The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-03-22
kinds political deeds. being quite authoritative,
Still supreme; live up to it.
In Spite of Usurpation.

the powers which it grants are few and specified
1t concentrates and centralizesD these few it needs
most but after prohibiting many powers to the
states it explicitly distributes the whole residue
of power not thus delegated to the United STATES
nor by the United states lpate ,ng
or to the people. Nor is this enough The power
of congress to make laws for carrying into execu-
ton these powers vested in the government or tllo
United States is again explicitly restricted TO
such as shall be necessary and properly eXecutory
of the same. There is no limitation or govern
ment by written constitution possible among
men, if this he not sufficient written limitation
There is no sound construction possible there
under unless it be strict construction Ihat old
doctrine of true democracy and that last word OF
high political philosophy is then identical Lave
up to your constitution. This is the spirit
OF our constitution, conforming to all It's letter;
Nothing to the federal governments except granted
powers nothing which can be better done ny the
state government and more jealousy watched;
nothing to the state governments that can pe
better done by the municipal, by the county, ny
the neighhorhood governments, and more Jeai,
ously watched, and even to these neigntpfhood
governments, nothing which can De beIeer re-
served to the people; to their voluntary associa,
ton under the rule of justice enforced by equal
laws. 49,, y.
Were it's objects different from those which it
names-to form more perfect union, estaols 7
Justice insure domestic tranquility, provide
for tie common defense, promote the gen
eral welfare and secure the blessings OF
liberty to ourselves and our posterity-thIs or,
dained and established constitution OF the uulteu
States of America could never have emerged I'M
inpaired from the tocsin of war, or its expansion
half the hemisphere. LIZ IS HOt any icSttILtu
excursions by congress outside the constitution;
which explains why we still live ana move ana
have our being beneath its @gls. 1t IS IN despite
of the transgrcssions not by help OF them that
we still live. We have not proiited by them; we
have survived them 1t is the Infringement ana
limitation of functions of the government to its
own proper business, despite its transgrcSslonS;
it is the distribution and dovoutIon OF Its powers
despite usurpations, its prohibltion OF state
povers it is the declaration of state rights, 1t IS
the reservation and surrender of the residue to
the states respectively and to the people by which
we have truly lived and still bear our me-
1t is individual freedom, not parental gov
ernment rule, which explains our sW!tt cX-
panson from the fringe of thirteen feeble COLO
MES to u continent OF mighty states. 1t Is incl-
vidual freedom, not paternal guidance through
the censorS of an inspired press an estaolished
church, an ennobled class, which has converted
collisions competitions and all interiors of human
society into the heat and stimulus OF he ana en-.
ergy and progress. 1t is Individual freedom, not
republican force bills, nor congressional leading
strings, that will enable you, strong ana Mghiy
civilized race, to guide forward your less gifted
fellow citizens from plane OF equity before the
law to higher levels of thrift, economy, good nus
bantlry, social order, self-impOscd and household
virtue. and thus transform the present unlmagina-
BILE difficulties and unshared burdens OF the
south into the solid foundations of still more
prosperous societies, and still more powerful
states. 1t must be admitted that Tor few brief
years our constitution did not perfectly avail to
insure domestic tranquility mat was IN the
last generation, and broke hearts must be healed
by time or death. One or two more generations
must pass away. In doubling ana rcdoubhh@
your incredible achievements of the last twenty
years, your magnificent progress Iii the produc-
ton Of field, farm, forest and mines, it VIII be-
come pal9abie that war, with It's devastation, its
passions, its griefs, may not, perhaps, have been
too high price to pay Tor transmitting an lnSol,
uablo political problem into a soluble social
problem. TO compass the serenity or state
/ rights, which were and are general along
with the security >, OF the state rights t3lns
which were not coinci4ent with dividing lines
between federal powers, the state powers and
powers reserved to the people, but which never
thelCss were concerted in the constitution and at
tempted in laws, was too much Tor domestic
tranquility, and the result, as / have said, was
through at last, the transmitting OF an in
soluble political problem into soluble social
problem. Bat that sectional disparity, that sec
ference has lost it's only fulcrum. State rights
survive. (Applause9
Force Bills and Oppression.
