Year: 1879

The state-sOvereignty Enemies of the


Nation.


After hundred years of scarcely in
terrupted growth and prosperity it is
very strange that even one citizen of
the Republic should seek its destruction;
and it is incomprehensible that great
political party should base its sole claim
to support on the theory that the United
States of America do not constitute q
Nation with the right of self-preserva-
tion through the exercise of every
power known to any governmental or
ganisml 1t is astonishing that both of
the great political parties of the coun-
try are compelled to relegate to the fu-
ture all questions of administration
questions of taxation and revenue, and
questions of finance--in order to give
place to the one supreme question: Are
we Nation, or a mere aggregation of
States held together by simple con-
tract in the nature of a treaty, which
any one of the contracting parties
States-may abrogate at pleasureP Un-
der the impression that the War of the
Rebellion settled this question in favor
of the integrity and unity of the Nation,
thousands of Republicans quit the Re-
publican party during the period of
1S72-1870, on the ground of its contin-
ued adherence to the theory that the
Southern wing of the Democratic party
was still inimical to the Nation. Con-
| servative citizens who did not carefully
note the political signs of the times
failed to comprehend what appeared to
be an absurd proposition. This defec-
ton from the Republican party resulted
in the ascendency of the Democratic
party in Congress. The Democratic
control of the Lower House of Con-
gress in 1875 verified the theory of
Radical Republicans, who had all
along maintained that the ruling
element in the Democratic party
counsels-the Southern wing-had
by no means abandoned its hostile
attitude toward the Nation as opposed
10 the dogma of the absolute sovereign
ty of the States. The fact becoming
apparent, there was a change In public
sentiment. Many disaffected Republic
ans resumed their old party affiliations,
and in 1878 greatly reduced the Demo-
cratic majority in the popular branch
of Congress. But the repentance came
OOO ldJ6 W Save Jl6 1u6 Uull-
doing and frauds which made all the
Southern State Governments solidly
Democratic gave those States almost a
solid representation in the Senate, and
the Republican detection in 1S74'76 re-
suited in such Democratic gains at the
North that its control of the Senate was
assured. The Congressional session of
1873 and the special session of this year
rendered still more evident the fact of
Democratic hostility to the Nation. 1t
was boldly denied that there could be
such an event as a National election,
and most determined attempt was
made to erase from the statute books
every enactment which implied such an
event. Coupled with this attempt was
the declaration of the purpose of the
Democratic party to repeal by whole
sale all the legislation intended to pre-
serve the fruits of the late war. This
contempt for the Nation and National
laws 80 prominently and defiantly ex-
pressed in Congress produced an ir1lme-
diate effect at the South. The Southern
journalists began to denounce the Con-
stitution, the flag, and the reconstruc-
tion laws, and these denunciations in
creased in violence from day to day un-
| til the Okolona States came out boldly,
threatening new revolutioni A
| significant circumstance in this
connection is the fact that the
circulation of the States has rap
idly increased, and other papers,
observing that their contemporary has
caught the popular breeze, follow with
moro or less fervor in its wake. Thus
we have indubitable evidence that the
States, which prOnounces unqualifiedly
against the Union and in favor of the
dogma of absolute State independence,
most accurately reflects Southern pub
lie sentiment. To the same effect are
the inculcations of the Yazoo assassina-
ton. That horrible event shows con-
clusively that with Democratic Con-
gress the Democrats of Mississippi have
no fear of being brought to book, by
National authority, for political crimes,
however heinous; and that they propose
10 nullify, absolutely, the negro-suffrage
amendment to tho Constitntion This.
then, is the situation: the house is on
fire, and the incsndiaries are Demo-
Gratis. 1t is not to be presumed that
they would, if they could, extinguish
the flames they have kindled. 1t fol-
lows that to give the Democratic party
control of the Government would be to
doom it to destruction. No situation
could be more grave. 1t is its gravity
which has reunited all the factions OF
the Republican party. AS the attempt
to shoot the Union to death divided the
people into two distinct, solid, opposing
masses-the party of patriots and the
party of traitors, in the words of the
lamented Qouglas-so the threat of the
Democratic party to disintegrate the
Union by law and administration drives
from its affiliation the conservative
class, and forces them into the Repub
: lican ranks. The issue under suct
J circumstances cannot be doubtful
The proposition to even menace the
Union with dismembermentis is not mere
, ly a threat against the integrity of 6
/ great Nation; it is a menace equally Il
the happiness and prosperity of every


citizen of the country. Chicago Trib