Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-06-27
[rrom the Marysville AppsaI1
Are the Liberties Of the People Threatened

derhaps the most violent, and at the same
time the most absurd assumptions of the
Peace Democracy. is the charge which they
now make the grand staple Of their treason.
able attacks that the party in charge of the
Government mean to subvert the Constitution,
and to establish in place of its mild sway
permanent military despotism, which shall
crush our popular rights and reduce the
masses to a worse than Russian bondage.
This ridiculous assumption ID based, anon The
fact that the National Administration, finding
the life Of the Union assailed by the most for
midable conspiracy known in history, and
which aims at no less an outrage than the es.
tablishment of a great slave empire on the
territory belonging to the people of the
United States. availed itself Of the latent
powers of the Constitution to array the whole
strength of the loyal States against foe that
could not be put down by civil processes and
the ordinary methods that suffice for ordinary
instructions. These powers have been exer-
cised by popular consent, and under the sane
tion of the legal representatives of the peo-
Pile; but still. the Peace Democracy who can
See no damage to freedom except in the house
of It's friends, and who consider an elastic
tended for the better defense Of the whole in
strument, more dangerous to it than the rebel
army, cry out that the Constitution has been
violated, and that our liberties are being sac.
riticed by the tyranical usurpers. A resort
to war at all, in any manner, was first de-
nounced as unconstitutional. The President
had no right to call out troops to prevent the
conquest Of Washington. lie had no right to
arrest spies and traitors without the slow and
uncertain Intervention of the courts. even in
States where the judges themselves were
spies and traitors. He had no right to sus-
pend the writ Of habeas corpus. Congress
had no right TO provide for furnishing traitors
by confiscating their property for the public
USE 1t was unconstitutional to take from
rebels the slaves that were feeding rebel ar
mics, building rebel intrenchments and serving
rebel artillery. 1t was barbarous, as well as
unconstitutional, to save some thousands Of
our white kindred by arming in their stead
as many negroes who are familiar with the
enemy's country aud have personal motive
| to fight for his overthrow. 1t was unconsti-
tutional to pass the Conscription Act, which
makes all men liable to military duty instead
of only the generous spirits that are willing
to perform it voluntarily. Well, all these
things are extraordinary, though not unprec-
edented in American experience, but they are
authorized under the war power of the Con-
stitution and by the higher law Of self-preser-
vation. Had they not been resorted to there
would be no longer in existence such nation
as the United States. The party that objects
to them is logically estopped from amp right
to object to anything in the conduct Of the
war, because they opposed the war itself. in
the outset, no matter how it was proposed to
conduct it. They are also logically estopped
from objection by the fact that the political
organization which they claim to perpetuate
did, Mt one time and another in our history,
establish precedent for every extraordinary
act of the present Administration. The Dem
ocrat jackson suspended the writ of habeas
corpus ip loyal city. without Presidential or
Congressional sanction at the time. and was
honored therefor by the nation, twice elected
to the Presidency by the Democratic party,
and Unidentified by subsequent Congress At
Democratic instigation. He also employed
numbers of negro troops. whom he thanked
handsomely for their sarvices: While Presi-
of deposits from the United States Bank
for which there was not the slightest warrant
in the Constitution, and the Democracy ap-
plauded him and grew strong. Repeatedly
during its sway for fifty years, the same party
did thing esteemed necessary for the interests,
honor and better protection of the nation. for
which there was in the Constitution no au
thority, only as it flowed naturally and by
logical infrrencs from the sovereignty reposed
by that instrumeut in the National Govern
mellt. Nearly thousand millions of dollars
were expended for the acquisition Of territory
and the prosecution of wars to maintain our
claim thereto-for all of which there is no
warrant in the terms Of our fundamental law.
The Democratic Administration Of Mr.. Polk
began war against Mexico without the &C.
tion of Congress-wheress the power to de-
clare war is constitutionally vested in that
body. In 1896, at the time Of The Maine
boundary dispute, when there seemed to be
imminent danger Of British invasion, Dem
ocratic President (Jackson) was given the
power of thu purse aud the sword as fully as
Mr.. Lincoln possesses it to-day, though fortu-
nately there did not arise at that day ne
cessiiy to use it. The whole military and
naval force of the United States was put at
his disposal by an act Of Congress, and mil
lions Of money appropriated to support it and
to defray the costa Of additional Notifications;
aud the militia authorized to b. called out,
the Act declared should be portions Of the
army Of the United States. This extraordi-
nary measure-which was only precantion-
ary one to meet an apprsheuded danger that
might or might not arise. instead Of ono actu.
ally existing as in our day-pasasd the Low
er House BY vote Of s01 to 6-aud the
leader Of those six was Henry A. Wiss, who
is now General in the rebel army. 1t