New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1863-11-20
NATIONAL LIFE AND PERIL.


In ancient commonwealths we are
tod, thst self:preservation was consld-
cred as justifying "ths temporary
rsi,ing Of the .'atutes Of liberty
Among the Romans, in the hour Of
national peril, the dictator who step
ped from the Senate clothed with the
ms: absolute pover over the life. liber-
~ and property q the Roman citizen.
was only the legitimate creature Of this
dangerous ile. But in our country it
was never intended, in a-v event, TO
trust executive power vested in single
individual "to keep the Vi gils of liberty
During the revolutionary struggle a
proposition was madein the Legislature
Of Virginia at a time when the affairs
IF the colonies were in their most criti
cal situation. to proclaim Patrick Hen
~ dictator, but Corbin silenced the
proposition by sternly replying, ''your
dictatorial crown to his brop, my
dagger to his hears.'' Under our
system ef government, the defence Of
liberty can never safely be entrusted
to the executive, nor become part Of
its duty. He i, not the great end but
only the humble instrument to aceomp-
fish the legitimately expressed powers
granted, having no human right to as
sumo powers not distinctly conferred by
the letter of the constitution. Daniel
Webster in his great speech on the
protest Of Jackson, said: "Who is he
that declares to US, through the Presi-
dents lips, that the security for freedom
rests in executive authority ? Who is
he that bellies the blood, and libcls
the fame Of his ancestry, by declaring,
that they have invoked executive power
to come to the protection of liberty :?
Who Is he that charges them with in.
sanity or recklessness, of their putting
the lamb beneath the lions paws No,
sir, no, sir,-our security only consists
in our ,catchfulne,. of erecu!ive
power?"
Scarcely three fourths of a century
have passed since this great fabric Of
government came fresh from the hands
efits builders and just at the time 1t
appeared to the limited vision of man,
that God was forming amongst US, as
it were, the grand ANAL gam of nations,
and as we hoped. for some grand pur-
pose Of his own-at tune when maay
men looked for it, and those who for.
years foretold its coming, but prayed
that it might never occur, the great
fabric parts asunder, and We find our
selves standing face to face with the
most wonderful event in tho worlds
history. In the eloquent language Of
Mercer "a great life grit with glory,
this pledge Of the purest and hottest
hopes, this America this home Of free
dom, is broken down by the axes and
hammers of political mndmen, North and
South This is new thing even in
the history of states. ant 1t is shock
to the moral framework of society"
Like some fearful serpent, tho terrible
event daily keeps unfolding its deadly
coils. Each succeeding day and hour
reveals to US anew the sickening hor
rors that haunt the bloody footsteps O
civil war. The shrill blasts of the bu
gle are continually calling to the BATH
field the men Of ono nation, brethren o.
one great national family; even tn
children who have been nourishcd be
meath the same paternal roof, are ca Il
cd upon to imbrue their hands in eacl
others blood. We envy not the ma,
who can rejoice and make merry owe
the fearful slaughter that such unnat
ural conflicts provoke neither do VI
envy tho hereafter Of the christia'
minister who can make such slaughte