Year: 1864

ercise an unjust power over you through
the Federal government. To preserve
peace we must not be permitted to inter-
meddle with your local affairs, and you
must not be permitted to meddle with
ours. The reservation of power to the
States tends, therefore, to the peace and
security of each and all. To give more
power to the Federal government renders
| 1t, not stronger, but weaker. This making
the general government stronger by GEN.
tralization of power is illustrated by the
feat of the barrel which attempted to be-
come hogshead by bursting its hoops,
when it became, not hogshead, but q
bundle of slaves. If the day ever comes
| when the general government shall exer-
else more power, it will destroy itself It
is this idea of centralization-this idea
that the Federal government should exer-
else the powers reserved by the constitu-
ton to the States, and the attempt to do
so-that is causing strife all over our land.
l implore you, therefore, to turn again
to the wisdom of your forefathers. Turn
again towards the lights Of ex perience.
Turn again to the worship of the princi-
pies on which our government was found
ed, and you will find Union, peace and
prosperity. Remember the eighty pros
porous years of the past. l am confident
from careful study of the theory of our
government, that if this doctrine of GEN.
tralization prevails, our government must
be destroyed and destroyed forever Read
again the Declaration Of Independence !;
read again the Farewell Address of Wash
ington read again the history of the rev.
olution, and learn how it was that we be-
came great and prosperous, united and
happy. Do not say-you who have faith
in the policy of the Administration, when
we complain of departure from these
principles of our fathers, that it is evidence
of our disloyalty. remember that on one
occasion you refused obedience to the fed
eral government here in Wisconsin. When
you did not like one Of it's laws, you de-
olared determination to resist it's execu-
ton. You were then a little forward in
the doctrine of secession, if I may Judge
of the fact from your statutes. I do not
advocate any disrespect of the general
government. have labored in my own
State to secure obedience to all the lawful
behests of the Administration, and we
have humbled ourselves as to the deity to
satisfy its demands, so as to deserve no
imputation of disposition to deny the
support it needed in the hour of danger


| feel convinced as do of my existence
that the policy of the republican party
leads to popular discontents, which are
spreading wider every day. If you expect
to govern Florida in accordance with that
policy, you must pay the cost in blood and
treasure. Let me tell you, men of Wis
consin, if you undertake to govern South
Carolina by denying to her the nights Sc
cured to her by the constitution, it will
cost you dearly. If you attempt these
things, you will fail in the effort. If you
continue to attempt to do these things,
then you will wipe out your property and
our country is in ruins. Eighty years un-
der a prosperous government and three
years of opposite experience-three years
of sad and bloody experience-mark the
contrast! We are already driven to the
verge Of ruin. Every man knows that
there is an amount Of debt which
leads to bankruptcy. Every man
l a
which leads to anarchy. God grant US
wisdom for our cwn government! God
grant patience to our people to resist these
threatened calamities! Place that man
in power whose personal integrity and
whose purity of life were never impeaehed
by the breath of SANDER. / never met
the republican who could question the pur-
ity of bis character We think he is an
able man, too. But no matter, we intend to
carry this election upon what lawyers call
the general issue. We say the democratic
party is for the Union. We want the South
back We want the people of the South
to obey the laws This administration
cannot restore Union. We can save
the Union. A just, wise and humane
policy will save it. Our victory will re-es-
tablish the constitution and bring back
peace. We have no proclamations better
than the Constitution itself: We stand
freehanded. We stand resolved to bring
union and peace to the people. We ask
you in this hour of dread affliction, in this
hour of death and mourning, to 90 with
US humbly and reverently to the teachings
of our fathers, that we may re-establish
union and peace. We demand no sacri-
flee. We have no pride of opinion. We
arrOgate to ourselves no excess of wisdom.


We would draw vail over the past. To-


gether we will rejoice in the redemption


of our country, and together we will re
Jolce as we emerge from this war, with
the government re-established in all its
authority, with the Union restored to its
original strength, and the people imbued
anew with the spirit of Christian clvlllza-
ton, and with the wisdom of our fathers.
,Ur. NTurder