Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-10-04

and their inevitable tendency to change the Gov
crnment Of the Northern United States, from Re-
preventative Republic to monarchical Military
Despotism, is taken from letter written by dis
tnguished lawyer of Alabama so his relative in
Tennessee. It's we'll worthy place in your col
umns, and hope you will find room for it.
al wish to call your attention to what seems to
me well developed fact That greater revolI-
fion is Yoao in actual and rapid progress in what
mains of the old Federal Government, than that
which has been effected in the Confederate States.
This is moderate statement of the case, and
think you will say so when refer to facts more in
detail.
In the Southern Confederacy, we have, and ex-
pect to have, the same form of Government we
have all along enjoyed-a Representative Republic.
The Constitution Of the Confederate States is sub
stantally the same constitution formed by Washing
ton, Jefferson and Madison. The one is the model
of the other. The alterations mostly verbal
making plain whatever, in the old instrument po-
litcal schemers had rendered doubtful, and cor
recting false interpretations that tended to destroy
the rights of the States. The Constitution is what
all States Rights Republicans believe the cid Fede-
raj Constitution was, by its trainers, intended and
understood to be. The few changes made, in sub
stance; were suggested by experience, and they
tend to lessen the temptations to corruption and
abuse of power For instance Under the old
Federal Constitution the President is eligible for
any number Of terms under the Confederate Con-
sttution that officer is eligible for but one term of
six years. and is forever afterwards excluded All
temptation to use the patronage and Influence of
his Office, so to secure a reelection is thus cut
of, leaving him in personal motive but an honest
fame, to be sought only in promoting the good of
his country. What the Confederate States have
done then, is simply this: They have dissolved
their connection with the old Federal Government,
and formed new Confoderacy among themselves
ashionng their Constitution after the old one and
guarding aganstabuses. This is their revolution
if such change may be called revolution.
But in the old Federal Union, revolution is go
ing on that ts RADICAL changing fundamentally the
form and structure and whole character Of the Co..
ernnent 1t was Republic: the indications are
clear that it is rapidly becoming, and in brief pc
riod will be- monarchy; it may be the worst sort
n
fair comparison win show that Abraham Lincoln
has done more, tending to this end, in five months,
than Louis Napoleon did in twelve months.
With stroke of the pen Mr.. Lincoln has abol-
ished all States Rights. To sustain his assertion
that there is such thing as State Sovereignty, he
boldly declares that no of the States ever had
a separate existence out of the Union althoughev-
hat tbo
independence in l776, and that the Constitution
was not formed until 1887; although in forming
that instrument in Convention, the States voted
yerally States, each State, the largest and the
smallest, having but one vote although in subse-
quently ratifying the Constitution, each State acted
by itself aud for itself, independently of all the
rest; although two of the States-North Carolina
and Rhode Island-did lot ratify it, and therefore
did not go into the Union until long after the Gov
l ernment had gone into operation Although, in
short the simple history of the original States clear
y shows the contrary of what Lincoln asserts, and
clearly proves that he ignores facts and falsies his
= tory. Mr.. Lincoln does not stop with abolishng
the rights of the States thus amassng all power in
l. the Federal Government He would concentrate
all this power in the Executive Department. TIC
:. this end he has virtually annued the Judicial De-
partment He holds the decisions of the Supreme
Court Of the United States Of no authority, and
he treats the venerable Chief Justice aud the pro-
Cess issued by him with contempt.
The Legislative Department fares not much bet
ter. True his bearing toward the members of Con-
E. gress, who are submissive to him, is somewha
more courteous. Yet he does not hessate, of hi
own arbitrary will, whenever it suits his purpose
to exercise powers that arc vested by the Constitu
ton exclusively in Congress. Worse even thai
that he has done what the Constitution expressl,
and positively forbids to be done at ALL by any de
\ partment of the Government or by all of them to
gether The Constitution says: "No preference
shUll be given, by any regulation of commerce o
revenue to the ports of State over those of an
- other" Yet MIR. Lincoln, declaring that all of tn
ordinances Of secession are Void and claiming tina
the Southern States yet belong to the Federal Gov
ernment arbitrarily blockades the ports of eght
these States-of two before they had seeded
shutting out all commerce from them, while b
20 keeps the ports of the Northern States open,
The Constitution gives to Congress, alone, tn
power "to raise and support armies" Yet Nj
Lincoln, of his own will, more than doubles tn
standing army of the United States and, by pre-
clamaton, calls forth another army of $4,000 vo
unteers; and, without proclamation, raises an
- equips double that number.
The Constitution gives to Congress- alone, Ii
power "to provide and maintain navy" Yet
it Lincoln buys and charters for the navy steame
aud vessels in numbers and descriptions limited oil
= ly by his own will. The Constitution entrusts
Congress, alone, the power "to declare war" Y
Mr.. Liucoln, without the consent of Congress, HI
begun, and for months has carried on, atrocio'
and barbarous war against the Confederate State
of his own will