Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-06-27
Prom the Louisville Democrat
A Criticism upon the Logic and ya.
gnrfes of 8eber re- Dale owen.

FROM the iontsfilie Dcmncfat.
A Criticism upon the Logic and ya.
gnrics of Robe rt Dale owen.
Hon X. ID Oven has spread himself out al,
length Ia the Atlsndc Monthly on the emlncipa
ton question. lie has come o. the conclusion
now that Congress can abolish slavery In nll the
States. and ought to do IL He drops the pes Of
military necessity. and goes back 10 the Constiiu
ton. and by hsri logic makes GU. the power Of
Congress To do IL
Congress can do anything convenient and nee
essary To carry out any expressly granted power,
provided the means used are not expressly forbid
den 10y the Constitution.
The logic runs smoothly. The rebellion exists
only in the slave States. IL started and l. sup.
ported ia the interests OF slavery. The prolec
ton Of property ia slaves the excuse for the
rebellion. The interest In slavery aud the sup
port IL gives Rebels keeps The rebellion alive.
Congress has power, then, % abolish slavery as
n means 20 end the rebellion. This means is
adapted to the purpose, and therefore, legitimate
What can be palmer? Win could refu'e such
logic as that7 BY the same logic Congress could
enslave white men. and hang score or two with
out n trial, and suspend the Constitution alto
gether. Ii may be means TO the end. in the
judgment Of Congress. and Congress Is To be the
Judge on that point. This simple redactio al
absurdnm however, will not disturb the equi
nimity of Mr. Owen or his school. This same
principle OF adapting means TO the end. with no
restraint but the discretion of Congress, changes
our Government IL Is revolutionary. Logic
that runs into despotism had better be chopped
of The reserved rights of States are sacred
ground that the Federal Government has no right
to eacroach upon. 50 the common sense aud
craftsmanship Of this country would conclude.
But Owen is a simple child OF logic. The it,
trinity Of logic has lei him a dance in this
queer world of ours. He started out a skeptc
of the scofiing sort. Once upon a time he
wrote and published n remarkable book on n
subject not To- be named Alterward. he took
fancy for Democratic doctrines, and was for "A
time good advocate of the party. He went to
Europe in responsible office. which he was not
very competent to fill. and has come home
Spiritualist. He has published book" Foot
falls on the Boundaries of Another World
which Is worth retding for its agreeable STYLE and
curious facts. From believing nothing. he has
come 10 believe a vast deal ef the marvellous
He IS Just the man 10 be led away by his logic
into absurdities. aud see nothing but the there
fores He does not see that this use Of implied
powers in the Federal Government cuts up the
whole theory of the Federal Government by the
roots. aud makes State power nothing ut all
This logical inhrmity Is catching it is epi'icm
in these times Mr. Lincoln ia deeply afflicted
with il, and the dstemper has spread widely
The Republican papers generally regard the
Presidents letter u Corning Il Co AS very sound
and satisfactory; wherein it is made out by logic
that. according to the Constitution. the Execu
tive has a right To arrest anybody these times
and treat him at discreton-btnish. hang or burn
him at pleasure-and nobody has right to gain
say H. This is not Government of law at all.
but one of high discretion Because some men
are guilty. all men lose guarantees of life liberty
and property. All right; we are great people
Other people have had Governments and SO must
we; other people have had histories, and SO must
we The people of Israel wanted King to toll
low the fashion of other nations. and they got
one.
There have been times in all nations when
these monstrous powers we're claimed and the
logicians demonstrated the justice and proprety
OF IL; and Jealous partisans felt reioiced at the
progress OF their age in the march OF improve
ments IL is idle TO reason with these men
They have more logic than they know what to
do with We have no doubt they could take any
clause Of the Federal Constitution and prove any
thing that might be needed. Give me doctrines
and will find arguments. said old arguher
These DAYS. there il call for new doctrines To
support what military necessity" requires. and
these new doctrines easily invented. Once
started. and arguments can be made out OF the
Constitution.
The old Federalists once undertook to charter
n mining company III view jersey mere tneN
got the power was the question; for the coDven-
ton that made Federal Constitution had re.
fused to give tn Congress the power TO establish
corporations. Well. Congress could do all that
necessary and proper to carry out n power
expressly granted Jefferson said Congress hid
no power to establish a navy. Now there could
be no navy without ships. ships could not be built
without brass and n company was convenient to
make brass: therefore Congress could incorpo.
rate mining company. There is prolific
clause OF the Constitution about the general wei
fare that has been limited At but not fairly brought
into service. We suggest il to the next logcian
who writes article. Ii j. that clause about
the general welfare" II ought to be brought
into service and properly elaborated and applied
Under this clause exploits might be performed. in
the way of logic. u prove the proprety necos-i
~ of expeditions To burn and destroy private
property and lay waste the whole country with
fire and sword. in order in the end to promote the
general welfare.
These logcians should. however, he charitable
IN dull old fogie-. who are confnundel az their
astonishing progress. and who will not cOmpre
bend how our Government could be changed
by logic that nobody would know IT, We hope
they will wait for us We thought one day that
we could believe anything almost. but we have
serious apprehensions that these drafts upon our
faith will get too deep for u.
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