Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-08-29
Letter from Edward Everett.

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Letter from Edward Everett.
Some Considerations for the People of
Every Community In Every Free and
Half Way Measures with Traitors or
Pretending Union Men.
tis an old proverb that the laws are ST.
lent amidst arms. The laws are, for the most
part, made for state of peace, excepting
those which expressly refer to war, and the
manner of conducting it. When state of
war arises, the community necessarily un-
dergoes great, and sometimes rapid
change; the quiet pursuits of society are to
some extent, checked and in the immediate
vicinity Of the seat Of war, suspended, and
with them the laws, which e5ulate those
pursuits, must for the time give way to the
stern necessities of the new state of things.
1t should, however, be, and it is, the great
effort ofan enlightened Government in civ
| ilzed countries, to keep this disturbance of
the peaceful order Of things within the mar
rowest limits, and allow the supremacy of
the law to be interfered with by military au-
thority as little as possible 1t is in particu-
lar u cardinal maxim of free governments,
that the military commander should be sub
are undoubtedly cases, when war exists, in
which the public safety absolutely requires
that the operation OF the laws and the author
ity Of the civil magistrate should yield to
the paramount considerations which require
summary measures. The patriotic magis-
trate, OF whatever rank, must in such cases
exert that moral courage-quite equal to the
courage required for the risks of the field
which is needed for the discharge of the
unpopular duty of suspending the laws
He must not shrink before the reproaches
which his conduct is sure to bring upon him
I from the timid, the preverse, and the disaf
tected, cloaking their disloyalty under an as
sumed zeal for constitutional principles. =
lie must take the risk even Of subsequent
disavowal, for poor humanity isvery prone to
be wise after the event and brave after the
danger. But he will conina his interference
+, with the regular march of law to the mar
rowest limits and tewest occasions, and be
the first to welcome the restoration of its au.
thority.
These are the general maxims which ap-
ply to the conflict of civil and military au
thoIty, and the practical difficulty will nat.
ura!ly lie, not in their general soundness
but in their application to particular cases
This difficulty will Of course be much grea
ter in the commencement Of a state of war
than after it has lasted some time, and the
community has been obliged to conform it.
h self to the cyigencies Of the contest. Al
the present time, those citizens in some o
the Border States, who sympathize with the
Coniedcrates, think it hard that they cannot
be at peace aud at war, in the Union and
out oft, ut the same time. They claim the
protection Of the Constitution Ms in time
nf, ,hal Ia,
while they render secret and, when circum
arms against them They assault the forces
moving to the defence Of the Capital; they
convey supplies and arms to the enemy they
recruit his ranks openly and by stealth, and
to effect these objects they sometimes avail
themselves OF official position and authority
derived from the Government, which they
assail and when that Government in self
defence, interferes to arrest these treasOna-
bic movements and Vaccinations, they clam.
or that the liberties Of the citizens are in.
vaded
There are presses, for tho most part in
the Border States, though some of them are
, found in cities more remote from the scene
of action, which arc daily pleading the cause
Of the enemy, misrepresenting and villifying
the Government of the United States, ex
aggeratng every article of unfavorable intel
lgence, and exerting themselves to the ut
most to dishearten the friends and defenders
of the Constitution and the Union But
such is the all but superstitious devotion ol
the people to the liberty of the Press, that
these pernicious journals have, with the ex.
ception of single instance in st. Louis
never been interfered with. II seems to
have been thought better by those in au
thority to tolerate the mischief of these un
patriotic presses, than to elevate them ia
greater importance by prosecution, or to en-
croach in the slightest degree upon that
freedom ofpublic discussion which in ordi
nary times is justly regarded as one Of the
greatest safeguards ofliberty. But ii ispre
posterous 10 sacrifice the ea,d to the means
Weshould in this respect learn wisdom from
the enemies ofthe Union. While we regard
as unbecoming our Christian civilization that
resort to Lynch law, by which every expires.
sion Of opinion adverse to the popular senti
ment is suppressed in the seeding States.
we ought to remember that in tolerating q
traitor0us Press among ourselves, we prac
tice liberality ,ohich acakens no gratitud,
at home, and Is neper reciprocatedby the OPP
posing party. II rs an fact an absurdity II
terms, under the venerable name Of the Rber
| W W Nc Peoc, ~ PcfHtU Utc SystcUptW uWC
licentions abuse of a Government phich is tdn
ed to the utmost IN defending the country
from, general disintegration and pohtica
chaos. The Governor Of Malta was ono,
censurcd in Parliament for some alleged
I severity toward the editor Of q journal il
that island, and the liberty Of the press wa
declared to be in danger. The Duke Of Wei
lington said he was as friendly to the libert,
Of the press in London as anybody, but q ire,
press in the Island Of Malta was as mucl
!, out of place as on the quarterback of man
ofwar. We suppose the most enthusiastic
champion Of the liberty Of the press woul,
) hardly think it right to publish Q journa
within the walls Of Fort McHenry, in whlcl
the officers Of that garrison should be dali,
. advised to desert and the men be constantl
5 cxhorted to mutiny; and whose column
, should he filed with persistent abuse Q
: the Government and all engaged in its de
q fence. Why should journals Of that dc
scription DO allowed to diffuse their poiso
: beneath its walls amidst the excitable popu
: lation Of large city. .,-,.,.'
I So too with reference to the freedom q
a speech in debate, one Of the vital condition
# Of republican liberty Tho late session
y Congress has Witnessed rnagnanimity 0
b. an Tff T ,rrra o9izeN afai atc