Year: 1863

when the stability of governments and
constitutions are in danger, when reb-
els threaten the destruction of our ma
tionality and radicals are striving to
trample under foot the inalienable
rights of men, we cannot too often
turn to the great fountain of human
liberty, the light and truth and power
of Democracy, and renew our political
faith and patriotism. Democracy
springs from the inalienable rights OF
man which God has planted in the
human heart; they are not the gift of
mar or any set of men, but original
isserent rights, given by man by his
Maker. The Constitution of the Uni
ted States and of our own State are
the mere embodymcnts of our native
rights, giving them legal expression
in o conventional form, that the people
might the better understand them, and
be prepared at all times to defend and
maintain them. The Democracy have
passed through many fiery trials to
defend their God-given rights against
she encroachmcnts of arbitrary power


Many of the great struggles and wars
for the last three hundred years have
hcen between the Democracy defend
ing the inalicnablc rights of man, and
tyrants claiming that they had the
right to rule mankind. 1t cost more
than one king his throne and life to
establish the great charter of human
Liberty, the habeas corpus, and many
and many a noble visS&m has fallen,
or suffered the tersors of prisons and
bastiles in defending the freedom of
speech and Of the press, and the right
Of trial by jury: and many more may
fall yet, if it should become nccessa-
ry in the defense of the God~siven
rights of men. The Democracy arc a
power neither tobc trihcd with, calum-
mated nor ovsrthrown. The light of
truth is in every Democratic heart;
thoy rea from the gifts which God has
given them. Democrats know their
politic.ll duties from intuition; they
breathe the inspiration of patriotism,
acting from fixed, natural principles;
they are always right. In our own
country thare has not been struggle
from the beginning but what the De-
mocracy were on the side Of right,
justice apd patriotism. They have Of
zen been denounced as reckless, daring
and traitorous, yet time has always
vindicatod shcir acts AMI pronounced
them right. They have been defeated,
bat only to rise with greater vigor;
they have been under clouds, but only
to prepare for brighter day; they
have met tremendous responsibilities,
but never failed to meet the highest
expectation. Having made constitu-
tons and laws for themselves, they
have defended them under all circum-
stances; believing in the simplicity and
purity Of constitutions and laws, they
hwe defended them at all times; they
are law-loving and "a law-abiding
people, unless arbitrary laws are for
ced upon themfor the purpose of crush
ing ont their inherent rights, and then
they strike only to protect the gifts of
Gsi. Their principles are known to
all; they need no secret organizations
to propagate Democratic truths; they
have no principles or policy but what
they want the world to know; they
seek the light that all may see their
purity and patriotism. Their princi-
pies emanae from Deity, and their re-
ligion leads them to defend them as the
bright hope for the redemption of
mankind from political darkness and
slcspotisn. We might as we'll attempt
to blot the sun out Of the physical
heavens as to blot Democratic princi-
pies out of the political; We might as
we'll attempt to dam up the Mississippi
or dry up the ocean as to check the
tide Of Democracy destined to sweep
over the world. Rebels and radicals
may hurl their invectives in torrents
upon the Democracy, and they fall
harmless at their feet. They may
erect bastiles in every State of the
Union, and it will neither intimidate
or change the mind of single lover
of Democracy. The power and posi-
ton Of the Democracy in the great
struggle that shakes our nation to its
foundation, will form the proudest leaf
in the future history of our country.
Planted upon the rock Of the Consti-
tution, beating back the waves of@re


bcllion and fanaticism and tyranny,
struggling with united heart and hand