Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1862-08-06
VOL 9---NO. 35

gal and constitutional. and such being the
case, the obligation to the citizen TO respect
that authority and discharge his duty. to il
is as imperative as if that power were exer-
cised in the person of a man of his own
choice. l hare confidence, not alone in the
intelligence and wisdom Of the Demo
cratic party. but in its love Of Justice; and
l DO not believe that party can be put in
false position, here or elsewhere, before the
country, or any issues Of the day.
The Democratic party has always been
one Of law and order 1t has been mair>
tsined that the difference between it and the
opposition has been that the opposition has
always contended that the citizen might
set up his right Of opinion. or of conscience,
as they sometimes cah it superior to law,
or IN other words, enact with his own breast
higher law than the Constitution, and fol-
low it thus making his individual mind
superior TO the collective wisdom of the
founders Of the Republic and his pretended
conscience superior to the supreme law of
the land, while the Democratic party has
ever maintained that the first and highest
obligation of the citizen is to obey the Con-
constitution and the laws, as written and
enacted, saying 10 these higher law patri~
ots '' You have no right to follow the die
tates of an opinion that conflicts with the
q au.
which the opinion or the conscience OF every
individual, or what he may please 10 term
his conscience IS to govern his political
actions.
This government of opinion-of the ma
jOrity's opiniOn-when it Is expressed and
embodied in the form of law and in Obedi-
enCe TO the Constitution, but not a GoFern-
n.ent under which man may plead his in
divldual conscience OF opinion, TO Justify
the violation of the laws. This Is govern
nont of law.
The Democratic party has but one thing
to do-no new thing. Every body Is lib
erallzed in our theory and no new thing is
required. 1t has but TO vindicate its past
history in obeying and supporting the law
under which IL exists-even though the
executor and administrator of the law be
personally and politically Objectionable
To that end, ! believe, the Democratic par
~ will do. now, what il has done before
do not think there can be any question as
to its duty, and am quite sure, Mr.. Presi-
dent. that there will be no hesitation in
diScharging it. The two previous wars
we had. were conducted by the Democratic
party. The necessity for those wars seem
ed to be absolute and unavoidable and the
Democratic party prosecuted them success
fully. against the determined opposition of
the party opposed 10 it. In the beginning
of the present war, the Democratic party
furnished men and money without stint,
and we saw. now, sixty years trial has nrov-
ei us. and we will give our best men and
best blood we have to restore the Union and
TO reassert the authority and supremacy Of
the Constitution [Great applause
But. at the same time, We say TO the per
sons and the party IN power, whilst We
give YOU money and men-treasure and
blood, to put down the rebellion, anC whilst
we declare that cur ties with the Southern
men now in arms against the Government
are se' cred, and there can be no harmony
between us-(because they have become
traitors. whist We are loyal, and have shown
the baseSt ingratitude of traitors, who would
not wait a single hour when we had waited
long years in their defence, but, in a single
instart, precipitated US into the horrors Of
civil war. The Democratic party can hare
nothing in common with traitors, either
South or North [applausel )-whilst We do
all this" we say to the men at the head OF
public affairs, Eve hold you responsible for
the conduct of the WARRIOR the expenditure
of cur money. for the fate Of our brethren
and friends, fighting for our flag, in the field
and FOR the fate of the Union, the means for
saving which the loyal people have furnish~
ed yCr with and the salvation OF which is in
your hands" And we say. further, 20 this
Administration, '.carry on this war" we
will give you all the money and men you
need; but there must be no invasion of pri-
vate rights where there Is no authority; men
must not be arrested in the public streets
and imprisoned without warrant, when the
temples of justice are open and the Judges
are on the bench Great applause. The
{. Al
lows the suspension Of the writ OF babcoS
corpus where martial law is necessary
Where martial law exists II supersedes. for
the time the civil power and the knbens
corpus is suspended by the war power. But
here, when every pulsation Of the great and
patriotic heart of Pennsylvania is for the
vindication Of the integrity Of our Govern
ment and the honol Of our flag. citizens must
not he imprisonei without s'due process Of
law" We say - this Federal power that
''to restore the Union and vindicate the
/ Constitution. which, you say. has been vio-
lated, and which, we say, has been violated,
/ and without which there can he no Union
/ no Government We saw that "to vin6i-
cate that Constitution and 20 restore that
| Union We will give our blood-we will 4, ii
| cheerfully: with a sense Of high obligation,
but" we saw 10 them az the same tine,
..yor, must not invade rights which are sa-
cred. II II be Your purpose to restore the
| supremacy of the Constitution. What is that
Constitution worth, if the process by which
Won seek to restore IL violates IL still more7''
Suppose that, by indiscretion, have broken
a favorite vase-an heirloom. rendered sa-
cred by the memories it awakens Of revered
ancestors. aud | wish tn make IL whole
again-h"w shall 20 il! Shall ] dash /,
to thc earth and tramPle il into fragments