The Evansville daily journal., 1858-10-09
The Issue.
SATURDAY MoRNING-......

The Issue.
Discuss it rs we may, whether as Lecomp-
tonism and anti-Lecomptonism, pro and
nti-slavery, or Administration and oppo-
sition measures, the real issue involved in
the present struggle under all its devices
and pretences-is the extension and restric-
ton Of Executive power There is an act
i've conflict being carried on by the Execu-
tive, and its army of 2oO,0 Office holders,
to overcome the passive resistance of the
people to a surrender of their legitimate
control Of the government. On one hand
is the sleepless energy which the thirst for
power and the love of spoils inspire; and on
the other the listless indifference which
fancied security, which unbounded private
prosperity engenders among the people Al
ready large share of the power Of Govern
ments has been stolen from the many and
usurped by the few Emboldened by sue
cess, the Executive has aimed boldly at
some of the most sacred constitutional rights
of the people. Though partially defeated,
it is not conquered nor discouraged. The
spirit yet manifested by the Executive party
has all the characteristics of selfish usurp-
ing tyranny; it pursues with unrelenting
rigor, and intolerant zeal, every manifesto
ton of free thought, as rebellion against
its power, Douglas and HoYey and every
independent Democrat that has had the
moral courage to oppose the absolute rule of
the executive is hunted and denounced with
the rancor of inexorable hate as yindictive
as that with which Austrian absolutism pur-
sues those who are seeking the means to
overthrow its tyranny.
The Buchananites declare Lecemptonism
dead it is no longer a living question with
any practical consequences dependent on it.
Yet every man who in the past had differed
in opinion with the President. on this sub
ject-cvery one who now refuses to bow
down and confess the correctness of James
Buchanan's Kansas policy is prescribed, and
pursued with unrelentiug and avenging
hostility by his mercenarics What is the
purpose of furnishing men for their opinions
on a by gone, obsolete question-''a dead
issue unless it be to crush out all freedom
of opinion, and teach them habits of sub
mission, to accustom their neck to the yoke
of power, and their souls to mental chains
which shall fit them for future slavery
We see the despotism of the Executive
rule fastening itself by the machinery of
party on all around us. Nor municipal and
county candidates are all to be tried by
Federal Executive TESTIFY tribunals erect
ed by the Executive to expound Federal
politics.
Every candidate for acountry Office among
from the odious doctrines of buchanan, is
arraigned under ediets promulgated from
Washington, and tried before Star Chamber
Courts, organized in political cliques in every
post office, where bolter is prescribed as
rebel by the adherents ofthe administration,
and no means left untried by them to defeat
him. Our Sheriff, County Treasurer, the
members to represent our local interests in
the Legislature, must swallow the odious
doctrines of James Buchanan, on a past and
dead issue, and believe in executive infali-
bility, or they are condemned by the Bu-
chanan c1iques, and crushed if the weight of
Executive power can reach them, through
its agents.
In the contest now in progress in this
D;cfr;ct NiblocI- bo pcY 9 a.
Executive, who is striving to gain the reins
of power, and plotting the overthrow of the
constitutional division of the powers of the
Government Niblack is the champion, the
apologist, the subservient defender-right
or wrong-of the executive policy His
highest sense of public duty is to know the
executive will and do his bidding; such, at
least, are the avowals in his public speeches.
He endorses, he says, all that has been done;
and from that we may be pretty sure there
can be nothing in the future, but he will
commend and support
Judge Hovey on the other hand is the
bold tribune of the people, resisting the en-
croachments-defending the constitution
and insisting upon the government being
made obedient to the popular will and the
constitutional independence of the judicial
legislative and Executive departments. In
this struggle between accumulated and
usurped powers of the Executive and the
people, he is fighting single handed against
the mercenary hosts of Office holders, for
the fundamental principles of popular rights
and popular sovereignty, not only in the
Territories but in the States into whose
affairs the Federal Executive is everywhere
obtruding itself, as it is in this county and
in this district.