Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-30
From the Richmond whig, May %
purifa nj SIN and Hts Works.

The late proceedings in the United States in
the case of NallandiSham. and the more recent
decision of the Cabinet at Washington. annulling
the provision of the CONSUMPTION law. which al
lows any citizen to purchase exemption by the
payment of 5000. attest how rapidly and steadily
the Government in that country is settling down
into absolute deSpotism. Theoretically that
Government is composed OF three co ordinate de.
partments-Executive Legislative and Judicial.
The arrest trial AID conviction of Mr.. Ntlau-
digham without civil process legal tribunal !,
without sheriff. Judge or jury. are the suppression
of tho Judicia! government, and its elimination
from the system Of Government while the NULL
fication OF a law of Congress By Executive fat is
the annhlatiOn of the Legislative branch.
Nothing then exists bnt what remains in all
autocracIes. an Administration in which are con
centrated all the prerogatives and powers of
Governme nt, aud that Administration must neces-
sarly be absolute. since its authority i undivided
and cannot he appealed from.
Some years agoIt was predicted Of the great
republic by one of its own orators. that the his
toran would one day record rs its epitaph that it
lost IT'S own liberties IN the ins ne and impossible
attempt 20 secure the liberty of .he negro The
prophecy has had an Unexpectedly early fulfill
ment. Ii is fortunate tor Us that We were able to
escape before the crash came and To save from
the wreck the ark of liberty. But for them moth
ing is left OF all that they most gloriei in
glOried in without understanding or knowing how
to preserve. No people ever babbled more about
liberty nor set mp SO MANY affairs for It's worship,
nor chlnted so many anthems IN It's praise-but
few people have ever really known so little of
what true civil liberty consisted in or how il was
10 be guarded ana maintained Its defenSes they
mistook for restrictions. its muniments for lm
tatiOns, and in breaking down they opened the
flood gates tO license. inauguratei the sovere en-
" of the mob, and place themselves NJ the mercy
of demagOgues, who, as in all past history. seized
the opportunity thus afforded 10 usurp and con.
soIidats in despotisn the powers which hid been
originally distributed among many repositories,
and exercised by separate and independent func-
tEonaries.
Thus it has come about that The central power
at Washington now sways supreme over the cor
porations. municipalities. State Governments
and the Judicial and Legislative Departments of
the Federal Government IL is monarch of all
and tie bastiles yawn for any Que who dares
question is right
Puritsnism spawned the brood Of evil from
which these disasters have come. Ii originated
and kept uD the slavery controversy: il invented
the measures of unequal legislation by which the
South WAS heeced to enrich the North: il set
ahoat every species of misrepresentation and
SANDER concerning u, and engendered the see.
tional hatred that made W. two people in feeling
long before We became 50 ia fact IL ut last ef
iecied the divulsOn Of the country and forced the
collision of arms that nov almost literally shakes
the hemisphere A. the result of all this il has
cost the people of the United States their liberty,
by substituting a deSpoti>m for A constitutional
republic; it has cost them the good opinion OF the
world by exposing the unsubstantial character of
their borrowed greatness and the deprayty and
rotienness Of their social system il has cost them
the commerce and Intercourse Of the South
which were the streams whose golden sands sup
pliel them with riches and splendor; it has cost
them Union which them at least benf-
cent and glorious and. lastly. il has cost them
innumerable lives of kindred and friends lost in
glorioasiy and in vain. many thousand homes
made desolate. aud an iucalcuiaDle expenditure
Of treasure so dear 20 them.
So much for Puritanism