The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-08-04

language of freedom is known, but for
doctrine as certainly aud as abso
lutely essential to political salvation
as any for which men ever fought
or died.
But it is said that Jefferson is
dead" I think this is mistake.
Jefferson died in the body some hours
before his great friend and antago.
mist, John Adams, but the last words
Of the latter were: Jefferson still
lives and they were true. He lives
in his deathless work, in his teachings
and in his influence, and when he
ceases to live, the republic itself will
have ceased to be. When Mr. Adams
died the failure of federalism and the
triumph of democracy seemed both
complete But If any man imagined
that these conditions have been re-
versed, and that the "strong govern
ment," for which the federalists have
contended from Hamilton and Adams,
to Grant and Arthur, has finally dis
placed the Republican government of
enumerated and limited powers, let
him remember the federalist exultation
which went before the mighty fall of
1900 The principles of Jefferson are
dear to every honest republican heart
there never was moment since the
adoption of the constitution, when, if
put fairly at issue, they would not have
received the unreserved appreciation of
a vast majority of the American peo-
pie. Jefferson is not dead He will
be dead only when we ourselves or our
less fortunate children are dead in po-
litical slavery, that is to say, when the
Independent Commonwealth which
took their places among the nations of
the earth upon Jeifersons immortal
declaration and were again rescued by
him from worse peril in 1900, shall
have been crushed in the coils of a cor
rupt Capitalization, and the last vestige
of local self-government shall have
been swept away But until then let
no honest Democrat listen to the shall
low and pitiful taunt that Thomas JEFF
ferson is dead The words can have
no meaning, unless it be implied that
the principles Of home rule aud pure
government which he so nobly main.
tained in life were entombed with the
dust of the good right hand which
traced the Declaration of Independence
and the golden truths of his first in
augural. And if that be true, or SEEM
ingly true in the eyes of the compla-
cent federalist gloating over needless
millions snatched from the hands of pa
tient labor and distributed among ia
vored classes enjoying undue privileges
or lavished on objects not distinctly de
fined by the Constitution, then it Is
high time for the resurrection The
sober judgment of the people is again
invoked upon situation far graver
than that of 1900, when Jefferson
fought in the flesh. Can any reason
able man doubt the result? The huge
aggregation of special interests, artifi-
cially fostered by our later legislation,
combined under the name of the repub-
lican party, and administering the gov
ernment for the benefit of the few in
utter disregard of the rights and needs
i of the cruelty plundered and heavily
burdened many, is visibly rotting asun-
der and falling away into helpless frag,
ments. The hour of our second de
liverance from the Bourbon federalst,
the boss. the spoils system, the monop-
olist and the corrupt ring, with the
centralization in which all have their
beginning and their being, draws near
To this most desirable end nothing
can contribute more directly or more
powerfully than the establishment Of
! Jefferson associations in every quarter
1t is the method of Jefferson himself
and I hope to see the great party OF
the common people, defrauded in 1876
make itself ready for the final conflict
before it by the formation within it,
ranks of thousands of these democrat
ic societies or Jefferson associations
which being closely affiliated and il
intimate correspondence with eacl
other, would keep the democratic party
democratic and put it in posture t
meet another electoral conspiracy lik,
that of 1861 as our forefathers me
that of 1S00-l. Meanwhile | am
very truly, yours, etc,
CuAUNCEY f. BLACK.
BENZ. M. MEAD, ESQ,
Corr. Sec'y Jefferson Association