Year: 1862

tury- Let It's history, from the beginning


prove whether it has practiced them. We ap
peal proudly TO the record


The first step towards restoration of the


Union as il was, is to maintain the Constitu


tion as il is So long as it was maintained il


fact, and not threatened with infraetion il


spirit and in letter, actual or imminent, the
Union was unbroken


To restore the Union, it is essential, first. to


give assurance 10 every State and to the peo-


pie OF every section, that their rights and lioer-


ties and property will be secure within the


Union under the Constitution. What assu-


rance so doubly sure as the restoration 10 pow
er OF that ancient organized consolidated
Democratic party, which for sixty years DID


secure the property, rights and liberties of the
States and of the people; and thus DID main
tain the Constitution and preserve the Union,


and with them the multiplied blessings which


distinguished US above all other nations?


To restore the Union Is 10 crush out section


alsm North and South. To begin the great


work of restoration through the ballotbO is


to Kill Abolitionism. The bitter waters Of Sc


eession flowed first. and fed still from the


unclean fountain of A Aboitionism. That fouu-


tain must be dried up. Armies may break
/ down the power of the Confederate Govern


ment in the South but the work Of restoration
can only be carried on through political organi-
cations and the ballots in the North and West


In this great work we cordially invite the co
operation of all men of every party who are
opposed to the fell spirit of boition. and who
in sincerity. desire the Constitution as it is and
the Uuion as it was Let the dead past bury
its dead Rally. lovers of the Urion. the Con
stituti0n, and Of Liberty to the standard Of the
tin oil 10 h. Eo1l
fident of victory. The party is the natural ana
persistent enemy of Abolition. Upon this
question its record as a national organization
however it may have been at times with par
ticular men, or in particular States. is clear and
unquestiooable. From the beginning of the
Antslavery agitation to the period of the last
Democratic National Convention, it has held
but one language in regard TO it, Let the
record speak:


"Resoired That Congress has no power under the
Constitution to interfere with or cont o the domes-
tic Institutions of the several States and that such
States are the sole and proper judges of everything
appertainiug t0 their affairs, not prohibited by
the Constitution; that all efforts OF the abolition


ts or others made to induce Congress to interfere
with questions of slavery take incpent steps in
relation thereto, calculated to lead tn the most
alarming and dangerous consequences and that all
such efforts have an inevitable tendency TO dimin-
ish the happiness of the people and endanger the
stability and permanency of the Union, and ought
not to be countenanced by any friend our politi-
cal Institutions.


Upon these particulars alone, so far as relates
to slavery, can the Union as it was be restored
and no other Union, except the UNITY OF
DESPoTISM, can be maintained in this country
and this last we will resist as our fathers did
with our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred
h0n0rs.


But it is said that you must disband the
Democratic party to support the Govern
ment.' We answer that the Democratic party
has always supported THE GOVERNMENT ard
while II was in power. preserved the Govern
ment in all its vigor and integrity-not by force
and arms, but by wisdom sound policy and
peace. Bat it never did admit. and never will,
that this Administration, or any AdminiStra
ton is g the Government" 1t holds, and ever
has held, that the Federal Government is the
agent of the PEOPLE of The several States com
posing the Union that it consists of three
distinct departmentS-the Legislative the Ex-
ecutive and the Jndicial-eAch equally part
of the Government. and equally entitled to the
confidence and support of the States and the
people and that it is the duty of every pat
riot to Snsiain the several departments of the
G0vernmcnt 10 the exercise Of all the consi-
tutiOnal powers of each which may be necessary
and proper for the preservation of the Gov
ernment in its principles and IN its vigor and
integrity, and to stand by and defend to the
utmost the flag which represents the Govern
men, the Union. and country.


In this sense the Democratic party has al
ways sustained. and will now sustain the Gov
ernment. against all foes. at home and abroad,
ba tal
in office or ont of office in peace or in war.


II this is what the Republican party mean by
supporting the Government. it is an idle thing
to abandon the old and tried Democratic party
which for 50 many wears and through so many
trials supported. preserved and maintained the
Government of the Union. But if their real
pnrpose be to aid the ancient aLemies of the
Democracy in Subverting our present ConStitu
ton and form Of Government, and under pre-
tence Of saving the Union, to erect strong
centralized despotsm on its ruins, the Demo
cratic party will resist them as the worst enemy
to the Constitution and the Uuion, and 10 free
government everywhere.


We do not propose to consider now the
causes which led to the present unhappy civil
war. \ filter time will come hereafter for such
discussion. But we remind you now that com
promise made your Union and compromise
fifteen months ago would have saved it. Re
peated efforts were made at the last session of
the rhirty-SiXth Congress 10 this end. At
every stage the great mass of the South, with
the whole Democratic party and the whole
Constitutional Union party Of the North and
West, united in favor of certain amendments
TO the Constitution, and chief among them was
the well known Crlttenden Proposition.
which would have averted civil war and main
tained the Union. At every stage all propoS-
ed amendments inconsistent with the sectional
doctrines Of the Chicago Platform were streuu.
ouSly and unanimously resisted and defeated
by the Republican party. The Crittenden
Propositions" never received single Repub- I
can vote in ei her HonSe. For this proof We
appeal TO the Journals of Congress aud to the /
Congressional Globe


We scoru to reply to the charge that the
Democratic party Is opposed TO granting aid
and support 10 the Federal Government in
maintaining its safety. integrity, and cOnsttu-
tional supremacy aud in favor of disbauding
our armies and succumbing 10 the South The
charge is hbellious and false. No man has ad-