The weekly independent. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss) 1848-1853, 1848-05-06
REBUKE OF THE ADMIN1STRA
TlON BY A DEMOCRATIC
DRESS

lion BY A DEMOCRA1lC
PRESS,
We re publish the following from the
Charleston Mercury which is so much to
the purpose, conveyingas it does sting.
ing rebuke TO those who have dared TO
charge those differing with the Executive
and his immediate followers as guilty OF
treason, that we adopt it fully, and COM
mend it to the special attention OF our
readers:
Treason and Taitors---It is the habit
of many of the Administration presses, in
speaking ofthose who oppose the Presi-
dents plan for the prosecution Of host'll
ties in Mexico, to denounce their conduct
as treason, and themselves as traitors to
the country. To say that in all this there
is bad taste, bad temper and the grossesl
injustice, is to characterize it in the mild
est wav, This is not war for the de-
fence of our soil, but war ofinvason and
for purpose Of conquest. However little
room there may be for difference of opin.
ion when it comes to the protection ofour
own home and 6resides, surely the citizen
is not to be denied the right OF discussing
and determining how far. and in wha;
manner. i, is advisable for the government
10 persevere in carrying war into dis
tant and foreign territory. The conduct
of the war, like all other measures ofthe
Government, is OPEN to the criticism and
control Of the people. 1.-THE Adminlslra-
lion 90 wrohg,is there any obligatio. up.
on the country to uphold i in its career
of wrong2 On the contrary. have no.
the people the powerand the right, and is
1t not the duty, to arrest it in its course,
and, as speedily as may be, to put it upon
the right track?
The argument on the other side if in
deed that can be called argument which
is only denunciatlon seems to assume
! that the Government is the country, or
rather that it is something above and SUI
perior to the country. That is no part
Of our political faith. Such is not our
democracy. We hold that our rulers are
but the servants of the country. and that
their official conduct and their public
+ tnedSuTtS are III all tlHneS, WHctntF III
war or peace subject to the examination
and the control Of the people, according
/ to the forms ofthe constitution. The Pres
ident and his advisers may propose what.
ever plans 70 the prosecution Of the wal
). they in their wisdom may see fit; but lie,
them not imagine, in the fitness of theil
self. satisfaction that they are the people
and that all wisdom shall die with them
r There are those whose rights and " hose
duty it is to supervise their plans, and if i
so seems good, to change and rejec, them
and if it were otherwise, all our boastec
freedo II will have resulted only in the
establishment of great central power
which is higher and Stronger than the
sovereign people themselves, and whose
imperial mandates it is their only duty tt
obey without challenge or question.
= Neither the government nor its organs
have any shadow of right to complain o
the people, so far as the war is concerned
r Never was there reader or more en-.
= thusia site response than was made by ou
gallant countrymen to the executive cal
for troops. Without DISSECTION to party
>, without reference other individual view
upon the orlsi or necessity of the war
they hocked 10 the standard of thei
=, country; and with generous rivalry Dor,
:, her eagles in triumph wherever the,
y were ordered TO plant them. States, hk
!, Kentucky and Soath Carolina, who's
:, people were known to disapprove of tn
:, war, were prompt to meet the requisltlo
of their President, and freely gave thei
bravest spirits to the call of the counir.
to arms. Among the foremost ! n the fgh
e were the sons of these gallant States, dc
n ing deeds of vaor and displaying tx
i amples ofheroic devo,edness that will liv
e and glow in the pages of our history ii
l. the Republic shall be no more. And ar
+ the people of Kentucky and South Care
o lima, who have expended so mach bloc
e and treasure in this war, and who's
y names are identified with its most bri
1t liam achieve ments, to be denounced i
If traitors to the country because they dar
to differ from the President and his az
" yisers upon their plan for the conduct {
J. the war? Well and proudly may the
y respond TO their slanderers, in the wore
n of the eloquent and indignant Patric
Henry. when subjected to a simla
J. charge from the minions Of monarch
Is Jfthis be treason, then make the most
m nt