Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-06-12
Union Leagues.

II is very singular that well educated Amsri.
cans, men who have long been good citizeue
erd sustained honorable relations to society
| and above oil the rest, have been educated il
the lovo of sound constitutional liberty, should
now resort to the eecret society eystem of France
to sustain the fortunes of falling party. But
such is the case. Secret societies have many
times deluged Paris with blood-will they moi
do the same thing in the United States if they
are continued as begun2 ....-.
We copy the preamble of the constitution Of
Union League in the largest town Just out oI
the city Of Boston, to show the public the basis
upon which these partisan organizations &C.
We, the undersigned, believing it to be the
duty OF all good citizens, do hereby pledge our.
selves to an unqualified loyalty to the Constitu.
ton of the United States, an unuaueTino SUP
port Of the Federal Government in whatever eff.
forts it may put forth for the suppression of the
rebellion now threatening to destroy the nation
we heartily unite In declaring that we will die.
countenance all parties and persons, who pub.
ilciy or privately aid aud encourage, or eympa-
thize with the enemies Of the country, and that
We may more efectually accomplish our purpose
90 hereby constitute ourselves an association
by subscribing our names to the following" etc.
Now, what do these gentlemen mean by
unqualified L0yalty?" They mean nothing
more nor less than an obedience to the Consti-
tuition as they interpret 1t. They will not sub
init to the Interpretation of 1t by their neigh.
bora OF en- opposite political complexion; nor by
the Supreme Court of the United States. They
also call fer an "unpaoeying support of the Fed
erat Government" What do they mean by this
Simply that all their neighhors, and all the peo.
pic shall support all the measures of the Fed
eral Administration in "iohateuer efforts" it may
pat forth, etc. This, interpreted BY the light Of
facts, me ns that all their neighbors shall sus-
tain publicly and privately all arbitrary arrests,
all decapitation of Generals on partisan grounds,
all tilts at, and overturnings of, the Constitu-
ton, all suspensions Of newspapers, and as
sumptlons Of the powers of martial law without
authority. ...D ...---... .-....-.-
But suppose their neighbors and friends don't
support all these things, what ia the conse-
quence2 They are all to be "discountenanced. ;"
What ia more, to make this "discountenanced'
the more terrible; they organize themselves in
to "league." To make themselves strong
they combine. We have never seen occasion
to fear the logic Of any one of these "loyal''
men, and our experience has been the mere
men OF this class the less logic. We are sor.
ry to be "dtseountenaneed," both publicly, and
privately, on account Of honestly entertained
political sentiments, but must take the risk.
Seriously, this willnot do. Gentlemen, men,
ber' of this.Lesgue, have qualms of conscience
as to the work they have committed themselves
to. They do not really wish to inaugurats a
reign of terror; but they are travelling in that
direction. They have but one purpose, and that
is to keep the Administration In radical hands.
But the rod of power will soon pass away from
them forever; all they hold at present ia held
by mortmain. They should not now, in their last
moments, commence playing with edge tools,
for they sometimes cut one way as well as
another. If they wish to retain the Federal
power, let them "discountenance" secret socie.
ties, reform their acts in administration, and
come to the polls with clean hands, other Wis G