The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1862-10-23

most fearful sign OF the times. say If evel
a nation need ed parties-needed an Opposi-
tion to the party holding the reins of Gov ern.
ment-an opposition, honest. bold, fearless
outspoken, unspa"ing, it is this nation in this
very hour. Tremendous and continued ap-
plause.] If the party holding the rens Of
Government were composed of honest men
of statesmen, loving the eternal interest OF
the nation more than their own little au-
thorlty and pomp OF power, they would de-
sire such an oppostion-they would culti-
vate and foster free discussion as the surest
sources from which what is true and Just
and wise can be ascertained. [Cheers.] But
it IS the mis- iortune of the nation. that in the
hour of its sorest need, it finds in control of
its affairs party cunning, not wise; that's
SOL party soured by hatred--ful of per-
sonal and private animosity-th very prin-
ciple of whose political existence is b. rren,
unfruitful antagonism. and they with the in
stinct of the fanatic and tyrant, fear discus
sion. lest it may let in the light on their own
shortcomings and betray their weakness and
i'm becility. [Applause. Let me. how
ever, do them no less than justice. As par
tisans they have exhibited nd now exhibit
exceeding cunning and adroitness. Though
they have shown themselves utterly incom
petent to guide the nation in its peril, great t
applause. they are perfect in the use of all
the weapons Of faction and all the tricks of
debate. One of their most ingenious and
successful devices seems TO me to be the au-
dacious perversion of words from their pro-
per and ordinary meaning, and the results Of
this plan are likely to be somewhat in port
ant.
For instance, if | take leave to question
the legality, eXpediency, morality, propriety
of the policy indicated by the President in
a q | al n
ioyal. Disloyal to whom? Disloyal to what?
owe 10 allegiance to Abraham Lincoln, or
to his opinion, or policy, or will. lover
whelmlng applause, cheers and waving of
hats L owe no allegiance to his Cabinet or
to the Army or to the Navy of the United
States. | owe obedience to law-I VIII al
ways pay 1t. | owe respect to the first SER
want OF the Am ercan people, give it free
ly. But it is to the Constitution. and to the
Constitution alone, that | owe allegiance
Tremendous applause This is what
swear to support. This the President him
SELF and the momberS Of his Cabinet and of
Congress, and his soldiers, swore to respect,
uphold and defend. By violating that Con-
sttution, il he does it knowingly and will
fully, the President himself may be dis
loyal and to demonstrate, object, protest
against this disloya'ty may be the solemn
duty of every citizen. Cheers. Now,
do object to the policy ind icated by that
proclaim alton. great ch eerns] because, in
my humble Judgment, it is in violation Of
the Constitution, and, in so doing, | am OPP
posing what | conceive to be in itself vio-
lation Of that sovereignty to which my 10y
atty is due.
The Constitution delegates authority
to the President or to Congress to subvert or
interfere with any of the relations which
the different parts Of society bear to one an
OF her in the different S ates Applause.
Neither the President nor Congress can alter
the relation Of pireut and child, or husband
and wife, in the State of New York. Nei-
ther can either the President or Congress
subvert or interfere with the relations of EN-
pioyer or employee in the Southern States.
Argue it any way you will and it has been
argued every way-you Can not find in the
Constitution any authority or justifica ion Of
such a course. To meet the difficulty
phrase has been invented. The favorers of
this policy say it can be done by the wv ar
Power!' What is the war power? 1t means.
if it N cans any thing. simply this: That in
time of war or rebellion the President has
power from some source to do what he
pleases. At this claim of authority stand
aghast. The phrase is ominous. At the
sound abvsses OF tyranny seem opening at my
enough, for application to any object. Re-
member, it is the fate of most nations to
spend as much of their time at war as in
peace; and it was intended by the trainers OF
our Constitution that, at the first blast of
war; or the first outbreak of insurrection the
Constitution was to be cast aside, and all
civil authority was to yield to military SUI
premacv?
Were the time -honored forms by which
personal liberty used to be protected, to lose
their potency, and the will of the President
or the Provost Marshal, or his deputy, or
suh-deputy, to be the laws of the land? No!
No!'' and cheers With all due respect for
any who differ from me honestly on the sub
ject, l still venture to pronounce my convic-
ton that all this claim of war power where
there is no power. or of war power where
there is DO war, beyond what the ordinary
laws of war among civilized nations recog-
nize it, is a n assumption of power without a
shadow of uthority to support it (Great
applause) Now, does this proclamation
mean any thing and if SO, what does it
mean? l think it means good deal Mr..
Sumner thinks it means good deal. Mr..
w ad sworth thinks il means good deal
Ii means servile war. There is in it. if you
read it attentively, very plain incentive to
it. l believe it will lead to servile war; and
think that to resort to such al expedlent,
is barbarous, disgraceiul, hideous violation
of civilized morality. Tremendous ap-
piause. 1t is frigbttul error that n en- are
allowed to use all meaus Of destroying their
enemies that maignity can devise. we
d don't scap-we don't poison springs-we
don't kill women and children.
We do not kill men not found in arms
These were the atrocities prdctced ages ago.
But ages ago the humanity aud common
sense of Christendom denounced them as
cruel and internal. And it is just so VITA
of caryila war ia a