, 1880-02-09
DEMOCRATIC ADDRESS.
An Appeal to the Democracy Of
Oregon.

{ PORTLAND, Oregon, Jan. 16, 1880.
To the Democrats of Oregon:
| BY authority of the State Central Com.
mittee we publish the following, and
most earnestly commend it to your atten>
tion:
There never has been a time in the
history sf the Government, when more
than now it was incumbent upon Demo :
Gratis to stand by the old time traditions
of their party.
The Constitution, or rather Consti-
tutional union is upon trial.
The men who stand in the high places
of the opposition, and who voice its
opinions, in the arrogance of their power,
are seeking to destroy the last vestige of
the Constitutional limitation-which is
the essence of Constitutional law-and
under the specious cry of a "ot:ong
Government" or The National Idea
| they hide the real issue, and pervert even
| their own followers. Since tins Govern
ment was organized, in the Constitutional
law, has always been, and must ever be,
both the National and the Federal idea.
| We are one as a nation-but many as
States. In whatever appertains to treat
ing with the other peoples of the world
and to those powers specially delegated
! by tue States to the National Govern
ment, We are a nation; but in that which
touches the private, as distinguished from
the public rights Of the citizens, we are
a union of States.
These States have never surrendered,
| and never can, the unconditional and alb.
sOlute right to manage in their OWE wav
the internal domestic affairs of their own
citizens.
The recent extra session of Congress
has passed into history, as the occasion
OF a contest between these two ideas.
There they met in deadly conflict
the pernicious theory that this country is
purely Nation survived the contest only
because they could say to US, and PERI
haps truthfully, as of then-your States
are not now limited or circumscribed in
the exercise of any of their Constitutional
rights. That session ended, and the
masses of the opposition, apparently for
getting,-or, perhaps remembcring-the
lawlessness, the shameless lawlessness of
the Strong Man in Louisiana and in
South Carolina, with one accord, are call
ing for that same hand to be placed at
the helm of the Nation and at the throat
of the States.
Do Democrats, does the country, need
more to emphasize this recent struggle,
and does it not come to US with the in
tensity OF the most earnest conviction
that the peril to Constitutional liberty
can he averted only by a stern and un-
faltering adherence to the old fashioned
faith Of the fathers of the party.
Republicans even in their best days,
and before the lust of power had eaten
away honesty of conviction. saw the truth
and as loudly almost as ourselves spoke
for the untrammeied right of each State
to order aud control exclusive its own
domestic affairs.
The Republican Convention of 1860,
at Chicago, which nominated Abaham
Lincoln, among other planks in the plat
form had the following:
"That the maintainance inviolate oi
the rights Of the States, and especially the
right of each State, to order and control
its own domestic institutions according
to its own judgment erclusioely is essen
tial to that balance of powers on which
the perfection d endurance of ou- po'
litioal fabric deI tds; and we denounct
the lawless invaslons by armed force Of
the soil OF any State or Territory, M
matter under what pretext, as among th'
gravest of crimes.'
How stingingly this honest Republican
declaration rebukes their party of to-tla,
: and the great captain who has been twic
. President. But the party has advanced
Less than eighteen months ago the Re