Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-10-27

stroy it's original jurisdiction, which is
irrevocably vested by the Constitution,
while the learned Chief Justice has
been subjected to the most atrocious
calumnies, merely because he would not
prostitute his high Office to the sup
port of the false and partizan charges
preferred against the President. Its
corruption and extravaganza have ex-
ceeded anything known in history, and,
by it's frauds and monopoies it has
nearly doubled the burden of the debt
created by the war. 1t has stripped the
President of his constitutional power
of appointment, even of his own cabi-
net. Under its repeated assaults, the
pillars of the Government are rocking
on their base, and should it succeed in
November next and inaugurate Pres
ident, we will meet as a subjected and
conquered people, amid the ruins of
liberty and the scattered fragments of
the Constitution.
And we do declare and resolve that
ever since the people of the United
States threw off all subsection to the
British crown, the privilege and trust
of suffrage have belonged to the sew
eral States, and have been granted, reg
ulated, and controlled exclusively by
the political power of each State re-
spectively, and that any attempt by
| Congress, on any pretext whatever, to
deprive any State of this right, or in
terfere with it's exercise, is a fragrant
usurpation of power which can find no
warrant in the Constitution, and, if
sanctioned by the people, will subvert
our form of government, and can only
end in single, centralized and consoli-
dated government, in which the sepa-
rate existence of the States will be en-
tirely absorbed, and an unqualified
despotism be established in place of
Federal Union of co-equal States.
And that we regard the reconstruction
acts $50 called) of Congress, as such, as
usurpations and unconstitutional, revo-
lutionary and void. That our soldiers
and sailors, who carried the flag of our
country to victory against most gal
liant and determined foe, must ever be
gratefully remembered, and all the
guarantees given in their favor must be
faithfully carried into execution.
That the public lanos should be dis
tributed as widely as possible among
the people, and should be disposed of
either under the pre-. embtion of home
stead lands, or sold in reasonable guam
titles, and to none but actual occupants,
at the minimum price established by
the Government. When grants of the
public lands may be allowed, necessary
for the encouragement of important
public improvements, the proceeds of
the sale of such lands, and not the lands
themselves, should be so applied.
That the President of the United
States, Andrew johnson, in exercising
the power of his high office in resist
ing the aggressions of Congress upon
the constitutional rights of the States
and the people, is entitled to the graft
tude of the whole American people,
and in behalf of the Democratic party
we tender him our thanks for his patri-
otto efforts in that regard.
Upon this platform the Democratic
party appeals to every patriot, including
all the conservative element and all who
desire to support the Constitution and
restore the Union, forgetting all past
differences of opinion, to unite with us
in the present great struggle for the lib
critics OF the people; and that to all
such, to whatever party they may have
heretofore belonged, we extend the
right hand of fellowship, and hail all
such cooperating with us as friends and
brethren.
The purpose of the Democrats to
nullify the laws of Congress and the
Constitutional Amendments in case
they elected their candidate, was laid
down in the private and confden-
tial letter of Blair to Broadhead, which
we also print.
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, June 80, 1868
COLONEL JAMES 0. BRoDHEAD:
Dear Colonel In reply to your inquiries, I
beg leave to say that I leave to you to deter
mine, on consultation with my friends from
Missouri, whether my name shall be presented
to the Democratic Convention, and to submit
the following. a. what 1 consider the real and
only issue in this contest.
The reconstruction policy of the Radicals
will be complete before the next election; the
States so long excluded will have been ad-
n1itted; negro suffrage established, and the
carpet-baggers installed in their seats in both
branches of Congress- There is no possibility
or changing the political character OF the Sem
ate, even If the Democrats should elect their
p esident and majority OF the popular
branch of Congress. We cannot, therefore,
undo the Radical plan of reconstruction by
Congressional action; the Senate will continue
bar to its repeal. Must we submit 10 it
How can it be overthrown? It can only be
overthrown by the authority of the executive,
who is sworn to maintain the constitution,
and who will fail to do his duty if he allows
the constitution to perish under series of
Congressional enactments, which are in pal
pabe violation of it's fundamental principles.
If the President elected by the Democracy,
enforces or permits others to enforce these re-
construction acts, the Radicals, by the access
sion of twenty spurious senators and fifty rep
resentatives will control both branches of
Congress, and his administration will be as
powerless as the present one of Mr.. johnson.
There is but one way to restore the Govern
ment and the constitution, and that is for the
president-elect to declare these acts null and
void, compel the army to undo it's usurpations
at the South, dispense the carpet-b bag State
governments, allow the white people to recog-
nize their own governments and elect senators
and representatives The House of Repre-
sentatiyos will contain a. ma iOrity of Democrats