Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-01-29

cease to DO the respected arbiter deciding
The differences between men--the off:
GERS chosen viii not commend the sup
port Of the community in making or exe'
cutting the laws-ihe battle will not end
when the election is made-it will go on
until rebellion and civil war shall take
the place of obedience and pence. And
why should this be? We determine by
our written constitution who is legally
entitled TO vote. We have the power
20 punish those who do il. without au-
,horiiy. LIE: US likewise, with severe
and heavy penalties, chastise those who
deprive or deter the legal voter from the
exercise of one OF his mos, sacred rights.
To secure this great privilege OF defer
mining their officers by he voice OF a
majority. mankind have struggled for a
ges. and now. when it is secured. shall it
DO ihrown away by selfish smbition7--
Are not the freemen who conquer free
men by violence. as much tyrsnts over
their fellow citizens as the despot who
subdues his people by the sword, You
should regard thai man who deprives
legal voter Of his suffrage as an enemy to
libeny-as a tyran, not satisfied that
man should BE free.
In addition 10 this violent invasion Of
the right OF suffrage. there has been q
systematic effort made by fraudulent and
Illegal votes TO control the government
of the State. All good men must regret
that there should be found any so lost TO
every sense Of honor, so dead to every
patriotic feeling, that they are willing to
rob their nsighbors Of their legal rights
by corruption and fraud. Can such me N
have considered wha, fatal conseq ue noes
will flow from this practice il continusdi
Though they may acquire temporary
ascsndancy. they should remember that
the peace and good order Of community
depend upon keeping the ballot box so
thai all will yield a willing obedience TO
the verdict il rsnders-all their civil and |
social rishis--all their hopes Of liberty
for themselves and descendants. depend
upon maintaining the purity OF The bal
lott box. That this great wrong may no,
be again inflicted on the State, you !
should provide such measure of punish
meni as will deter the wicked and protect
the good. You should punish the illegal
voter, and he who procures an illegal
vote to be cast. as q greater felon than
the man who has unlawfully taken his
neighbor's property. We are all intsres-
Ted in this subject, for if we are satisfied
with our form of govsrnment-if we are
content with the measure of freedom we
enjoy. We must maintain the basis OF
hat government and that freedom. And
Ill men must know that liberty and pu.
ity Of the ballot box are one and inse pc
able.
Gentlemen. you have all been more or
ess engaged in the canvass which has re.
emily closed in Indiana, and yen canno,
tut have observed how few Of our fellow ,
itizens determined their action by any
enefit they expected to derive. or any !
injury they feared 10 suffer, from the
avs OF their own State. Indeed, they
we're seldom called upon TO consider
hose subjects which more nearly affected
heir local interests. but had their atten- $
ion rather directed to the laws and in
OF those who reside in neigh
oring States and Territories; and think
am warranted in expressing the opinion,
hat the people OF no State ever more
thoroughly Investigated their duty. At r
er the most careful consideration they
ave decided that. as for Indians. she :
ill recognize and execute the Constitu-
ion of the United States as the highest
Nv for the government Of her people. os !
nat Constitution is interpreted by The Il
1bunal established and authorized by 81
ne instrument itself, 10 decide between
10 separate and United States.
That as for those who regulate the
MS and institutions of other States, we
ill conceds 10 them the same sover- =
gnty and independence which We claim
~ ourselves. Nor DO we stop here. If :
w fellow citizens desire TO go beyond
ie limits of the States and male their
ONES within the territories (purchased :
y the blood and treasure OF all, we SAY
ley go shorn Of mono OF their sovereign .
ghts which they possessed as citizens of :
10 State, but fully authorized to regulate
leir domestic affairs in their own way, r
lbject only to the Constitution OF the \
nited States. At the time the federal %
MON was formed, ell thought as we q
DIV do. They believed that il was safe s.
permit tbs people Of each State to al
gulste their local institutions in their Pr
Sn way, aud that patriotism and chris m
an duty demanded that they should pro- ~ ~
CT them N their rights as they were hs
laraniied by the letter and spirit of the
institution which made that Union.- h,
ut during the last canvass, from the ~ =,
ess. the rossrnm, and the pulpit. the er
Exclamation was made that the citizens IN
some of the States were violating the he
VS. of God and injuring the cause of ie
imam freedom by holding kind Of ro
operty. which, when the war Of Revo- TAI
lion began. had a legal existence in pl
cry portion of the vast empire which Al
cogrizes es supreme law the Constitu- n;
IN Of the United .States-that it was D,
u duty to disregard the plighled faith Er
our fathers, and lrample under our feel Fe
E agreement they had made. rather ri'
an see The constitutional righls of a.
opefty maintained. and moreover, that 10
was our duty TO elect President oft III.
aited States, with Congress to sustsin
N. who maintained ths, when IN A. &C. &C.
srican citizen crossed the boundary of de-
2 State end enfared the ferx;for~ h. ex