The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-05-17


# wisdom, sound policy, and peace But
f. never did admit, and never will, that thi
t administration, or any administration,
e "the government" 1t holds, and ever ha
), held, that the Federal government is tn
n agent of the people Of the several State
y composing the Union; that it consists O
i three distinct departments-the Legislative
4 the executive, and the Jjudicial-eacl
} equally part OF the government, anC
i equally entitled to the confidence and sup
}, port of the States and the people; ano
l. that it is the duty of every patriot to sus
3 tain the several departments OF the gov
l ernment in the exercise of all the consti
tutional powers OF each which may be
l necessary and proper for the preservation
t Of the government in its principles and IN
its vigor and integrity, and to stand b,
and defend to the utmost the flag which
represents the government, the Union
and the country.
In this sense the democratic party has
always sustained, and viii now sustain, the
government against all foes, at home OF
abroad, in the North CT in the South, open
or concealed, in Office or out Of Office, in
peace Orin war
Ii this is what the republican party
mean by supporting the government. it is
al idle thing to abandon the old and tried
democratic party, which for SO many years
and through SO many trials supported, pre-
served, and maintained the government of
the Union. But if their real purpose be
to aid the ancient enemies of the democ-
racy in subverting our present constitu-
4 ton and form Of government, and. under
pretence OF saving the Union, to erect
! strong centralized despotism on ito ruins,
/ the democratic parry will resist them as
the worst enemy to the constitution and
the Union, and to free government every
I where.
We do not propose to consider now the
causes which led to the present unhappy
civil war. a filter time will come hereaf-
7 ter for such discussion. Put we remind
YOU now that compromise made your
I Union, and compromise fifteen months
ago would have saved it. Repeated efforts
/ were made at the last session Of the Ihir-
T ty-Six Congress to this end. At every
stage, the great mass o.! the South, with
tie whole democratic party, and the
whole constitutional Union party, Of the
North and West united in favor or Ger.
tain amendments to the constitution, and
chief among them the well-known Crit
tenden proportions, which would have
averted civil war and maintain IT, Union
| ments inconsistent with the sectional
doctrines Of the Chicago Platform were
strenuously and unauiirn ousiy resisted and
defeated 10y the republican party. The
( ''Crittenden proposition never received q
single republican vote in either house
For the proof we appeal 10 the urnals Of
Congress and to the Congr, ssional Globe
f We scorn to rsply to the charge that
the democratic paaty Is opposed to grant
Ing aid and support TO /. { Federal gov
erument in maintaining It's safety, integri-
ty, and C institutional supremacy, and in
favor OF dist Idihg our n IS and sue
cumbing to the South. lAe charge is
libelous and false. NJ man has advocated
any such proposition Democrats recog-
rize it the Guy as patriots TO support
the government III ali constitutional, nee
saiety. f1Tt.l19 f .l9e' a.u constitutional au-
thority; but, Il, the same time they are
infexIbly opposed TO wasing war against
amy OF the States or people OF this Union
III any spirit Of oppression, or Tor ANY pur-
pose Of conquest or sub hjucation, or ofover- !
throwing in interfering with the rights or
established institutions OF any State
Above all. the democratic pai ty will not
support tire administration IN anything Z
which looks or tends to the loss oi our
political or personal rights and liberties,
or the loss ofoGr political or personal rights
and liberties, or change or or present
denocratcal form O! goyerlment.
Bat nc, deaiocIgt is Ii IS not the support
Of the government or restoring the Union
which the party III power require of YOU.
You are asked to give w your principles,
your policy. and your party, and TO stand
By the administration OF the party III pow
er in ali its acts Above all Ii IS demand
ed OF you yield at least silent support to
their whele policy, and withhold all scrut'.
ny into their public con,!uct..of every kind,
lest you should ''eIni arrass the admins
tration. \ ou are thus asked 10 renounce
one Of the first principles and the Chief
security OF democratic government-the !
right 10 hold public servants responsible /!
10 their master the people: to render the /
representative accountable 10 the cons.lt /
uent, the ancient and undoubted prero 1
gative Of Americans, to canvass public |
measures and public men. 1t is this high
constitutional privilege which Daniel
Webster declared he would defend and
exercise within the House and out of the !
House. and in all places, in time of war, in !
time ofpeace. and at all times" 1t is a .
right secured by the constitutions right (
uestimable to the people, and formidable
to tyrants only.
If ever there was time when the cxis-
tence and consolidation Of the democratic
party upon its principles and policy was a
vital necessity to public and private liber-
ty, it IS now. .s s.-
Unauestiouably the constitution gives
ample power TO the several departments
of the government to carry on war, strict
ly subject to its provisions, and in case OF
war, with perfect security TO citizens of
the loyal States Every act necessary for
the safety and efficiency of the govern
ment, and for complete and most vigor-
Gus trial of its strength, is yet wholly con-
sistent with the observance of every pro-
vision Of that instrument, and of the laws
in pursuance of it, if the sole motives of
those in power were the suppression OF the
rebellion and no more. And yet the
history OF the administration fer the IL
months past has been and continues to be
Il history of repeated usurpations of power,
and of violations of the constitution, and
of the public and private rights OF the citi
zen For the proof we appeal to facts too
recent to need recita. here, and too fla.
grant and heinous for the calm narrative
and like policy pursued in the threaten
Ell war with France in the time of John
Adams, and with the same ultimate pur- l
pose. But in two or three years the pee {
pie forced them into an honorable peace
with France, rebuked the excesses ana {
abuses of power. vindcated the constitu' !
ton. and turned over the Federal govern
ment to the principles and policy of the
democratic party. To the sober second s
thought of the people" therefore. and TO ,
the ballot box, we appeal when again in
like peril with our fathers. (:
Bnt if every democrat concurred in the
nolicv of prosecuting the war to the utter I
s,,b;uration of the South, and for the sub.