Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-05-13
The Administration and The
Democratic Party.

In good old times, when we we're hap>
~ and united people, aud peace and pros
perity reigned throughout the land, man
was regarded as good citizen and pa
triot who lived his whole country, obeyed
the laws, revered the constitution, and
faithfully performed all his obligations as
citizen. He might support the Admin
istration in power or oppose it, without
having his loyalty to the Government o. bis
patriotism questioned. Men equally good
and true to the Government were found in
both political parties.
But in these troublesome times, some
what different test of patriotism is sought
t, be applied. Loyalty and disIoyalty. pa
triotism and treason, are not what they
have been in days gone by. We live under
new dispcnsation. and words have ac-
quired an entirely new significance. To
oppose the Administration now, no matter
bow ridiculous and flagrant its acts may
be, is counted as treason. Men who are
willing to be taxed to the last dollar for the
sustenance OF the Government, and who
have gone forth TO the bat,ls6elds and shed
their blood ard period their lives in this
war, are denounced as traitors aud seces-
sionists. while Garrison and Wendell Phil
lips and Wade and Lovejoy and Greeley
and the fanatics generally who have been
laboring for the overthrow of the Govern
ment for the last twenty years, are demons
limited as patriots and loyal men.
Nuw, we are glad to perceive that the
Democratic party is beginning to wake up
on this subject. The address sent cut
by the Democratic members cf Congress
and the sentiment Of the Democratic party
generally, is indicative that the Democracy
of the country are no longer to be bam-
boozled by the syren cry of no partyism.
or terrified by the charge of disloyalty and
traitorism.
Democrats, at the risk of being denouu-
ced as traitors, have made up their minds
to examine and criticise the acts of the Ad
ministration. and TO express their approval
and dissent as though the country was not
involved in war. We believe that silence
has been maintained in this respect too
long for the good Of the country already,
and that il is the duty of the patriot and
loyal citizen, when the Executive exceeds
the powers conided to him by the consti,u-
ton, to say so-an1 if the public money be
squandered, as it has been by scores of
millions since the commencement of the
war, to protest in the most emphatic
terms.
Because Democrats are willing to fight
to defend and sustain the existing Govern
ment, it by no means follows that they will
tolerate any attempt of the Administration
| to make this the occasion to establish the
peculiar doctrines of its party, many of
which are contrary to all their IDEAS of
good Government and su5versive of the
| constitution. Because Democrats oppose
disunion, it is no just reason why they
should submit to the PRONUNCIATION of the
! dangerous doctrine that the rights and in
| dependence of the States are to be abridged,
ard the powers of the nation centralized
and consolidated in the hands of the Gem
eral Government. This they regard as un-
| constitutional as notification, and as dan
gerous to liberty as secession or disunion.
Neither can Democrats, while fighting
for the constitution, patiently see the Exc
cutive claim the privilege of violating its
plainest provisions, while Congress does
not rebuke, but IN the most servile manner
approves and ratifes the wrong. They
feel that the personal liberty of every citi-
zen is in dancer if the Administration
may. at its pleasure, suspend the hGbeas
corpus, and usurp powers and rights be-
longing only to the Judiciary department
of the Government. They fear, unless
stop be put to the unlawful and unconsti,
tutional acts Of our rulers, that we NAV
ultimately fall under military despotism
more oppressive than any ever before wit
messed in a civilized nation.
To prove that Democrats have Just cause
for these apprehensions. it is only neces-
slry tn refer tn the history Of the past year.
The course Of the Administration certainly
has not been such as to enttie it to conf
dence II has arrested American citizens
charged with no crime and confined them
II dungeons without authority Of law or
justice. 1t has suspended the ha6eas cor
pus act and denied the freedom os the press
and Of speech. 1t has appointed and sus-
tanned in Office such notorious dsunionists
as Giddings, Cassius NJ. Clay, Carl Sehurz,
Banks, Fremont, Helper, Burlingame, and
the like. Surely is this not enough to
cause the Democracy of the country to ar
ray themselves against the present Admin.
istratiou and to organize for the purpose Of
appealing to the ballot box for redress Of
their grievances?
We must say that we can discover Moth
ing in the present state of the country to
require Democrats to give IN their jistincs
tive party organization. On the contrary,
there is much in the existing state Of
things TO cause them to adhere more stead
tasty to it than ever. The Democratic
party is not responsible for the war which
is now devastating The land, at the cost of
SO many valuable lives, and the sacrifice Of
so many millions of property. Had its
counssls rreSailed at the time, all this vast
sacrifice would have been avoided. But
the country is involved in a terrible war !;
and while the patriotism Of the Democratic
party impels it to rally to the support of
the Government, at the same time it is the
duty Of all true patriots to jealousy guard