Year: 1859

there is Just now concealed subte plot to discard


and set aside the grand principle upon which that
| Constitution rests-viz: the right of constitu-


tonal majority to govern. Instead Of the existiog
! Union il is sought to substitute Government of


totally different character. The very same opera
ton which, under the auspices of Southern slave
holders and Northern d0ughfaces, has already been
successfully performed on the Democratic party it
is now proposed through the same instrumentality,
| TO perform upon the Constitution and the Unon.


The complete and total Transformation
which the Democratic party has under
gone, leaving of what originally distinguished
il nothing but the name, is political phenomenon
as fully developed as it is strange and portentous
The Democratic party, under the leadership OF Je!-
ferscn, its founder, during his life its oracle aud
since bis death It's patron saint, originally into
power as the especial advocate Of the doctrine Of
the equal rights Of man. The great doctrine Of
that party was the maintenance Of personal rights
against the encroachments of property. 1t
claimed to be the friend and protector of the poor
as against the rich Of the laburer against the en-
ployer of the weak as against the strong, Of the
many as against the few. 1t steadiastly opposed
oil aristocratic and class distinctions. 1t
energelically deuied that either birth or
wealth gave any title to political power. Itscouted
the idea that to be born humble, even to be but
moderately endowed by nature, furnished any
ground for political disranchisement. The only
right to office which it recognized was the free
choice of the majority Of ones fellow citizens. II
guarded with special watchfulness the liberty of
speech and of the press 1t urgently insisted that
however men might differ in other things they were
at least entitled to political equality. OF course,
those who professed those principles did not at
tempt TO Justify Negro Slavery On the other hand,
they bitterly lamented it threatening evil and
deep disgrace, from which they devoutly hoped that
a coed Providence would in some way open door
of deveranco.


1t was by the profession of these principles, and
by the support received from the laboring popula-
ton South as well as North that, in spite Of the
warm and united opposition Of the wealthy slave
holders of the South and the monied capitalists Of
the North, the Democratic party obtained ascen-
dancy in our national affairs. In the times Of JEFF
ferson and Madison the great body Of the large
shareholders Of tue South were us much excluded
from influence or control over the National Ad-
ministration as were the great body OF the large
property holders at the North. Men belonging to
either of those classes could only obtain the conf
dence of the Democratic party by renouncing the
special and peculiar interests Of those classes, and
identifying themselves with the sentiments of the
mass of the people.


At preesnt we fHd the Democratic party trans
formed into the special and peculiar advocate Of
certain alleged rights of property. In the States
in which this party is predominant, the liberty of
the press, liberty Of speech, even liberty opinion
is tstentatousy sacrificed to the security of these
alleged rights of property. 1t is no longer the
rights and interests of the many with which the
Democratic party concerns itself, but the rights
aud interests of the few. The three hundred aud


fifty odd thousand shareholders engross all its aten.
ton. They are of vastly more importance in its
eyes than the millions of free laboring men North
and South-those very laboriDg men whose voices
and votes raised the Democratic party to
power, and gave it that prestige of which
it s,ill seeks to avail itself. 1t is not merely
the discussion of the Slavery question: as it regards


he welfare of the negroes and the duties of the
masters, 10 which the Democratic party opposes
ITSELF Ii Is still more violent, if possible, sgainst
the discussion of tnat question il affects the vel
fare and the rights of the nOn-slaveholdng whites;
that is t, say, of the grs at body Of the people,
South as well as North. Witness the clamor raised
in Congress against Helpers book. Mr.. Helper ap-
peals to the of thewhte populationinthe South
en States to take into con liberation the depressing
influences, political personal, social, and moral,
which the existence Of Slavery exercises upon them.
This appeal is denounced by the whole Democratic
party as an instigation to treason and rebellion, as
though the white lsboring population of the South
had no rights except such the ssveholding inter
est may be pleased to concede to them.


While thus devotng itself exclusively to the inter-
ests of the shareholders. the Democratic party no
longer appeals for aid 10 the great mass of the
lsboring population of the NOrth-ts original sdvo
Gates and supporters. II turns about and throws
itself into the arms of the wealthy few, TO whom il
calls for aid, not in the name of liberty and personal
rights, but in the name of property.


The Democratic party, thus transformed, is now
zeslousy at work, under pretense of love for the
Constitution and the UDien, 70 bring about o cor
responding transfermstion in the nature Of oar
Federal Governments change Justly regarded by
that party as the mesns, aud the only means Of
perpetuatng is power. The Constitution provides
that the person who shall receive majority Of the
electoral votes shall be President The only quail


cstion which the Constitution prescrbes is citizen
ship of the United States. The Democratic party