Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-10
THE TWO WARS.
An Exposition OF the UsurpasEOns of Ihe
Lincoln Governments by Unisa MAN.

An Exposition OF the UsurpasLOns of Ih
Lincoln GOVernmcnt by a Uniea man.
From the LeuiEviile Courier.
The following overwhelmingly crushing revie
Of the conduct Ct the Administration Of Mr.. LII
COLIN is taken from pamphlet recently publishe
by Judge S. S. NICHOLAS, Of this city.
Judge NICHOLAS is the most violent and able
the leaders of the party in this State opposed to Ii
secession of Kentucky, and was the first manin Il
State who proposed to compel by constitutions
means the Southern States to return to obedience
the Federal Government; but amazed at the usuI
pstions Of the President, and alarmed at the rapi
encroachments of the Executive, he sees all th
constitutional safeguards of the people and of tn
States being swept away and in the pamphlet nov
before US enters solemn protest against the estab
lishment Of Despotism on the ruins of the Repub
lic and utters an eloquent warning to his country
to resist the overthrow of their liberties ere il
| is too late.
We regret that its great length makes it impossi
ale to lay before the public an essay which should be
read by every Kentucnan.
Under the head of "THE Two WARS" the distin-
guished and able author says:
The nation is now afflicted with two terrible wars
going on together. The war against the Union, and
the war against the Constitution, are being waged
simultaneously. Each wears threatening aspect
of great peril Which presents the greater peril it
would be difficult to decide. Which, if successful
win be the most calsmitoUs, men Of intelligence will
have difficulty in deciding even though they knew
that large majority of our countrymen might de-
eide differently. So, in determining which of the
two is the worst treason-the war against the Union
the war against the Constitution-men will differ
in the same way. A patriot can side with neither
war, but must resist them both. he must do this
even though he brings upon himself an imputation
from the ignorant, that he thereby favors one Of
these The patriotism IS of little worth which
cannot bide the soathing of such imputations.
Independence was great achievement, but the
establishment of civil liberty was greater. The
former was comparatively of little worth without
the latter.
The Union is an inestimable, national benefit but
the Constitution is a still greater national blessing
The principal value of the Union is the preserva-
ton of the Constitution. The Unien is the vase
containing the precious ointment. Let Us not per-
NIT the d. structon of the ointment for the sake Of
the vase "We cannot yield the Jewel to retain the
casket." The preservation Of the Union is worth
a high price. immense price, but it is not above
all price We cannot afford to give the destruction
of the Constitution as that price.
We may be said to owe double alegisnce-one
to the Union the other TO the Constitution Which
is paramount enlightened patriotism will have no
hesitation in deciding. The one is allegiance to
territorial limits whilst the other is also allegiance
to civil liberty The one locks mainly to the physi
cal prosperity of the nation whilst the other looks
to its moral well being its mesns of permanent hap
pness. The is the ordinary patriotism of all |
nations, whilst the other is peculiar to ourselves,
expanding it does into a noble philanthrpy, en-
bracing the deep interest Of all Christendom. The
of our Constitution in its supremacy,
It's sanctity its nviolability, is great interest in
he causes of civil liberty throughout the world. Its
would Re the putting out the last lamp
Of hope to the nations. They would mourn in ray
ess hopeless gloom. The double fealty to Union
md to Constitution beautifully blended into one is
hat double fealty to country and to liberty making
he proud distinctive patriotism of our eOuntrymen.
Whilst we leave it to President Lincoln, with an
lrmy of five hundred thousand men snd power
ul navy to resist the against the Union, eUsry
zen should grid himself for the contest in resisting
he other tcdr against the Constitution In this resist
Ince we can expect no aid from the President, for
le himself is the commander in chief Of all the ag-
,ressors Neither can it be expected from Congress-
ubdued it is into absolute obedience to the Pres
dent by his five hundred million patronage Neither
an it be expected from any of that large class dis
eminating throughout society, who are thirsting
or taste of the Pactolisn stream distributed by
i'm. The odds are terrible, but let us not dspsir.
he imminence of the peril should only serve with
rue hearts to nerve them the stronger.
The celebrated report on retrenehment, made in |
S26, by q committee of the Senate, of which Mr..
Fan Buren, Mr.. Benton, and other distinguished men
we're members, said:
Patronage will penetrate this body, subdue its
apacity Of resistance, chain it to the car of pow
r and enable the President to rule as easily and
luch more securely with than without the nominal
beck of the Senate. We must look forward to the
me when the nomination by the President can car
y any man through the Senate, and his recommen-
alton carry any measure through Congress; when
he principle of public actien will be open and
Towed-the President wants my vote, and want
is patronage What will this be but the govern
lent of one man; and what is the government Of
ne man but monarchy? Names are nothing. The
ature of thing is in its substance, and the name
0on accommodates itself to the substance.
Yet the gentlemen who made this report never
opposed this one-man power would clutch US in
ss than forty years; they never imagined an
ual patronage of five hundred millions.
President Lincoln, by way of exteDuation of his
surpstion, in his attempt to suspend the writ Of
15eds corpus asks in his message "Are all The laws
ut one to 60 unexecuted, and the Government it
If to go to pieces lest that be yOlated?' init
atng thereby that he has, at most, been guilty Of
olating only one law, one infraetion Of the Con
tuition. Let us see.
The following powers are given exclusively to !
opgress: l. To increase the army. 2. To increase
e navy. 8. To appropriate the nations money.
To regulate commerce with foreign nations. 3.
oregulate commerce between the States. ITO con-
act debt on behalf of the InatOn. 7. To suspend .
e writ of hdbeGS corpus The following powers
re denied to both Congress and the President: ].
0 proclaim martial law. 2. Arrest without le-
Il warrant 8. Imprisonment or other punishment
ithout conviction upon legal trial. 4. Punishment
lder er DOS. fdcto or non existing law. 4. The {
PRODUCTION of Lettres de edehe, Bsstiles, and the
idn1ght secret proceedings of the Inquisition s. {
he interdctions of exports. 6. The faVoring of
me ports to the prejudice of others 7. Regula- y
IN of the commerce of q State within its own
,unds 8. To impair the freedom of speech and ! &
e press. 9. To infringe the peoples right to r
ep and bear srms." 10. To make unreasOn- e
e searches or seizures. H. To prohibit emigra- d
m or require passport II. To dismiss the police
the city, in an unprecedented State, and appoint Il
hers in their place. Here nineteen impOr ant q
VS., or constitutional provisions, which he has q
ossly, wilfully violated His usurpations are so b
tensive that it would narrow the inquiry to ask, Il
hat law or constitutional provision he has not vo~
ted, rather than to ask which he has violated or II
urped upon. The rights the safe guards he has II
Ken awsy are greater, far greater than those he Al
left Ii is not question whether we shall over p
* only single usurpation as he claims, but | Il
lether we shall countenance such multifariOus al
urpation; whether the rights and powers he has CT
to the nation, to Congress- or the Judiciary. el
ally worth as much as those he has stolen These s.
fits are not to be counenanced or excused under Il
pretext of putting down rebellion, for if h. can c.
put it down with an army Of five hundred thou d.
nd men, and powerful navy, without trampling Ct
the Constitution it is because the thing cannot II
accomplished, and be could not do it with all the 81
wer that could be accumulated into his incOmpe N
It hands He has, with the butt end of his lmple m
mt mauled the Constitution to pieces, and with al
foot upon its fragments, he bids the nation an Il
olent defiance IN
To ali this usurpaton a venal Congress Yields dl