Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-04-06
Letter from Judge Black.

Letter from Judge Black.
On the anniversary of Jackson's birth
the Iroquois Club, of Chicago, gave a
banquet at which many distinguished
Democrats were present. Judge Jere
S. Black was invited, but was compelled
to decline. He sent, however, the fol-
lowing letter:
YORK. Pa, March IL.
GENTLEMEN: Ihave received your invita-
ton. 1t is simply impossible for me to be
with you on the anniversary of Jackson's
birthday. How much regret this you can
never know, but am unable to tell you how
passionate is my admiration for that heroic
patriot. or how necessary | think it is for the
good of the country to keep his memory green
in il! our souls # present, ! might take occa-
author of the practice which now corrupts the
civil service by making Office its reward of
partisan crimes. That was an invention of
the Federal party, and used by it so uniformly
that when Jefferson was inaugurated, he had
not a single personal political friend in any
kind OF public employment. He removed the
unfit and the unfaithful, and gave the honest
majority Of the people some but not by any
means full representation nthe Executive De
partmeLt. But he did this slowly, cautiously,
and in such manner as to injure the best men
least The second Adams commenced his Adj
ministration by bestowing the highest Office in
his gift upon the man who betrayed his con-
sttuents to elect him, and on this course he
went through SO consistently that when jack
son came in he found himself precisely where
Jefferson had been thirty years before-a
Democratic President without Democrat in
Office to support him. Of course, he followed
the example of his great predecessor-removed
the most noxious of those Federal vermin,
and let the others stand as monuments of the
tolerated when reason is left free to combat it.
But in all this he acted with an eye single to
the public good. without personal interest
hope of other reward than good conscience.
How far his magnanimous nature placed him
above the mean vindictiveness of later times is
RI NQc yhn
witnessed it himself. and Mr.. Buchanan, who
heard it from some of the parties Immediately
their authority l tell it to you. large depu-
tation of political leaders came down from the
State of New York to ask for the removal of
General Van Rensselaer,, Postmaster at Alba
ny, for the good of the party and on the ground
that he was in the daily habit of grossly yitu-
perating the President himself. General Jack
son answered NO. by the Eternal! Van Rens-
selaer was foremost on the Canada line to
meet the British invasion; he risked his life,
The man who did that has a right to abuse me-
as much as he pleases. will not remove him."
In these degenerate days the best citizens
not only set aside, but prosecuted, while title,
knee and appreciation are given to the worst.
Men-ifit be lawful to call them men-moral
monsters who simply disgrace the administra-
tentiary-are put in high place and largely
paid for forgery, perjury and false pretenses
party in power. Our present rulers are ultra
believers in the spoilS system, if their prac-
tee be any an proof of their faith A sue
subjects all who opposed them to spo-
ure of their rapacity; if the Command
er fall after the victory, his successor sacks
his own camp, There was one great principle
which jackson understood better than any
public man we ever had except jefferson, and
sustained it with infiexible firmneSs-the right
of local elf-government-the privilege which
every organized community ought to have of
doing as it pieases in regard to those matters
which concern nobody else. This is indeed the
very essence of civil liberty.
Men in state of society must be restrained
from doing injury to one another; but in pro-
portion as you limit their power in things
slaves. A people whose local affairs are con-
trolled by agents and deputies sent upon
them from abroad must infallfby suffer the
worst evils that the meaneSt and greedieSt ty
rants can infict. The history of the world
teens with the proofs of this unvarying truth.
but you need only look at Ireland or turn your
eyes upon the rule of carpet-bag thieves in the
Southern States.
The enemies of jackson are filled with ram
cor against his name because he defended the
rights of the State while he preserved the
powers of the General Government in their
whole constitutional vigOr. One of them twice
elected President, and then struggling for
third term declared in public amid shouts of
appreciation that the party which Jackson led
into power until it gave up its doctrine
of State-rights. The Federal Constitution it.
self declares that all powers not granted to the
United States are reserved to the States and
the people, If the States have no rights. nei-
ther have the people, since both are reserved
in the same article, the same sentence and the
same words. The denial of State-rights neces-
sarily strips every individual of his liberty. |
Thus we have a central Government of un- |
limited power, animated as such a Govern |
ment always must be with boundless appe-
tite for plumber.
1t is vain to deny that of late years the bound
aries of Federal jurisdiction have been to a |
large extent administered away, and the pow |
ers rightfully included within them unduly en- |
larged and grossly abused. Congress, instead
ing all sections and all classes alike, under |
takes to regulate the private interests of the |
and they call it regulation to stuff the
rich with bounties while land and labor |
are the pending applications for the |
legalization Of schemes which cam |
not be carried out without robbing the public |
that Congress is not expected to understand |
In truth. if this imperial power shall under
take to provide for the diversified interests of |
the country by special legislation, it must not |
only do infinite wrong. but it will break down /
with the weight and become bewildered by the |
of its business.
If dared to speak with the voice of author
ty, or even in q tone of admOnition, to the Iro-
4uois Club, l would say: Resent these en-
with all your might; maintain
for your domestic concerns; set |
your faces like flint against political corrup-
ion; tolerate no claim of any President to be |
at your elections by the bayonetS
IF his standn g army; enforce your right to
free ballot and fair count; and give the love
irew Jackson, who, if he were here now,
would lay down his life rather than see you
fail in cause like this. With sincerest re-
'pect, am yours, ETC., }. s. BLACK.
Democracy, the Friend Of the People.