The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1883-01-12

TIC pSVPlo ake TIC OkASluuA oOuANS
of all power Ia ear fern of gosern-
ment. They believe that when q
president appoints a minister to rep
resent our government ct the Court
Of st. James, that this power to thus
appoint, Is derived from the people,
and is simply delegated to the presi-
dent by the people and that the presl-
dent exercises this power, simply as
an agent or servant of tho people.
They believe that when the president
signs q patent to lands conveyed by
the general government to an indl-
vidual, that he exercises power de-
rived from the people, tho fountain
head from which all political power
flows in our form OF government.
They believe thus as to the exercise
Of power by any official, whether he
be president, governor, judge, or
sheriff. They believe that when any
question arises as to whether the
general government has the right TO
exercise certain power, that ques-
ton should be decided by referring
to tho constitution of tho United
States, and IL that power Is not found
therein to be delegated to the general
government, ner fairly implied as q
necessary consequence Of the dele
CATION of some power by the States
or by the people, then that power
can not be exercised by the general
government. They believe that
when any man opposes this fnnda-
mental ground werk upon which our
government is buiIded, to that extent
that man Is al enemy to the organic
law Of our country. They believe
that by the constitution (which Is the
handiwsrk of the States or tho pao-
ple) the federal government was
made supreme within the sphere OF
Its delegated and specifically defined
powers, but At the sano time the
States were left supreme within the
sphere OF their reserved powers.
On the other hand, Republican
faith as exempllfled fully by Republi-
can example aud practice, Is that
taught by Alexander Hamilton,
whose leading tenet Is, that our gov
ernment Is supreme In all things,
without regard TO any powers not
delegated to the general government
by the States or the people. HamiI-
toms whole theory of government
was monarchicaL He believed that
ifthe authoity OF the general govern
ment was limited, the .rivalship Of
the States would subvert that author
ity. In fact nearly every publ. act
of his life, which had any bearing
upon this point, proves 10 us, that
he was whelly in favor of subordina-
ting or actually aboIishing all state
organizations, and in lieu thereof,
centralizing all governmental power
in the federal government. Hs had
no sympathy for popular government
or popular rights. The federal party
made the Hamilionian theory of
government the basis OF its organ
ization, and maintained that organ
ization only SO long as 1t remained
In power or had encouraging hopes
Of succeeding to power. But when
the party lest power 1t fell to pieces
under the overpowerIng weight OF It's
own pernieious doctrines. Upon the
ruins of the federal party sprung the
Wing party, which placed itself be-
fore the people on the cid federal
theory, modified and shorn of It's
most Objectionable features. But the
old federal leaders who Identified
themselves with this party soon ex-
posed their cloven foot by placing
thir party on the old federal plat
form. The course and fate ofRhe
party was a very precarious one, some
tines in power and sometimes cut.
But when they met with what seemed
to them permanent defeat In the
election of Pierce for President over
Scott, this party too, passed in Its
checks and sunk into oblivion weight |
ed down by the baneful doctrines of
federalism. Death has been the |
inevitable fate of every party and
every man who undertook to promuI- |
gate these old federal ideas. The
party that adopts these ideas will die
unless 1t has power, place and plund-
er to sustain it, while the Democratic
party which Is the great exponent
rights, can not die, even If
1t remains out of power and place,
and herein is the great difference
between the Democratic party and
the Republican party-the former
being the great exponent of popular
rights, and the latter the exponent
of federalism.
FAMINE N IRELAND.