Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-04-20
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obscurity to which he ought forever to be
consigned, for the conspicuous part which he
played in the contamination of that notorious
act of malversation by which be was elevated
to the Presidency, and by which act the
regularly and legally elected candidate was
deprived from taking his seat, and the people
most shamefully and disgracefully cheated
out of their just rights by one of the most
glaring and palpable frauds that was ever
Practiced upon an enlightened aud Intelligent
people. A fraud which could only be con-
summated by violation of every principle
OF reason and justice, by rendering nugatory
the will of the people as expressed through
the bai!ot-box, and in profound contempt of
the pleadings and legal opinions of the mos,
aStute lawyers and learned jurists of which
the country can boast But the party that
now performs tho functions of govern ent is
an anomaly, fertile in genius, and differing
from any other that has ever had an exist
ence since the days of the revolution, and
upon the principle that the end jus,ifes the
means, they seek to perpetuate their power
by laws of their making, aud govern the
country by them 10 contradistinction to those
laws which have been transmitted to us by the
trainers OF the constitution, aud which have
been the guide and fnger-board of every
administration, from Washington down to
Buchanan, but which this hybrid that now
Yields the sceptre of power treats as an empty
nlhility and an unmeaning nonenity. Pre-
vious to the advent of these contradistinctive
propagandists, whether it was Democrat or
Wing who occupied the chair of State, the
people were under no apprehensions for the
safety of the constitution, and whatever were
their differences upon other questions they
were unit in sentiment upon the question
nj that
olate, and either party guarded it with Jealous
care as the great bulwark of their common
country, the strong defence of their State
privileges and the pedestal upon which their
liberties rested. In both of these grand old
parties were Statesmen of the highest order
of talent, who were its boldest advocates and
most fearless defenders; among them we NAV
mention the name of Daniel Webster, one OF
the most distinguished Wings of the day, who
was regarded one of its ablest expounders.
and whose Interpretation of it was ac
knowledged BY all Of his great coutcm pora>
ries as clear. lucid and unequivocal But the
opinions of that great statesman would be
treated at this day by the luminous lumina.
ries of Radicalism with about the same
amount of respect and consideration as the
commentaries OF an orthodox theoIogiau
would be BY Mahomedan upon the Koran.
"A tuo VI Aaron burr Tor the
guidance of politicians, one of the most
prominent was. that the people at elections
were to be managed by the same rule of dis
cipline as tho soldiers of an army; that few
leaders were to think for the masses; and the
latter were to obey implicitly their leaders,
and to move at their command. Now it seems
that the Radical party has adopted the Same
line CT tactics. But Aaron Burr found when
he sought power that his tactics were i'm
practicable and could not be enforced. He
found that the enlightened frcemen of this
country were not only able to thiuk for them,
selves, but to act for themselves. And tho
Radical party will discover on the ides of
November, as he did previously, Il at it
has been laboriDg under a most eyregrious
error; that although the people make brave.
gallant and obedient soldiers. they are neither
fools nor mules, to be led or driven into
measures that tend to the suhjucatnn of
their country, and which will deprive them
OF those inaliennblc rights that were euaran.
teed to them when the cornerstone Of this
Republic was laid. The election of 1876
clearly clucidatcd this. and gave the most
tangible proof of the fact For notwithstand-
ing that the odious and arbitrary election
laws'were in full force. and vigorously exc
cuted, and every Southern precinct bristled
GUS and dcspotic measures of an overreaching
and arrogant party, the popular vote showed
clear majority of $50, 600 in favor of tt
Democratic candidates and free ballot And
IT the Democratic party is true to itself in
the coming campaign, and select candidate
who can combine the strength of the party.
they will carry the election of 1880 by ma
Jorty in favor of popular rights, such as has
not been known since the days of him who
was first in war, first in peace, and first in
tho hearts of his countrymen Now, who ia
to be the Washington to lead us in the fight.
to save us from the fate with which we are
threatened, and Illustrate the machinations
of those designing demagoguos who are plot>
ting the overthrow of our free institutions
DO not all indications point to the noble
Hendricks, of Indiana, as the man? Is he
not the choice of two thirds of the voters of
West Virginia? Has not large portion of
the great West, designated him as their
tavorite! In short, is he not the favorito of
a vast majority Of the voters of the entire
country? With him then as our leader, we
go into the contest with the certain pres,
tige OF glorious aud triumphant victory.
And, to give him the nomination, would be
but an act of simple justice aud it would
cancel debt which the party owes to this
honest and self sacriicing patriot His life
long services in the Democratic ranks give
him claim upon the party which few 9th,
ers hold. And as statesman, he will in
intellectual qualifications compare favorably
with any OF his great contemporaries There
may be other men who possess more brilliant
attslnmcnts, but there are few men whose
attachments are more solid. He is far above
mediocrity, and is a near approximation of
those sturdy patriots who f lied the Prcsiden>
tial chair in the early days of the Republic.
And if elected, he will make their admipis>
trations the model of his, and administer the
government upon the Indicative principles of
equal and exact justice to all, and by wise
and just policy restore the country to its once
happy condition. He will reconcile the dis.