Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-06-18
American constitutional Liberty
The South its only Protector.

,biaav aIso tn Southern Craftsmanship Is the
eountry indebted for its preservation, and for
the unparaIleIed progress, which was made,
under its benign authority. in all that digni-
fes and exalts, and gives responsibility and
mower to a Nation. Northern statesmen de-
sired a stronger government, and sought by
Iatitudinarian construction TO stretch II
IN their standard /; whilst Southern statesmen
commended for strict construction and rigid
adherence to its letter and spirit. The con-
test between these opposing ideas begun with
the institution of the government and was
constantly prosecuted Long ago, had the
Northern idea prevailed, the constitution
1ronId have been destroyed, but happily the
Government was administered for sixty of the
seventy-two years of its existence, previous
IN its dismemberment, eithsr by Southern
men or Northern men sustaining the South
en- idea, and supported by the South All
the assaults which, during the existence OF
the Union. were made upon it, were made
under the instigatiOn or tutelage OF Northern
statesmanship but until the success OF the
,.,tv of WHOSE principles and views Mr. LIN
corx Is the embodiment. in getting control Of
the Government, the South and its allies
North interviewed for its preservstiOn- Thus
thew preserved for themselves and for the
North though somewhat impaired, the fber-
~ Guaranteed By the Constitution But, the
success of the Republican party was re
c.-dsd- by a portion Of the Southern States
a. the eliminating point of the old contrO-
rs-,y. foreshadOwiBg the entire overthrow OF
the constitution, and they deemed 1t due to
the perpetGatiOn of constitutional liberty, to
..za-. their Inherent right to separate them
.oIyes from their Confed. rates and institute
new government for themselves and all others
who might choose to follow their example,
and accent their fortunes. Thy went peace
fully to work. revolution was accomplished
not nv force of arms. but through the ballot
hoy and taking the old constitution as a
model they framed another. departing from
the model only in such instances as the sug-
,estiops of wisdom and experience admitted
IN be necessary. The few changes made have
baen acknowledged to be improvements, CAL
culsted 10 throw additional SAT guards around
our liberties. and still further to promote the
nubIic good. In no manner whatever did
tbey attempt TO restrict or abrldge the lib rites
of the people, but have endraVored honestly
m remove as far as possible from the consti-
tuted authorizes, and from political parties,
the mower and the temptation to assail them.
Although the Conf derate States acted on
" in pursuance of the principles of the Dec
;arstion of American Independence, and in
the exercise OF rights no American freeman
ought to question. they have met with tue
opposition of the Northern Administration,
which assumes 10 deny them, as did the British
crown in &c their ancestors the right TO choose
their own government. Aud as a consequence
the two governments are involved IN war
tho one for the preservation of the liberties
of the people; the other, for the subjuga-
ton 70 their authority of people who have
thrown off their allegiance. The war thus
commenced, and prosecuted by the latter is
in open defiance of the Constitution. In
deed. to begin and prosecute 1t, the President
found it necessary to set aside the COnstitu-
ton and to usurp authority it conferred upon
Congress Mr.. STEPHENS, The Vice President
of the Confederate States, in a recent speech,
pointed out most graphically. the usurpations
of Mr.. LINCOLN, and for the purposes OF this
article we introduce here and adopt what he
said, to wit
/" Mr.. Lincoln makes war on US to project
the public property. and yet under him the
public properly has been destroyed by mil
burned "A
Har,oer's Ferry and at the Navy Yard at Nor
folk. This is no war to protect the property
of the Government but to cOerce and subju-
oate rs What law was he executing when
he issued his proclamation calling for $4,000
volunteers. Il was in open palpable viola
lation of law that he did it. 1t was without
authority OF law or the shadow OF law No
usurper ever entered upon a more uncOnsIi-
tutionaI career. By proclamation be has 10
creased the army Is 900. What Jaw was this
in execution of Ii was a law OF his own
making By proclamation he has increased
the navy q. 900. What law was This in eX-
ecution OF ? A law of his cwn making in pal
pabIe violation of the Constitution which he
was sworn to support
The Constitution was the foundation-the
soul and life that we adOIed that Consiiiu-
ton that our fathers made, AMI whicc the
Confederate States have rescued from the i'm
pcnding destruction of his hands, and now
hold as q shield over you and your posterity,
gives the power co Congress and not to the
President to raise armies and nav les The
Pr. sident has no power, and people who
submit TO such glaring usuTpations may have
a name TO be free, but in TACT they are nothing
but serfs and vassais. A war TO execute the
laws! By " bat law does be issue his warrant to
arrest freemen and immune them in jails and
dungeons, without information or prOsecu
ton! By what law has be assumed 10 sus-
nerd the writ of hqbeds corpus By the Con
s,i,u, ION of our fathers aud by the Con-
sti,utio,1 of the Confederate SIaIes, Con-
press -aIo,1e can suspend this great writ
Of The,ty. which was extorted even from
a British King in behalf OF his sulj cts
A war to execute the laws! The War from
the beginning has been against law. and IN
violation of lawn q tier violation OF the
fundamental organic law--the Constitution
itself; and if not checked and stopped by the
people of the North. it will inevitably end.
an at no distant day, in and utter overthrow
of everything like cons ituIiOnal liberty.
Already the cOurte-the expunnders OF the
law have been silenced-the decisions of the
Judges utterly disrrgarded aud condemned.
Free citizens are seized, imprisoned and pos
sibly NAV be executed without any other
hearing kept such as military satrap may
be willing TO award. Ali this Is done under
the preteDse of executing the laws in the
face and teeth of the highest law, which de
clares that, The right of the people 10 be
secure in their persons, houses, papers and
effects against unreasonable searches and
seizures, shall not be violated; and no war.
rant shall issue but upon PROBABLE cause sup
ported by oath or affirmation, and particular
ly describing the place 10 be searched aud
the persons or things to be seiz d." And that
Other clause which d clares that, In all
criminal prosecutions The accused shall enjoy
the right TO speedy and pubic trial by an
impartial jury of the State aud district where-
in the crime shall have been committed,
which district shall have been previously as
certained by law, and TO be informed OF the
nature and cause of the accusation; to be
confronted with the witness against him; 10
haze cnmnuIsoru DIOCESE for obtaining wi