it covers every point which the
Republican party now denies. 1t defends
local self-government and denounces cen
traliEation with a vehemence equalled
only by that with which the organs of
the party now express themselves on the
opposite side.
What has caused the change? Simply
the fact that for the past fifteen years,
and now, the Republican party has found
profit and power in defying the Constitu-
ton which it then Landed, and robbing
the people of the liberties which it then
demanded for them. The charges which
the Republican party in 1856 brought
against the Democratic administration OF
President Pierce were false in every par
ticular; the charges which it now brings
againt the Democracy, although from 9
directly opposite side, are as false. 1t is
this shifting, unprincipled party which
finds ct candidate in the man whom
Judge Poland's committee condemned
Just IS it changes it principles, so il
changes it opinion of its candidate Seven
years ago its organs denounced him as 8
perurer; now they ask the people to
make him President Twenty-four years
ago they howled aloud for the Constitu
ton and local self-government now they
shrek for Capitalization.