The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1862-11-29
From tie Newark IN. J.) Journal
THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.

inalienable and constitutional rights, of
which we were fast being robbed by the
men who control the Government, on the
plea of State necessity The elections
have demonstrated. that the people have
intelligence enough to appreciate and as
sert their rights and if the hint is not
sufficient, the Administration will soon
discover that they have virtue enough to
maintain them in the face of all obstacles.
This is of itself an important progress in
the interest of our Republican institu-
tions. If the great States had decided in
favor of the Administration in their re-
cent elections, we should probably have
had either the Inauguration of a despot-
ism, or bloody revolution, more likely
the latter; for a free people could not
much longer have submitted to the illegal
restraints exercised by the central power
at the expense of the States and the citi-
zens. Either the Administration would
have been obliged to conine its operations
within legitimate bounds, or a formidable
rebellion to usurpation might have sprung
up. Fortunately, the good. sense of the
citizens of the States of New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois, prevailed, and the result of the
appeal to the ballot-box was so striking a
condemnation of the Fort Lafayette ty-
ranny, that the experiment of arresting
and imprisoning men for opinions sake is
regarded as an obsolete relic of the past
The Administration dare not put its pro-
vost marshal system again in force, at
least in these States where the people have
emphatically declared that they prefer the
law of that Constitution as interpreted by
the Supreme Court, to the will of Mr..
Abraham Lincoln, exercised through some
insolent, ignorant provost marshal. Such
an officer in New Jersey would be rather
out of place, now that a majority of nearly
$1,000 voters have repudiated the whole
illegal, irresponsible, damuable system of
spiriting men out of the State without
charge OR form of trial, and decent re-
spect for the opinions of the citizens re-
quires that these practices be forever here
after discontinued.
But while it is clear to the dullest I'M
Outstanding, that all the illegal and uncon-
stitutional practices of this Republican
Administration have been rebuked by the
people, the popular verdict is not appar-
emily so decisive in regard to the war
The Democratic party are certainly
pledged, so far as their resolutions and
speeches 60, to vigorous prosecution of
the war to put down the rebellion by all
constitutional means, to preserve the
Union and the Constitution. This was
Gov Seymour's platform as we'll as that
upon which our own Governor elect stood,
and this must be regarded as the policy of
the triumphant Democratic party. The old
Union and the old Constitution are its
mottos and to restore and preserve them
in their strength and purity, no sacrifice of
men or treasure will be too great. But
Union cemented by force would be despot-
ism and not the old Union, the restoration
of which alone can consecrate the struggle
of arms. The question for decision seems
to be, as to the amount of force necessary
to accomplish this great object, admitting /,
that the employment of force in any degree
to bring back seeded or revolted States is
constitutional. Up to the present time,
the progress of the war has demonstrated
that our immense preparations and our
great armies have been promptly met by
greater exertions on the part Of the enemy
and by an equally determined if not as
numerous soldiery to combat our forces
and to defend their territory. Our i'm
mensely preponderating population, vast re-
sources of war and great reserved strength,
instead Of inspiring terror throughout
rebeldom, have only stimulated the
government and people Of the seeded
States to the performance of almost mira
culous feats of creation and daring for
their defence and preservation. They have
accepted the issue of wal, with all its dan
gers, responsibilities and doubts, and
every fresh blow thus far struck by the
North, every new regiment raised and put
into the field, every act of legislation in
tended to operate destructively upon them
have rendered them more earnest and
united in putting into operation move
ments to defeat and destroy US. Now is
there any prospect of an immediate change
in the temper and acts of the Southern
people favorable to the restoration of the
Union, while this fight continues? Ifso,
there is some sense in our keeping it up
at any cost, for prevailing desire of the
people is the restoration of peace, without
which the Union can never become prac-
.ticable or lasting. We see no hope of
bringing back the Southern people to the
T1nion fhrnu0h war avan shnuId ua ,,ro