Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-06-10
THE SOUTH AND CINCINNATI.
WHAT THE CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS OF
THE SOUTH WILL EXPECT IN THE
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE.

DEAR SIR. In reply to your inquiry
as to presidential candidates | have no
hesitation in expressing my views, not,
however, for publication.
1t is of the highest Importance that
the Democratic party should succeed IN
the next election. l say this, not
merely because l wish that party, as a
party, to have success, but because its
principles, in my judgment, are essen.
tial to the preservation of our Repub-
lican system of government. The
tendency and purposes Of the Radical
party are to a concentration of all pow
ers of government in what is termed
the National Government, We cannot
mistake the purposes of that party In
this respect, as developed by the ex.
pressions of its leaders, by its platform
of principles and especially by its
apparent determination to elect General
Grant the next President. Our Gov.
ernment, as it was made by our fore
fathers and as it was conducted for
three. quarters of a century, is Federal
and not National. 1t was designed to
be Federal Republic, based on inde.
pendent, coequal and indestructible
States, having only a few specified
general powers, leaving to the States
respectively all other governmental
powers. 1t is national in the relations
it bears to other nations. 1t is national
in so far as its laws operate on the
individual citizens in all other respects
it is purely Federal. Such govern.
ment, when properly administered,
will always be strong in the affections of
the people and always strong enough to
accomplish the purposes for which it
was established. As o nationality, by
insidious and latitudinous construction
of the Constitution (absorbipg the pow.
ers which properly belong to the sepa-
rate States), it would ultimately become
centralized despotism, destructive of
liberty. To such en- end the plans,
purposes and principles of the Radical
party are rapidly progressing.
The very fact that General Grant
(who has already occupied the Presi.
tial chair for two terms is pressed for a
third term is alarming to all lovers of
constitutional government. The sug-
gestion ignores the example of all
preceding Presidents, and the solemn
advice of the besS of them, and outra.
ges the traditiors of our fathers and the
spirit of the written Constitution.
However expanded have become our
territorial limits, the improvement and
practical developments of recent years
have enabled the remotest States to
feel themselves nearer to each other
than the original Revolutionary thir.
teen. Our territorial expansion and
the multiplication of States and OF peo-
pie have created no necessity for any
Stronger central government, and Ger.
~ fnr iar mt
of its powers.
The great issue in the next Presiden-
tial election is whether the Government
of our fathers and of the fathers of the
republic shall be destroyed and grand
nationality, if not an empire, put in its
place. 1t behooves all who love our
written Constitution and republican
freedom to stand squarely and firmly
with those who propose to preserve
the ancient landmarks and follow in
the footsteps of the fathers.
The South is the minority section of
our Government, and hence it must al.
ways maintain a strict construction of
the Constitution as the bulwark against
the usurpations of dominant numeri.
cal majority and the connections of
popular passion. The tendency of pow
er is to augment itself. Against such
tendency the checks of written con.
stitution enshrined in the affections of
great people must always be preserved
and they will always be preserved while
the people remain uncorrupted by the
Establishments of power.
In the coming contest for the Presi.
dency the South ought to support and
/ doubt not will support that party
which by its principles and its practices
has conformed to the standard erected
by the fathers. The South has no can.
didate of its own for President or Vice
President. The South asks no place on
the ticket. The South only vents a
good man, tried and true, who will ad.
minister the Government with an eye
single to the preservation OF the Consti.
tuition and the Union and with devotion
to the best interest of the whole country.
In making the selection of such can
didate the South will have prefer.
ences and will express those preferences.
The South will ask the North to pres.
ent candidate whose private and pub.
lie character will command the respect
and the support of the people. The
South will go solidly for such an one.
| know of no one who will receive a
more cordial support in the South than
Senator Bayard. His ability as q states
man of enlarged views, his high charac-
ter, public and private; his firmness
and his fearlessness in the maintenance
of what he deems right, will commend
him to our cordial support. If il can
be shown that he can carry New York
in the election | think he will be the
nominee of the party. My own opinion
is that Bayard for President and Judge
Field for Vice President would make an
invincible ticket. We would thus com.
bine the far.oR East with the far. off
West, enlisting sectional pride and
combining qualities of statesmanship
and purity of character which would
challenge the hearty support of all sec-
tions of our common country.