Democracy, As I Understand It, Requires Me

I Take Higher Ground. I Hold That In The Present State Of Civilization, Where Two Races Of Different Origin, And Distinguished By Color, And Other Physical Differences, As Well As Intellectual, Are Brought Together, The Relation Now Existing In The Slaveholding States Between The Two, Is, Instead Of An Evil, A Good—a Positive Good. . . . I Hold Then, That There Never Has Yet Existed A Wealthy And Civilized Society In Which One Portion Of The Community Did Not, In Point Of Fact, Live On The Labor Of The Other.

I Never Know What South Carolina Thinks Of A Measure. I Never Consult Her. I Act To The Best Of My Judgment, And According To My Conscience. If She Approves, Well And Good. If She Does Not, Or Wishes Any One To Take My Place, I Am Ready To Vacate. We Are Even.

Protection And Patriotism Are Reciprocal.

[the Taxing Power Of The State] Divides The Community Into Two Great Classes: One Consisting Of Those Who, In Reality, Pay The Taxes And, Of Course, Bear Exclusively The Burden Of Supporting The Government; And The Other, Of Those Who Are The Recipients Of Their Proceeds Through Disbursements,and Who Are, In Fact, Supported By The Government; Or, In Fewer Words, To Divide It Into Tax-payers And Tax-consumers. But The Effect Of This Is To Place Them In Antagonistic Relations In Reference To The Fiscal Action Of The Government And The Entire Course Of Policy Therewith Connected.

Democracy, As I Understand It, Requires Me To Sacrifice Myself For The Masses, Not To Them. Who Knows Not That If You Would Save The People, You Must Often Oppose Them?