The weekly Butte record., 1863-06-20
Resolutions of the Late Abolition
Convention

adopted by the late Abolition Convention il
this county They are but few and short and
scarcely deserve the brief notice We are about
to give them The first resolution declare:
a That the American Government and Union
10 name aud territory. are worthy Of preserva
ton"
While The second afirms " that they THE
abolitiouislsl are unconditioually aud unquali
dedly in favor Of their preservation"
II by the terms American Government
aud Union" they meant Abraham Lincoln,
who they assert is :" the Government" or
meant the present condition of tbiugs-a mill
tary desp0tism-or again, meant that new
nation [or Government that is to issue from
the war" according to Rev. Thos. Starr King,
one Of their representative men,-then, indeed,
it must be acknowledged that the claim put
forth by them of being in favor OF their preser-
walton is just But if, on the contrary. they
mean the Federal Government and Union
created By the adoption, by the States, of the
! Federal Constitution, with all its checks,
balances and guarantees Of civil liberty unim
paired their professions of attachment to
such government aud such Union are but
rank hypocricy and baseness. They uncond-
tionay and unqualifedly in favor Of the Gov
ernment and Union as they exist by virtue OF
the Federal Constitution, indeed Go, ask
the most candid member of that party. if he
wishes for restoration of the Union as it was
He will at once tell you that he does not /; that
the Union may go TO the devil at once, if the
niger cannot be freed. Aud yet these same
men have the brazen audacity TO prate of be-
ing " unconditional Union men :"
OF the third resolution, which pledges to the
American Government and Union as they
understand 1t, their lives, fortunes and sacred
honor. nothing more need be said than that
they will take very good care that their pre-
clous " lives are not endangered by enlisting
to crush the rebellion that their fortunes
viii be equally well guarded and as for their
:" sacred honors they may be sought for in
luton fourth declares That we are uncom-
promisingly opposed to treason against the
Government, whether exhibited in open rebel
lion in the so called Confederate States or in
political organizations in the loyal States pro-
Tossing love to the Constitution, and preaching
hatred to the Administration Hereunder"
The political organizations in the loyal
States referred to, are the Democrats of those
States, and they constitute majority in
majority of the States which yet cling to the
Union, If they are traitors then the States
conuot be loyal y and the strange anomaly
is presented of a majority of the people being
" traitors " to their own Government! But
fortunately such a state of things does not
exist. The people, or a large majority of
them, are loyal to the Constitution and
Union but they are " disloyal to Abraham
I, aud to his Administration.
But the ffih resolution is the most obnox-
ious Que Of all. 1t afiirms That all means
necessary to the preservation of the L Mon,
are constitutional, that we believe the Govern
ment Of the United States will adopt none but
necessary measures in the suppression Of the
existing rebellion, and therefore pledge to it
our unqualified support"
"a All means necessary to the preservation of
the Union, are constitutional p And who is
to be the judge of the supposed necessity
Why, the Government - Mr. Lincoln - of
course. Should he, in bis extreme wisdom.
deem it " necessary to set aside or destroy
the co ordinate branches of the Government
the Legislative and Judcal-abrogate all
laws even aunul the Constitution itself in toto,
aud proclaim himself Dictator. according TO
these political SolOmons, it would be all right
all constitutional This doctrine of neces-
siiy is one much relied upon by the A boil
tioniStS to palliate or excuse all violations Of
the Constitution aud the exercise Of despotic
power on the part of the Administration, and
is one most dangerous to the preservation of
our liberties. 1t is one, too, against which the
Fathers of the Republic, and all wise states
men subsequently, have given Us the most
solemn warnings. Listen to the voice of JEFF
ferson, one of the wisest statesmen aud purest
patriots this country ever produced
" Those TO whom power is delegated should
be held to a strict accountability to their con-
stitutional oaths of office. The plea Of neces.
sity is no excuse for violation of them
RecollecI, the price Of Liberty is eternal
vigilance.
Or to his worthy colemporary, John Adams:
"' Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the
bud, is the only maxim which can ever pre-
serve the liberties of any people When the
people give way, their deceivers, betrayes, and
destroyers press upon them 50 fast that there
Is no resisting afterwards. The nature of the
encroachment is TO grow every day more en-
croaching like a cancer it eats faster every
hour
Mark we'll the injunction of that great man,
Daniel Webster, when he says: