The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-10-02

that 1t may have been imposed upon in regard
to the language imputed to Mr. Evans at Joll
ct, proposing to spell state with big S and
nation with little n and accepting the FREE
TRADERS version of it, that Mr.. Evans is a
believer IN ian indissoluble union of indie
Istructlble states" says that is exactly what the
republicans hold on the same subject. 1t Is
unfortunate that the Free Press did not stop
there, but in further elucGation of the repub-
lican position in regard TO state rights, pro.
ceeded to say that the party hold that the states
should have the same relative rights that
county has to a state or municipality has to
a county. The republicans believe IN com.
plete graduation, and would never admit that
one integral part is greater than the whole
that the state is sovereign" This is giving us
understandable states" with vengeance! The
states standing in the same relation to the ina
ton" as counties to the state is making the
states the creatures of the national govern.
ment, to be enlarged or contracted IN their ju.
dox and irrational as this doctrine is, the
Press is quite correct in stating it to be exact
ly what the republican party maintain. They
coniound understanding" of state with its
sovereignty and repudlate both as mean ing
the same thing.
But the democrats, the Il. Press proceeds to
state, believe in something more than the mere
indestructibility of the states: "Their belief
was that the state was sovereign unto itself;
that the national government was mere fig
ure.head, that states becoming dissatisfied
could withdraw, aad that withal, government
was mere compact of states, without strength
except In Its integral parts 1t is well that
the Press in this speaks In the pas. tense and
1t would have come still nearer the truth if it
had said that such was once the belief of
many southern people, the followers OF Cal.
h0un, quite as many OF whom, however, were
wings and know nothings as democrats but
the considerable percentage of the democratic
party South that supported Douglas in 1860,
and the entire democratic party of the North,
never endorsed or held to ColhOunism or be-
licved in the doctrine Of state sovereignty to
sion. On the contrary, the democratic party
as such distinctly repudiated that doctrine by
endorsing Gen. Jackson's naturalization
proclamation, which was simply, under anoth-
or name, u solemn disavowal and dcnunciation
of the doctrine of secession.
But whether or not there ever were demo-
Gratis North or South who as such, carried the
doctrine of state sovereignty to the extent of
including IN 1t the right of notification or Sc
cession Qor the two are the same), the +. Press
ought to have the sense know, and the can.
dor to admit, that the war has so effectually
settled all further controversy on that point
that it is the sheerest slang and drivel to
charge any sane man or party at this day with
still clinging to doctine which was forever
crushed out and drowned in the blood Of
million of brave soldiers 1t was not only
crushed out by the war, but Its coffin sealed
by the constitutional amendments, which moth.
pie of the United States can ever disturb.
Said the Hon. ii. A. Herbet in speech Sept.
10Th at Stockton, Ala, talking to an audience
exclusively of southern democrats:
al we could only get the masses OF the
North, those who are honest voters and not
Office seekers, TO believe that Gen. Hancock,
in saying the constitutional amendments must
be maintained, expressed exactly the sentiment
that actuates VS., that zoe recognize The results Of
the ,cdr fully that zee support the Constitution
,ciM all its amendments, that ,ce protect and
guard the rights Of these freedmen nho consti
tute 80 large part Of this audience, we should
add thousands of votes to Hancock in Novem-
ber But every vile SANDER that ingenuity
can invent and malice can perpetrate Is being
distilled into the ears Of the northern people"
The r. Press must be able to see by this
time that Il is itself engaged in this disreputable
business OF distlling every vile Islander that
ingenuity can invent and malice pcrpetrate"
into tho ears Of the northern people against