The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-01-15

OF people VINO always ma Ill tnc OOn- |
siitution an insurmountable bar to eve-
rything that Justice and truth require
to be done. Their wicked potences
and aimless logic are only thin dis.
guise of real disloyalty-
The President has now not only to execute thu
ordinary powers Of government conferred upon
him by the Constitution but be has also to protect
and defend the Constitution from destruction By
virtue OF that instrument he is COMMANDMENTS.
Chief, and as such, In conjunction with Congress.
ne possesses all the war powers possessed by the
most despotic government on earth, and for the
exercise OF those vast powers he is responsible
only to the Congress elected by the people. The
constitution itself has not undertaken to prescribe
the manner OF the exercise of those powers, but
has left that to be determined by the exigencies of
the case. But that it would be xercised arbitra-
riy and contrary to the usual fol ms in many cases
is clearly contemplated, by the I'd subdivision of
Section g. which permits the suspension of the
writ Of habeas corpus of rebellion or in
vasion, If the public safety requires it. That is
the only limit. Whatever the public safety re-
quires is not only within the power of the Presi-
dent to do but it is his solemn duty to do it, The
slow processes of law which sufficient in time
OF peace, fail altogether in the presence of war.
The schemes Of the public enemies must be met
with decision and promptness, and put down sum-
marily and by whatever means may for the time
being be the most eHectual If the presence of a
spy of the enemy is known in the army in Tennes-
nessee, and upon undertaking to arrest him he
should escape into Michigan, would there be any
doubt of the power and duty of the Commander
ln-Chlef to pursue and take him In defiance of the
habeas corpus, or the power of any civil magis-
trae, and return him to be dealt with according to
the military code? and under that code he might
be summarily tried, condemned and executed, or
might be closely confined SO long the public ex-
igency required it, without trial at all. If this be
true in the supposed, would it be any the less
true If the spy in question resided in Michigan,
aud carried on his operations by secret correspon-
dence with the enemv with the assistance of others
like himself, reaching the same object by more
circuitous method? In times of great public dan
ger like these, very much must be entrusted to the
enlightened discretion Of these who have the chief
affairs While acting with patriotic motives they
are entitled to a charitable Judgment, and spirit
OF unjust fault binding and camOr is little less than
criminal. That the National Administration is en-
tirey patriotic there are few indeed to doubt that
it is deeply in earnest in its efforts put down the
rebellion and save the Union, is also manifest.
That its measures have been in the main wise, l
believe, and if the great body of the people are
likely to find any fault with its action thus far it
will not be that it has stretched its power too far
or expire ssed them with too much energy and
promptness.
We are very impatient people, and prone to
believe that the rebellion ought 10 have been sup
pressed IN campaign of ninety days. We are
upon the pinnacle of hope when armies win a
victory, and the voice of the complainer scarcely
heard in whispers; but when they meet repuse
we sink immediately into the very slough Of des-
pond and the rebel sympathizer goes brawing
through the land with all the assurance of patri
OF, while very likely neither the victory nor the
defeat was OF much account as affecting the final
result.
Great undertakings require lime. and it is not by
view of the operations OF asiDgle month, or even
year, that results are to be correctly measured.
Though We have not.made snch rapid progress in
subduing the rebellion as many, perhaps a MAORI
fv hnnah vQt nnnn a If no ytnla fipld
will DC apparent that steady and powerful pro-
gress has been made. At the commencement of
the war; the Stale OF Maryland, lying in the track
of the armies fastening to the defence of the Cap
tOl was thoroughly disloyal and more troublesome
than any other she is entirely obedient to the
laws, and not even the presence of victorious reb
Ell army could shake her fixed purpose to abide in
the Union. The great and powerful State of Mis-
souri,, the battle ground Of the West at the begin
ming of the war; has been cleared of the public
mics and ronged herself upon the loyal side. The
late emancipation triumph in the election in that
State the cheering intelligence that she is
forevermOre steadtast for the Union. Kentucky
has been prevented from falling into the rebel
grasp The new State of Western Virginia has
been entirely won, and nearly half Of old Virginia
is firmly held by the Union armies. We possess
lBrge portions of Tennessee, Mississippi and Louis
iaua with nearly the entire valley OF the Father of
waters. We hold several of the principal ports of
the Confederacy in the Gulf and on the Atlantic
seaboard, while the remainder of them closely
ciplined than at any former period. All this in
little more than year and half. like success
for the same length of time to come, and the power
Of the rebellion will be entirely broken.
Our sacrifices have indeed been great, but CON-
pared with those Of our enemies, they are as moth
ing on. States have been entirely free from inva-
sion, while theirs have been the scene of all the
great battles of the war, and literally tramped
under the feet of both armies Our business avo-
cations have been uninterrupted, while theirs are
either held by ms, or blockaded by an invincible |
fleet, and their commerce mainly cut oil. Is there
any cause for encouragement in all this? Shall
listen to the sensation croakers, forget our man.
hood. aud bow before these rebels? We have as |
saulted the enemy's entrenched position at Fred
ericksburg, and failed to take it. SoNapoleOn lost
the battle of Marengo and won it again before |
sun down. Ii we cannot bear disaster or two
with crying out for party, then indeed do we need
the stern education OF war. The only way to be
secure of peace is to be able to conquer in war; |
Military prowess is essential to the stability and
perpetuity of nation. The true glory of the Re- |
public must consist not only in the bene6cence and
freedom of our institutions but also in ability
and courage to defend and protect them. 1t can |
not be too often repeated that it cost seven years
of war to foand this Republic, and if it was worth
the struggle then, much more is it worth it now,
after the experiment of free government has
proved so graDdly successful. Neither were they |
without their defeat in those days, without |
their croakers to gloat over them with sad faces |
and inward jollity, predicting that utter failure
must attend such mad attempt, recommending |
that it were better at to have done with such
headlong abstractionsts as the Washiugtons, the |
JeHersons, the Frankns, and the Adams, and to |
make terms with the old government of King aud |
Parliament as 1t was.
They had also their donothing generals, their |
Benedict Arnolds. and the sad and sickening rival
ries of men in high position, whose ambition far |
exceeded their patriotism But they had virtue |
enough and valOr enough to overcome ALL and after |
years of bloody toll. through many defeats and
some victories, steadfast and heroic STILL they fin
ally reached their victorious Yorktown. snd gaye /
a nation. of freedom to the world. Where are |
their grumblers and faint hearted counsellors of
SUBMISSION, now? history has embalmed their
very names for infany, while il strings its never
fading garlands for the brows of the heroes Of in
dependence. In the history of the past read that
OF the future. We have proud name among the |
nations of the earth. Gallant ancestors left pure
escutcheons and bright names. Shall we add
glorious page to an already renowned history 4?
Then there must be no peace with a dismembered
counfry-no yielding to the demands OF arrant
traitors. Peace is indeed most desirable, but it
must be enduring peace. Only one thing stands
between it and as, and that is slavery. The ene-
nv only sundered the Union, and now prevents its
restoration; that enemy is slavery All the blood
and carnage of this terrible war, all The heart
rending casualties of battle, and the sad bereave-
meats Occasioned by them have the same cause
slavery. The greatest viest criminal OF the world.
it must perish. In the smoke and fame of battle,
it must perish, for it chose; struck dead by the
resistess arm OF its conquering antagonist Enadn-
ciyation. Let us rally round the Government.
won, is won forever. The peace which follows is
the peace of the conqueror whose cause is merci-
full and just, bringing good will to men.
AUSTIN BLAIR.