American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-10-02

tf1Dut1On Oh larger sums OF money drawn iron
the people in unequal proportions and by ex
pensive methods
THE POSITIONS OF GARFIELD AND HANCOCI
CONTRAsTED.
beg our Republican friends to look at tn
attitude of Mr.. Garfield with regard to tn,
Constitution, and see if il is one that show
loyalty to its provisions. 1t is the charter o
our rights and liberties. He has on many oc
cnsions sworn to uphold it, On the 4th o
| March next he will, as Senator from Ohio
take solemn oath to support its provisions
The Senate was organized to assert and de
duct of Mr.. Garfield accord with these oaths
He avoids the of the titles it gives tn,
character and object. He uses in a marked
way words the trainers of the Constitution re
could be thought of a clergymen who SHOULD
substitute for the grand, clear tones of the
Bible, vague and unmeaning words which OBJ
| scure the law of Christian life? Yet in thii
| way Mr. Garfield treats the law which makes
the life of our Union. In view of his efforts to
change the Constitution by substituting con
| str1Iction for its language, you doubt if in his
oath of office, he swears for or at the Consti
rebuked by the title of Omitted States" the
| Union" the General Government" What
'Nation" or "Nationalism, Which ' are weak weak
obscure and trivial? Let us see how Mr.. Gar
field looks at his interest and position. We can
| give his ideas almost in his own words when
he communes with himself. He says: " am
to be a senator from Ohio for six years Ham
| should hold for life. am glad that his opin-
ions grow in favor. He did not like our Consti-
way it was construed This heavy volume on
| my table, called the Civil List, shows the
paid paid, from the Treasury. This does not tim in
| clude the soldiers or sailors. / am glad to
see we are gravitating toward more power
The senate, OF which am a member, gives
most of these men their places directly or in
directly. They depend upon confirmation by
us of the Presidents nominations. In view
of this fact he usually sends in the names of
| those we want. If he does not, we throw them
out. While large numbers of those in the
acted eft
as a rule they hold under those we confirm,
so they all look to us for support. If we can
make the Civil List up to IA hundred and fifty
Thousand, we shall be able to hold our places
for life. The things most in the way are the
much aboat them John Quincy Adams once
wrote some poetry in which he put in the
mouth OF Mr.. Jefferson these lines:
90 If we can not change the things
swear wen change their name, SIR
ton are the United states the Union
They tell of states and other rights than those
controlled by Congress. l do not like the
words General Government, as it tells of other
Governments and States; there are some
terms such as Nation and National, which
those who made the Constitution would not
have in it. They were kept out by unanimous
vote They are vague and do not show what
is meant by their use. 1 want them for the
very reason that led the Convention to strike
them out. II we get our people to use them
they will fall into the habit of looking to other
Governments than our own for usages and
laws We have got this practice under way.
In 1866 all our party in the House of Repre-
ours was q Sovereign Nation. We all wore
grave faces when we did this. 1t taught
prerOg3tives of the President we had with
equal s6lemnity declared that lie was an indi-
are many hundreds of them. of all kinds, from
the Sandwich Islands up to the Russian EN-
Pire Their habits and usages range from
those of the King of Dahomey, who kills n
few men each day for his health's sake, to
those Of the Queen OF England, who leads the
quiet life of a good woman. There is nothing
that Nations do not do in the way
Of law-making. and no one can
Nationalism has different meanings to differ
emit men. In due time, if we are firmly seated
in power, we can tell the public what we
want more Jurisdiction for Government; this
duties. The additions Thus made to a "tlri 1e
Will give to senators more power, patronage
and National as often as l can. will stIew
them through all my speeches and letters.
They are now the shibboleths of our party,
They sound well, and many think they lift us
up to a higher rank as people 10 be put in
lied Nations. But we must take care that the
people do not get alarmed at the idea of more
fear from those of the North, for in nine of
their great States there are more than half of
the people of the Nation But they have only
eighteen senators out of twenty six. 1t was
unfortunate that we told them in debate that
these states paid three quarters of the taxes
facts from their minds. We must stir up the
old hate of the South and make them feel that
while Nationalism will help them, it will hurt
those in the Southern section"
These plain words give you the theories of
Mr.. Garfield and his friends about this cleo
ton, and their plans for the future. What
they say and do shows you what they aim at
Will it not be wise on the part of the great Re-
publican party to learn and think who will be
the victors and who will be the victims if they
have their own way in this election? If they
10 not do this, they may fall into the trap set
Tor the people, and that we all shall feel that
NationalisIn is a curse. q
20 that of Gen. Hancock. He bows to the de-
,rees of the Constitution. He accepts its
erms to him are sacred; his earnestness
shines out in every line, and when he swears
Re he On ITS
ormed it not only chose lifting words to tell |
Is MEANING G%5 mbian Hike re III has
If heaven tells SO much as ours of the history
md character of the Government it repre- |
ents Its stripes recall the names of the
states which fought the battle which gave us |
liberty, and which crowned their glorious
numbered by the stars which glitter upon its |
'lue field. He who would strike one star from |
Is PIaGe OF who Would 6end te or blur these
cure Nationa1ism, has latent treason in his |
leart.
bearer To whom can we intrust it
With more safety than to one who has had its
leep and grand Significance burnt into his
very being by the fires of battle-fields?
There is not a color upon its folds there Is
lot stripe upon its emDllZOnTy, there Is not
star upon its azure ground, that has not
,een made sacred to him. The appeal which
rev him and his fellow soldiers from their
ZONES to the battle field was to rally around
he Stars and Stripes and to uphold the
Jnon. They will never make our nag
mains true emblem of the spirit of our Con-
ttution. By the peoples vote Gen. Hancock
will bear this standard on to victory in this
ontest he has heretofore done on the
loody fields of battle. He has learned from
the grand purposes of the Constitution by
e amid solemn lessons |
by the inspirations of the battle field by the
ad and solemn aspects of the blood stained
arth and the dying grOan3 of men when the
truggle was ended. He has learned the great
esson of craftsmanship, not amid scenes of
y personal ambition or schemes of plumber,
nut where Washington and jackson learned
he lesson of duty to their country and of
Dedience to its laws and Constitution.
is now charged by our opponents
hat we are inconsistent when we place
. soldier at the head of the Government
he propriety of doing this depends upon
he character of the man and the nature of
he service upon which he has been engaged
he General who has fought only for victory
r IA conquest, or has been engaged only to
remote schemes of ambition, or crafty feel
lgs of hate, has been taught upon the battle
cid only lessons of force and insolence. But
hose who have dared the perils of war to free
dependent Government, to resist hostile in
asions or to uphold it against resistance to =
: r12ntiul authority, nave their minds filled
lotto.
With intellects quickened by all the dangers
nd eXcitements of the strife, they see more |
early than other men the value of obedience II
laws, and the duty of sacrificing all things u
,r their country's good. 1t was in this schooV /.
lat Washington learned the grand duty a I
lying down his sword and retiring to prfvae |
fe when the world Thought he would clair "a {
eferred to in other lands as well as ourown,
ave him his Immortality.
noes, that in the hour of yictorylIackson !
lrDed and restrained his fiery spirit, anu