The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1862-05-23
THE CONSTITUTION AND
TIL; HEBELLION.


the Government to put down this unholy
aud causelcss rebellion is characterized
an infraction Of the Constitution. Accord
ing TO their doctrine, IL Is unconstitution-
al for government to defend itself at all,
when assaled by murderous traitOrs.-
We suppose they would have us stand
still and let these internal rebels burn our
houses and cut our throats, not daring TO
act in self defence for fear of violating the
constitution. Our first duty is to sec
that we have government; for II the
Government is lost the Constitution goes
with il. In order to rave the Constitu-
ton then, we must first save the Gov
ornmcnt.
liza thief breaks into your dwelling or a
highwuymon assuils you and threatens
your lite, do you wait for the forms of
law to DO carried out! do you wait until
q process can be served upon himi Mol
you strike him down en- the spot, in
order to save your own life. This is
right, aud yet the Constitution says "no
man shall be deprived of life or liberty
without due process of law"
The Constitution was made for peace
! ful times and cannot meet all the require
ments of q time Of rebellion, when the
very existence of n nation is threatened.
Such crisis as this Government is now
undergoing demands extraordinary meas
urcs, that nrc not provided for in the
Constitution aud that cannot wait for ju
dciuI or legislative sanction. The right
of sell-deicncc belongs to u Government
us well as to an individual. Ii we should
90 by the strict letter Of the Constitution,
this rebellion would never be crushed
1 no man is to be deprived oC life or lib
erty, without due process of law, then the
raising of an army Of 10000 men and
putting in their hands deadly weapons to
kill their fellow beings Is demonstrations
al. Ifthc strict letter of the law is to
govern us in war, particularly war for
sclG-prcscrvOtion, our armies, before be-
ginning to shoot ard kill, would have to
summon u jury and try aud convict the
enemy before proceeding into battle.--
War itself 10 an Extraordinary measure
governed by the law Of brute force and
+ not by the Constitution. Measures are
jnstiia6lc in time Of war that would not
be allowed in times of peace. This re-
bcllion must be PIT Goun, con- titutionully
il we can, hut ii it becomes necessary to
adopt extraordinary measures, we must
not hesitate, in order to save the Govern
mcnt and the Constitution.
These sympathiscrs, who have nothing
to say against taking the iires of rebels in
battle, raise terrible howl whenever
anything is proposed that will cripple the
rebels without The loss Qfiife. To take u
thousand rebels lives, by the sacrifice Of
as many Union lives, is all right with
these CUnstitution.lovers, bat to coriis-
cate u rebels property or set free his
slaves thus weakening him in vital
point and preventing bloodshcd, is a ter
rible thing in their eyes! Such a tender
affection have they for these rebels, that
they would have them treated as brothers
and protected in their property, while they
murder, and rob Uuio II men and curse cur
flag.
This is the position of Vallandigham
and Noble, who have invariably opposed
erery measure necessary to carry on the
} Government and who are now so fearful
lest the Constitution may be violated. =
) These are the men who think the inter-
csts of the Democratic party paramount
to those of the Union.
4 The copfscotion Of rebel property is
justifiablc as a psr msa,ure, and as such
it ought to be adopted. 1t is Just us nee.
cssury aud just us lawful as Z is TO send
armies into the field and manufacture
guns and cannon. lf'hc one is justifa-
bic the other certainly is. Ii treason is
u crime, It is right 10 punish il and we
) may do this, either by taking the life OF
the traitor, or coniiscating his property,
or both, 1t seems to us that the rebels,
who are such from choice, have forfeited
all claims to protection from the Gov.
ernment and their property should go in
part to indemnity loyal men for the
crimes and ou,rOgcs they have commit
ted.