The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1862-05-06
NORTHERN NEWS.


The charter election at Dayton Ohio, held on
the first Monday in April, was carried by the
democrats by majority ranging from 200 to 300,
against much larger ma jority in the opposits d-
rection one year since. Springfield, heretofore a
strong Republican town, has elected Wm. d. Hall
Democrat, as Mayor.
Fhe town elections in New York and other
States also show that the conservative Republicans
are disposed to repudiate the WENDELL Phillips
izng of the party, and are joining hands with the
, Democrats to that end.
At the city election in Springfield, Illinois, the
home of President Lincoln, the Democrats on
Tuesday elected their whole ticket except for al
derman in Of the wards. The average ma
jority was about two hundred.
WASHINGTON, April l7-The popular elec-
tions in Illinois and New York show great demo-
cratic gains. In nearly all the North western and
/ Western States there is manifest tendency to-
wards political revolution. If it should succeed
it might not either stop the war or restore the
! Union on the old basis, but it would change the
party character of the House and Of the Executive
! The House which is to succeed the present one
may be OF a conservative democratic complexion.
| Vehement denuncIations are uttered here
aga nst General Burnside account Of his refusal
to harbor and protect fugitive slaves. We have
reports from army officers employed on the South
ern coast to the effect that the slaves who come
|
The costly expeditions are failures SO far as open
ing cotton trade is concerned.
| Tie Confscotion BW-.Spccch Of Dr. Po,ccN of
Kentuchy IN tie Federal Senate, AprH 16.
The confscaton bill came up as the special
order, on which Mr. Powell, of Ky, had the floor
He argued at some length against the constitu-
tonality of the bill and held that it was clearly
bjh of attainder. Under the common law, and
the old English decisions, attaipder accompanied
contscation for treason; but the provisions of
Constitution had directly repudiatcd all that He
then treated of the bill as cruel and inhuman
stripping women and children of the means of
subsistence, and working personal suffering. The
section particularly referring to slaves a$saed the
constitutional guarantees respecting slavery in the
States 1t insduous attempt to do what
they would not do directly. He would prefer that
they march up to the work openly, and free all
slaves at once. 1t would be more manly
The colonization clause Of no account what |
ever. Every one knew that the negro when freed |
would remain just where he had been left uness
removed compusorily, and it only intended to !
catch votes that could not be got otherwise. 1t |,
would be hard to make Southern men believe that |
interference with slavery was not intended spite |
Of general declarations, when they had passed
resolution to induce States to emancipaton; had !
abolished slavery in the District of Columbia |
had repealed the disqualification of colored per-
sons for carrying the mails, and had adopted an
article of prohibiting those in the military
service from delivering fugitive slave, refusing
to insert therein provision against their harbor-
ing or aiding slaves to escape. There great |
complaint if sin Gle negro restored to his |
master but slaves mi ght be taken off by the hun
lred from their masters through the aid of the |
military. and there complaint, though they |
be taken from loyal masters Under the bill, any
petty magistrate, any mere military lieutenant
was empowered take charge of any or all the !
property of 5000, 900 of people No dictator of |
Rome had ever had such power conferred on him |
He loved this Union, but he loved it for its con
stitutional liberty. What to him Or others
who loved liberty, an empire Ocean-b bound, COM
prising this whole continent, without the cOnstitu
ion of :he republic, which endowed them with |
its privileges and the shield Of their rights? |
Mr. p denied the powers claimed for the Exec
utive under the power, by which the will of
the President rather than the constitution, be- |
came the law, and under which this body might
he visited, as Parliament by Cromwell, and
the French Corps Lc@is.atif by Napoleon. The
danger of this extent Of assumption for the
power was strkngly shown in the course of
military commander (Gen. Hallcck) in Missouri, !
who in spite of the constitution of that State /
defining the qualification of voters, had imposed, !
by military order, other requirements in recent .
election. The manner in which Gen. IIaleek .
was also referred to, which, if it could be done
in one place could be done in every other, and
the rights Of property aud liberty overthrow .
everywhere.
Mr. Powell repudiatcd the idea that in2i-
vidua could be arrested by order of the Secretary
of State aud imprisoned The police commits
soners of Baltimore, and others there had been
arrested in that city. in the dead hour OF III 2ht
without even warrant, or without knowing what
charges were preferred against them and dragged
off to prison, where they conired, all at the
pleasure of these usur1crs Of the Constitution and
laws. The liberties of the free American people .
have been taken from them, and they remain at
the disposal of the usurpers. The high and lofty
men of his State. superior to the Secretary OF
State, had been, by order of said Secretary, con-
veycd away to prison without ever knowing the
charges preferred against them, or who made the
charges Such a state Of things never before
existed.
He had early in the session, submitted a reso-
luton calling for information relative to the mat
ter, and if God spared him, b" should yet en-
deavor TO procure action on it. The true men of
the country, OF the border States, and of his
State, were not prepared to see liberty and the
constitution go down IN this way, and come what
may, they would resist it.
The Lncolnites passed the Confscaton Bill,
notwithstanding Mr. PowelEs protest against it,
Every thing must be# before the sway Of the dirty
abo!itiouists. :