Year: 1868

believed that the experiments in other times,
in former ages OF free government had
failed not because mankind were incapable
Of self government, nor because they ever
wifully overthrow good political institutions,
but because they had not had fair. play and
fair opportunity to exhibit their virtue,
intelligence, and sagacty in those former
experiments. Our fathers were determined
that a great experiment Of free government
should be undertaken in this country. and
that it should have q fair opportunity OF
success.


Gen. Washington himself who presided
over the Convention that formed the Con.
stitution of the United States expressed
great doubts-and he honestly held them
unouestonably, whether the new govern
mcnt which it was proposed to establish in
this country could stand, whether IT would
work and accomplish the purposes for which
it was designed He expressed great solici-
tude and concern upon that subject; but
what else did he say? He said that he
would spend the last drop of his blood if
necessary in order to give it fair trial. 1t
was in the spirit of that declaration that he
accepted the Office of President after the
Constitution was formed, and entered
upon the performance of its duties And
he kept firm to his purpose afterwards. -
lie endeavored during his administration to
maintain the Constitution and its principles.
could, equally balanced between parties.
He cndcavorel to give to the people the ex,
ample of an honest, faithful, constitutional
administration of republican institutions;
and he succeeded. 1t was to great extent
| al |, nf his nj, ,nr md
| the success of his civil administration that
gave to our government fair start that
attached to it the affections and the conf
dencc of the people, and enabled us to go
on for more than half century, running
such a career of success and Of honor as
never before had blessed the fortunes Of any
people upon the earth.


What them gentlemen, is the material
and vital doctrine which we are to have in
view always in considering our system of
government and its administration 1t is
that the government Of the United States
must be administered and conducted within
and according to the provisions Of the Con-
not wander from them nor assume to itself
powers which that Constitution docsnot con-
fer; that it must not undertake to regulate
the affairs Of the people Of the United
States in any respects except in those few
where clear charter, complete warrant
has been conferred upon it. In this spirit
our government was generally administered
from the 4th Of March, 1889, when it was
organized, down to the year 1861. The
Constitution was kept; the laws were OBJ
served, the courts and their judgments were
respected, the States within their iurisdic-
tions were not molcstcl, were not intringed
upon by the Federal government. The con.
sequence Of this policy was that we had
peace, prosperity, harmony throughout the
country. For more than seventy years this
was the condition Of things in our land. 1t
was because men administered the govern
mcnt Of the United States who thought that
a plain, simple, faithful administration of it
within Its clear powers, was both rightlul
and cxpcdicnt and that the great mass Of
governmental action in this country might
be left to the local communities, or States,
into which our people were divided.


RADICAL ACCESSION TO POWER.


In lSGl, however, party came int" pow
or, the avowed purpose of which was to Use
the powers and influence of the Federal 60
vcrnnent for the purpose of reforming the
institutions of some Of the States, for the
purpose OF acting upon u local institution in
the southern States of the Union. That
was resisted by Us, by one of our great poll
tical parties upon the ground that the gov
crnmcn Of the United States had nothing
to do with that institution thai action upon
it pertancd to the States exclusively; that
the general government ought not to assume
any power in regard to it. Public opinion
l,,,,l,.l ,l,t ,,,,ng,,Dp. ~,
for action upon slavery in various ways by
the Federal government and the other re-
sisted all interference herewith. In the
contest which followed the Democracy OF
the North were certainly not in favor Of
slavery any more than they are now; they
had no interest to subserve in continuing it;
the opinions of most Of them were opposed
to it and they would have rejected it when
ever proposed as domestic institution in
their own States. But they stood upon the
constitutional doctrine, without Which this
government cannot last that the States
should exercise all political powers not con-
fcrred by the Constitution upon the govern
ment Of the United States. They stood
there when the currents of popular passion
ran against them; when human sympathy
was aroused in the North: when by the
pulpit, and the rostrum, and the press there
was deluge, as it were, of feeling and pas
sion created against the institution of slave
ry; first against its expansion into the Ter
ritories, atcrward against its being permit
ted to exist in the District of Columbia or
places under the exclusive jurisdiction of
the United States, and eventually against
its existence anywhere. The Democracy Of
the northern States went into minority on
that question In order to stand by their
principles they accepted defeat. Looking
back now to those events, who among them
that understands the nature Of this govern
ment of ours and desires to hand it down to
those who come after us, good system as j,
came to us, can regret his position at that
; time? We stand now as we have ever stood,
upon the ground that the general govern
ment can exercise nc power which has not
been clearly conferred upon it, and that the
States or the people Of the States shall
possess all which have not been so con
terred.


CAUSE OF OUR PRESENT TROUBLES.


Now, gentlemen, venture to say that al
the evils which affiict us at this time in this
country arise from departures from this prin
ciple, and all the dangers which confront u.
in the future do so confront us because {
party in this country does not adhere to thi
principle and will not apply it in the admin
istratioon Of the government. Take up any
, | of their measures of nolicv the Freed