The late republican congress tried to put man
aclcs on southern limbs. The democratic party
answered, "Shal northern limbs then, wear the
like, or are all fr0emon now?' Never beneath
this canopy of our surviving constitution, and OF
an indestructiblc union OF indedtrucubie states,
VIII color blind the democracy of the great
north and greater west, and confound ana
confuse our present social problem with
past and gone political problems. 1t is our
faith in the subim principle of individual free
dom upon which you may rely Tor our sylnpa-
tEetic interest and confident pride you proceed
to work out unhindcred, your solution of that
social problem, the contact lntermingling of two
races diverse in the measures of their inherit
lance from the bounty of nature so diverse in the
structure of our civil policy and the functions OF
our social order. 1t shocks historic sense to wit
that recent foi yng of force bill chains. Gar
risou should be alive TO tell Harrison that slavery
is dead, even white slavery. Bryant or Wads-
worth should be alive to pat forth in lofty verse
the deep, respectful sympathy with which nobler
hearts among your kindred race now follow you
exceeding trial.
There is not q breathing of the common wind
that viii forget thee. Thou hast great allies, thy
friends are cXultatiOns, agODGS and love and
mans uncOnQucraDtC mind"
1t is for our going forth into the future without
fear, with hope and with manly fraternal hearts
beneath the banner of our old constitution, loyal
to the old democratic faith and tradition that
have taken such pains to set aside this which
seems ohstrusivc, but which should be no obsta-
Gle in our federal politics. / would speak with
you Just as if New York was Pacific coast state
and Mississippi New England state. E(Applause.
How otherwise, among equal states, should q
con5idcrate and equal freeman speak, snail we
now go togctt er and try to i've up to TINS const-
tuition OF ours, which survives unimpaired in sub
stance and supreme in authority? Shall we recur
to the whole democratic faith and tradition and
rc-establish its supremacy? supremacy in our
politics Shall New York not stand by Nissis-
Sippi? (ApplauSe.) VIII Mississippi NOT stand by
New York? (CheersD Our federal constitution, l
say, unimpaired in substance, admirable IN pur-
pose clear i'll letter and prescription, Is supreme
III rightful authority.
And now what is the condition of whole
land and people? | submit to the candid ad-
Judgment of our fellow countrymen and | ask
the Judges OF oar courts the lawyers OF our bars
the statesmen OF our legislatures; ask all com
potent persons to test in detail the truth of my
assertion. submit to your candid Judgment
that every trouble every disturbance that exists,
every disaster that mpends and every danger that
is feared at this time, throughout our whole
land not merely in some parts of it, IS the dlre
and obvious consequence OF republican legislation
in disregard of the spirit and the letter OF our
constitution.
Wicked Republican Legislation.
specify for breyty, now, only two great items
of present and intOlerable disturbance, thoI Oh
many others might be named which are marked by
egregious 7olation of the letter and spirit of the
constitution. Not for one hour during the last
thirty years has the democratic party possessed,
nor does it now possess, the power to repeal or
amend these and other laws, the fount and origin
of every present disturbance to the general peace
and prosperity. A little while the democratic
party had the senate a little white the executive;
for longer periods the house of representatives,,
but not for one moment during thirty
years has it had all three, SO that all
these evil producing laws have been ALSO
lutely beyond our reach, and went on operating
and go operating now, just as II the over
whelming democratic majority OF the house or
representatives were republican majority EY-
cry disorder in our finance; every injustice IN our
taxation ls not only the consequence, direct and
obvious of republican legislation, but OF leglsla-
ton plainly outside of the constitution,
plainly disregarGtut OF it's inhibition or or
its limitations that not one statesman of any
such transgressions.
That is not ali nor the worst Three years ago
the democratic party experienced disastrous
overthrow and lost the house Of representatives,
which till then it had controlled for many years.
bran Of executive