The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-05-24
"JefrersonIan Principles. !,

Whenever the Northern Democratic
ass gets tired Of the monotony of his
beating and begins to show signs that
he doesn't fancy travelling uphill all
the time. the drivers habitually set up a
shout of "Jefersonian principles and
the poor beast forthwith picks up fresh
courage and starts ahead once more
with its dead load, while the observers
on the heights wonder what occult
charm is concealed in these mysterious
words. just at present the Southern
brother of this animal is going through
the stereotyped form of the kicking pro-
cess, and his guides and managers are
making the welkin ring with the old cry.
The Southern Democracy, being
much more intelligent than the North
ern branch, knows more about the real
nature of Jeffersonian principles"
than the latter. Ii tried TO carry them
to their logical conclusion in war of
four years duration, and although 1t
Ms>not ceased to cherish warm affec-
tion for them as a theory, it has ceased
to believe in them as of any practical
utility. The South, from mere habit
rather than from any deeper feeling,
has voted the Democratic ticket until
now, when for the first time its material
interests clash with the "Jeffersonian
principles of that party, and the up
shot viii be either total abandonment
by the party of all claim to acting ac-
cording to those eternal principles or
loss Of its Southern votes. 1t is sad
dilemma, and by all odds the greatest
danger that has yet threatened to disin-
tegrate the party. @ ~
"Jefersonian principles do not per-
init the General Government to do any
thing for the material Improvement of
the Southern States. They rigidly ex-
clude that Government from doing any
thing more than acting as policeman
on the coast line and accrediting a few
suave gentlemen to foreign courts.
Jeffersonian principles" can never be
stretched so as to justify the expenditure
of dollar for the protection of the
planters of the Mississippi Valley, or
for anybody else by the National au-
thor1ty. "Jeffersonian principles look
upon such action, as fraught with the
gravest danger to the sovereignty of the
States.
What will the South doP Abandon
Jeffersonian principles" as Jefferson
himself abandoned them in practice
while at the head of the Government,
and still continued to push them in
theory. He did not hesitate to buy
Louisiana from France, although it was
in the very teeth of all the limitations
that he had put upon the field of action
of the Federal authority; then, why
should not the South follow his example
rather than his precept? That the mass
of the Southern people are ready to do
so is evident from the earnestness with
which the old call is trumpeted forth.
"Jeffersonian principles are heard
in all directions, and the bugle
notes are even sent northward to
warn New England, which has
never had any great respect for either
Jefferson or his principles. Mr.. Henri
Watterson, in the Louisville Con,ier-Jour-
nal, makes bold to say to Massachusetts,,
Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, New
Hampshire and Connecticut, that If
they persist in sweeping the Jefferson
ian dogmas about the rights of States
70 be sovereign and free. from all Fed
| eral control they viii be the first to
suffer New York." he exclaims,
"with six or eight millions and two Sem
ators; Illinois, with six or eight millions
and two Senators; Texas, with ten mill
ions and two Senators, will turn upon
those six little briar patches, with their
four or five millions and twelve Sem
ators, and we shall see such a process
of Capitalization as will make the oldest
monarchies open their eyes. We shall
see telescoping of Faneuil Hall and
the Charter Oak and all the State capi-
tols dumped down somewhere in the
Valley of the Connecticut, and for six
States and twelve Senators one State
and two Senator'S A truly horrible
picture to contemplate, he thinks, and
one that should give New England
| pause.
Unfortunately for Mr.. Watterson and
all who think like him, such consum-
nation as he here sketches possesses no
terrors even for New Englander. He
has studied the drift of opinion at the
North to little purpose if it has not
taught him that Jeffersonian prin-
cipfes' are but conjurer's cry with the
| Democratic masses, and but reminis-
| cences of bygone age with the voters
| who form majorities here. The sacred
right of :" Little Rhody," with its 2T5,-
| 600 inhabitants. to an equal representa-
ton with New York's 100000 inhabi-
tants is merely food for jest and not
| likely to'be submitted to as soon as any
inconveniences result from it.
"Jeffersonian principles" in fact, are
doomed at both the North and South.
They are unsuited to the requirements
of the publica at this time, which does
| not admit of the existence of political
rights apart from utility; which has no
| fear of Government as Government If
| ANYBODY in the South is still clnging to
teffersonian principles in the belief
that these principles have any chance of
| life at the North in the future, that body
had better disabuse his mind of such
perilous stuff. Let the South shape its
political course, not by abstract and
eternal principles, but by hard, palpable