St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1861-07-18

Make me both fond and tr,.e q, thee.
SAN GABRIEL MISSION.
Civil War and Strong Government.
From the London 'Sat.nlsy Rseisn}
"At last VIC have got Goycrnnaelss z
was the delighted exclamation Of North
ern Journalist, when the Washington Cabi-
net, having ascertained the will of its
many-headcd masters, began to exchange
its st'itujc Of imbecile wavering for ONE
Of warlikr preparation. The remark apt.
~ Expresses the instructive sympathy Of
ultra-dcmocracy with high-handed dis
plays Of power, and it il not, perhaps
without sinister Significance as regards
the ulterior results Of the struggle into
which the model Republic has plunged.
According to present appearances. there
is every probability that, if the war lasts
any lcnght Of time, the American people
may find, before it is over. that thew really
have got a Government in a sense littl.
dreamed Of by the founders Of their ev,-
stitutional liberties. A vigorous Execu-
tive unembarrassed by over-nice notions
Of legality. seems to he the present
ideal Of Transatlantic aspiration and it
is an ideal which under favorable cir
cumstanccs. is wonderfully apt to realize
itself Laws are proverbially silent in
the midst of arms; and a civil war, in
which the Central Executive constitutes
itself the organ Of the 6ercest Passions Of
u democracy, is admirably calculated to
generate what European politicians call
''strong government"
Souie progress has already been made
towards this consummation Considering
that it is barely two mouths since Presi-
dent Lincoln's Cabinet received its instruc-
tons from popular opinion, it must be adj
nittcd that it has not been idle. Mr..
Bright "never saw" the British Constitu-
ton, and he would perhaps be equally at
loss to detect the traces of an American
Constitution in the recent history Of Trans
atlantic roli,ics. In what respect the ex-
listing Washington Government differs from
military dictatorship it bright take some
time to ex PLAIN We see the President assun,-
ing aud actively exercising powers which
might almost content the executive Of the
most absolute European monarchy. lie
Invites and accepts unlimited offers of men
and money from all quarters, and appa-
rently disposcs Of them at his own unfet-
tered discretion. His generals take mill
tary possession Of towns and districts where
the Jurisdiction Of the regular civil author
isies has never been formally superseded.
and arrest suspected traitors entirely at
their own pleasure.
As for Congress, nobody appears to re-
member its existence The institution sill
survives in contemplation of law, but i,
Germs. practically speaking, quite SUPER
fluffy. The President, aud his Cabinet,
and his Generals. and the Governors ol
states. and the volunteers, evidently con.
slider themselves fully equal to all the de.
inands of the crisis and when Congress
docs sssemble-which will be Just ten
weeks after the first proclamation Of val
it is not very clear what it will be waot.
ed to do; beyond the routine huaines.
Of providing supplies for . struggle on
which it has never been consulted. Louis
Napoleon's Senate and Legislative body
are respectable and influential constitution.
ii authorities compared with the demo.
cratic assemblies which the head Of the
American Government has not yet though,
It necessary to take into his confidence
As it is certain that, in the present tempe,
Of the Northern mind, MIR. Lincoln would
hsve found no difficulty in obtaining from
the Federal Legislature any extra-leg.
powers that he might be inclined to De
mand, this ostentatious contempt for con.
stitutional properties is the more marked
because il is altogether gratuitous.
More than one recent occurrence ha,
given startling proof Of the superiority O
the Washington executive TO legal ~
straints. Two Or three weeks axo, d.
President ordered . rassia to Be made, .
given day and hour, on the Telegraph of
fcers in all the principal towns Of III,
Northern states, on the chance of fnsiins
evidence against ''traitous.n His officer
took forcible possession Of the manuscrip
originals Of al kilograms sent to ths South
during tho preceding twelve months, ant
icaTried them of for inepection by the Gov
eminent. This arbitrary and violent, bu
unquestionably smart, proceeding which
may perhaps afford useful hint b Euro
pean despotisms- appears to have bee,
decidedly popular. AmericaI editors re
corded it with undisguiaed complacency
and evidently admired the saga:isy viii
which the little coup d'efaf Vas planned
and the dexterity with which Il wss execu
ted. The TsmacS New York correspon
dent speaks Of il with much satisfaction |,
- bold stzoke, z anl i pleased to thinl
that ssthe poans1nion af such : mas
Of material gives The Governmen
. guarantee for the quiet behavior Of sus
pected and disshected persons" Il = n
nccessary 10 remark that the possen;on q
the bodies ef saspected and disaiiscted per
SIMS would furnish still better guarante
for their quiet behavior and. ID fact, q