The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-03-17
1 Southern View Of Mr.. Seymeur's


Referring to the recent remarkable
letter Of HOratio Seymour in the North
American Revieso the Columbus (Ga. }
Enquirer says:
Mr.. Seymour occupies much the same
line of thought as that so forcibly pre-
sented in a speech made in this city by
Governor Stephens during the Guberna-
torial campaign, and one which had
greater effect in enlighteningthe people
as to the true condition of the Republic
an party than anything else during the
entire campaign. Both of these distin-
g,iished gentlemen hold that it is un-
reasonable to expect an appreciation and
defense of the Constitutional bulwarks
of local self-government and State
rights from the Republican party,
which for twenty years has done its ut
most to discredit and abolish them.
These views are shared by those Repub-
licans who felt themselves constrained
last November to break away from the
party organization which resulted in
such an overwhelming victory for the
Democracy. They had become at last
convinced by long and sore experience
that they were powerless to check within
the ranks of their own party the invet-
crate propensity to usurp and concen-
trate in the hands of Federal authorities
all the important functions of govern
ment. They were powerless because
this propensity was not only fostered by
party precedents, traditions, and the in
satiable lust of power, but was boldly
justified on abstract grounds by men Of
unb!emished private character and a
sincere though misguided patriotism.
The most distinguished spokesman and
authoritative organs of Republican opin-
ion had not scrupled to vindicate the
continual encroachments of the central
izing spirit on the score of adaptation to
the magnified and complicated interests
of the country. The assertion that we
had outgrown the Constitution was
made so frequently and frankly, and in
quarters where sound Judgment would
naturally be looked for, that many for
eign observers have supposed it to ex-
press the deliberate verdict OF the Amer
lean people. Even such o careful stu
dent of political institutions as Mr.. Her.
bert Spencer was misled by statements
which he presumed to be the outcome of
ripened experience. and from which he
drew the inference that our written Con-
stitution was cramping and obstruc-
tive, not q bracing and elastic scheme of
government; that it was the work of
theorists. and did not grow out of the
character and condition of the people
living under it. In other words, Mr.
Spencer accepted the view of our organ
ic law which has been more or less dis
tinctly propounded and persistently APP
piled in practice by the Republican par
ty since it acquired control of the Fed
eral Administrator.
Mr.. Seymour demonstrates with adj
mirable luc dity and fo:ce that this con-
ception of the Constitution is historical
" untrue and philosophically f4llacious-
He has done well to remind the people
of the country that tho only theoretical
feature of the Const tution-the only
feature that can trdmmel the evolution
of our energies and resources-is the
bestowal of powers on the Central Gov
eminent which have been subjected to
a constantly widening construction.
That theoretical element in our organic
law has been pushed to a point which
endangers the inestimable habits of self
reliance, self-support and self-control
The time has come to fix attention on
the great political fact recognized and
buttressed by the Constitution, the fact
of township, county and State ability to
manage their respective affairs.