Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-04-23
TON. THURSDAY APRIL 81 1896

4
necessary evil, to be lessened by pru-
donce and economy; that it is to be
levied justly, equally, according to
mons means, not their necessities, and
is not to be used to take from ono and
give to another, nor to enrich the few
at tho expense of the many. In his
creed there were only common rights,
nor favored interests; no priviegd
class, but only tho greatest good OF
tho greatest number. His Democracy
stood beside the humblest individual
to protect him from oppression,
and was, tho bulwark of tho silent
people to prevent the power and pur-
pose OF government from being warped
| by the clamorouR demands of selfish
interests. His party was, and is, and
is to bo the peoples party. In all OF
| this Jefferson created no new theory
Of government. lie merely recognized
the conditions under which our coun-
try was settled and our Union formed,
aud under which it must continue.
Upon these principles he founded an
indestructible party. With variety OF
expression and application they have
been that party's platform through all
the changes ana emergencies of our
republic. Lot me repeat tho platform
as he declared it in his first inaugural
address:
DEMOCRACY IN NUTSHELL.
Equal and exact justice to all men,
of whatever state or persuasion, re-
ligious or political; peace, commerce
and honest friendship with all nations
entangling alliances with none; the
| support OF State governments in all
their rights as the most competent adj
ministraiions for our domestic concerns
and tho surest bulwarks against anti
republican tendencies; the preservation
OF the general government in its whole
constitutional vlgor as The sheet-anchor
oil our peace at home and safety abroad I;
freedom of religion; freedom Of tho
pross freedom of person under the pro.
lection Of the hahras corpus and trial by
iuries impartially collected; these prin-
ciples form the bright constellation
which has gone before us and guided
our steps through an age Of revolution
and reformation.
To jefferson and his party these
| principles were not idle distractions
and empty platituties, hut were a
political policy to be aggressively on
forced in the laws of State and Nation.
The equality and liberty he preached
he had infused into the fe of his State
by various laws which upruoted caste
and privilege. His vigorous hand soon
abolished entail and primogenituro,
that there might be, as he wrote, in,
stead of an aristocracy of wealth Il
an arisiGeracy of virtue and talent,
which nature has wisely provided for
| the direction of tho interests of society
and scattered with equal hand through
all its conditions. - lie stopped the
| importation of slaves into Virginia,
recommended measures for their grad.
ual emancipation, and drafted plan
for the government of the Northwestern
territory with a provision for bidding
slavery. Nothing is more certainly
written in tho book of fate," he SAID.
than that these people are to be free. .
He modified the severity of the crimi.
nal law by Just and humane code. lie
provided for the citizenship of aliens
by System Of naturalization which
was generally adopted throughout the
Union.
Believing that tho basis of our gov.
ernment is tho opinion of the people, "
and that "tho very first object should
be TO keep that right" he made edu-
cation public duty and devised an
elaborate school system, eliminating
in tho great university be founded.
Freedom Of religion" was TO him not
an Idle phrasn, but sacred right to
be guaranteed by law. So he overthrow
the established church, broke the union
of State and church and abolished
what he termed this spiritual
tyranny. =" personal iberty' found
in him its ready champion when vic.
lated by the alien aud seditinn laws
which he denounced aa contrary to the
letter ana the spirit Of tho Constitu.
tion. He fought the United States bank
and llamiton's plan of hounties and
protection because hn believed they
meant control Of law by monopoly and
wealth aud class through corrupt in.
turnccs for selfish ends-a system
which he declared had been routrived
for deiueing the States with paper
money, = withdrawing citizens from
tlselul pursuits, Ito occupy them and
their capitals in species of gambling
destructive Of morality and which had
intro iuced its poison into the govern.
ment itself" His Democracy taught
That control Of law should be only by
and for the pe1pp
liut Jetlersnu's thought and work
wera not limited todomestic questions.
lie liycd in times Of revolution and
war He had been nnwerfu factor
IN achieving the Independence of our
country and in maintaining it againat
foreign a. grcAsion. lie advocated and
accomplished a vast extension of her
territory, slraining his constitutional
4 power rs he frankly admitted. He
| believed III Tho future az grand des.
| TINY OF our republic and declared I'VE
| should llHve such an empire for liberty
! as she has nrTer surveyed since tho
creation, and that mo constitution
was ever hpforp so VOL calculated as
ours for extensive empire and self
/ government, lIeuphcid the nation's
honor asserted ils rights and ioalously
guarded It's interests against foreign
attacks, but declared her policy to he
peace, commerce. and honest friend
ship wiih all ons-cntangling ALI
anceg with none. .
He held the country aloof from
foreign complications which did no,
encroach upon her righta; vigorously
protested when they reached this point,
hut was dcsirous ever of peace with
honor. In the early years of the con.
ilict between England and France be
wrote as Secretary OF State, II wish
We may he aple to repress the spirit
Of tho people within tho lmita Of fail
neutrality - Later, when EngIant
planned to seizo Snain'H North Ameri
can possessions, hc formulated tbs
principle Of the Monrne Doctrine in hi
instructions as President 10 our min
lister at hor court. "We wish YOU
therefore, bio wrote, "to irtimafe II