The dollar weekly bulletin., 1862-12-18

I From the Columbus (Ohio) Crisis.
The War---Its Constitutionality and
Effects.
The excitement of the public mind, for
long period preceding the recent elections
was such, that it would have attempted
boldly to combat the errors and designat,
the crimes which have been committed b,
the Abolition party since the fourth o
March, 1861. There is a time when the
discussion of principles and the denunciatior
Of abuses may do much good. by enighten-
ing and instructing the minds of those whose
mistaken views are the result of Ignorance
or want of due reflection. But when passion
sways the heart and masters the intellect
every barrier which isinterposed, or obstruc
tion which is thrown in the way of its on
ward course, only serves like those opposing
forces of nature which cause the fearful
m@lstrom Of Norway to lash its victim into
fury and madness. The unconstitutional,
arbitrary and most wicked arrests, which
have been made by the Abolition Govern
ment throughout the Eastern and Western
States-together with the equally Atrocious
suspension of that noble writ, which was de-
signed to defeat the malignity of tyrants,
may, and doubtless has operated to silence
many a voice which would 9th herwise have
been heard in tones of eloquent patriotism
pleading the cause Of our sorrowing bleed
ing country. But it would be a melancholy
and most humiiatins reflection, that among
thirty IA illions of people so few found who
dared to protest in the name of God and Of
humanity, against the unconstitutional and
tyranical acts Of the administration, because
they feared to max e.such protest. That the
silence of our political writers and others,
was not caused by fear of personal couse-
quences, but by the belief that the time had
not yet arrived when the cold, calm voice of
reason could be heard. the writer Of this art.
Gle is we'll assured, and he is cqnally well
convinced, that the time has at length come
when every man will be heard who speaks
boldly and earnestly in defense Of his opin-
:ons and in condemnation of tyranny, re-
gardless of the source from whence it may
proceed. 1t is an extraordinary fact-one
which has no parallel in history, that the
terrible war in which we have been engaged
for the last nineteen months, has not shaken
the confidence of a single man-ncquainted
10Th the nature Of State and Federal sys.
tems--in the wisdom and virtue OF the con-
vention Of 1897, by which the Constitution
of the United States was formed and adopt
ed. That noble instrument has not failedi
but it is the people for whom it was design
and urcn whom it has conferred such bless
ing as men never before derived from gov
ernm ents, who have failed-failed in ad err
euce to its principles, and thereby failed in
their duty to themselves and to the world.
There never has been a time since the
Federal Constitution went into operation, in
which the Government having been admin
istered in the spirit and according to the
s,,t,, h.
which it was created, did not afford full,
adequate and complete protection to every
citizen, and at the same time command the
respect and admiration of the world; while
on the other hand, no attempt has ever been
m ate TO tighten the bond, by contracting the
sovereignty of the States. which has not been
attended with dissatisfaction and ultimate
1isaster, terminating finally in the dismem-
berm ent OF the union. The seeding States
have testified their faith in the Federal
~ stem in the most solemn manner in which |
such testimony could be given--by re-en-
acting for their own government the old
aim ost word for word. May
God help US, who have never, formally,
A baud doned, to restore it to its pristine vigor
and usefulness in al! the States which remain
under the old fagl
The foregoing remarks I have deemed
necessary before proceeding to discuss, ac-
cording to my design, the present war. as
constitutional measure and its effects upon
he country. In the convention which
formed the Federal Constitution. Edmun
RanG olph, of Virginia. introduced a resolu-
ton, which he desired to incorporate into
hat instrument, authorizing the Govern
NJ ent, in the event that State. ar any body
Of m en- within State. should resist the laws
IS ha toA a e.
States force sufficient to over
come such resistance and compel obedience.
On succeeding day, Mr.. Paterson, of New
] ersev, offered similar resolution, though
couched in different language; indeed, 1t Is
remark able. that the language OF
Mr. Linco!n'S first proclaim alton. in April.
1861. is almost word for wort. with that OF
Patterson's resolution. These resolutions
were considered by the Cow vention. in the
order Of their introduction, and having been
debated bv Alexander Hamilton. j as. Madi
son. George Nj ason and Luther Martin, III
of whom bitterly opposed their adoption, on
the ground that they were repayment to the
principles of the proposed government.
destructive to the sovereignty OF the States
and calculated to weaken the general sys-
tenn, were rejected by the votes OF all the
members. save those by whom they were Of
fered. 1t is, therefore certain. that what
ever opinion we may entertain Of the power
of tie government under the Constitution, to
make war upon disobediant or seeding
States, no such idea existed, either in the
minds of the movers in the foregoing resolu-
tions. or in those Of the rem aiming members
of the Convention. otherwise their rejection
would not have been placed upon grounds
artasonistic to the grant Of such power, as
was sought to be conferred upon the Gov
ernment by implications; but on the contrary
it can only be exercised by subvertins the
Constitution and disregarding its planest
and most imp ortant principles. as l shall pro-
ceed to show. 1t will be observed, first: