Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1863-12-26
The Revolution at Home.

While the Administration is engaged in
q war with the rebellion, he must be o
very superficial observer of passing events
who does not see that the Administration
is also engaged in working out revolution
here, at home, in the Northern States. 1t
is maxim in morals that man intends
that which is the necessary and logical
result Of his own actions. Measuring Mr..
Lincoln's actions by this rule what does
he intend What are his purposes p
Clearly complete and entire revolution
in our system Of government; the substi-
tuition of some other unknown and untried |
system, in the stead of that which was |
made by our fathers, and to which, in our
simplicity, we thought we owed allegiance.
This charge, as it is serious in character,
is not made without due consideration nor
founded on light and transient reasons.
Now, we either live under a written
Constitution, which, within its sphere, is
the supreme law of the land, or we do not
Mr.. Lincoln, in common with every other
citizen, is Ell her bound by that Constitution
and owes it allegiance, or he is not
There is no escape from these premises,
| If that Constitution prescribes the limit Of
his official conduct, then everything he
does outside of that limit is an infracion
of the supreme law, and an assault upon
the system Of governmet which that Con-
stitution established. In the early his
tory of the war, in the vacation of Con-
gress, the people were ready to overlook
certain irregularities of their Chief Magis
trate, as in some measure growing out of
the extreme urgency ofthe occasion. But
not content with these small beginnings, ii
is not fiicult TO show-indeed, it is noto-
rious-that Mr.. Lincoln has pursued q
steady and systematic course, in utter dis.
regard OF the Constitution. In fact, it has
become habitual with him to substitute hi
will for the Constitution and when &C
cused on this point, both he and his parti
sans take refuge under the specous ple
of "mlitary necessity"
His last Proclamation, issued contempc
, raneously with, and forming part of, hi
last annualMessage, furnishes. the stronges
possible proof of the correctness of our ac
= cusation. Stripped of its verbiage, tha
Proclamation as addressed to the people G
=, the rebelious States, means just this 81
you will consent to resign the rights secure
to you by the Constitution, and will swea
to support all my unconstitutional procla
mations-if, in short you will agree
support and maintain the new system
government which have set up, the stea
= thy and insidious revolution which I haS
inaugurated by virtue of my Proclamatio
- and other acts, and thus abolish the ol
- Government and annul the old Constitute
Il will pardon you for what you ha'
20 done; but if you will not do this. wi
use my army, not to restore the Consiit
ton and the Union, but to assist a minol
~ ty Of one tenth of the people in your Stat
u to overturn the old system of governmer
10 inaugarate new government, viii
shall be in accordance with my views, al
- with the revolution which I have begun a.
~ ~ resolved to accomplish"
II Such, we submit, is fair and reason
,b able Interpretation of the import of t
IN Proclamation. He demands that the pt
rs pie shall swear to maintain not only Il
70 Proclamation, but all others issued by
bearing upon the subject-all of which,
-. every enlightened citizen knows, are in
bs ter disregard Of all constitutional right a
dr obligation. The carrying out of sucl
No. scheme must, necessarily and inevitab
he work complete revolution in our pres
,nt political system, and organize some otI
-. sort of government than that which
,oo lately possessed and still hold dear
r,v What that system will be,we cannot preci
ly. know, because it exists only in Mr.. l
II, coin mind and in the minds of his .col
nr dants. This much we do know, howe
a. that it will be founded in his will,
.ho maintained, if need be by the force of
itb army, Tor he has virtually SO dec clared'
Let it be remembered in connection v
.ib the foregoing, that the President has.
os another proclamation, suspended the
,on beas corpus, and, as con sequence, h
~ the liberty OF each citizen at the disp,
-, of his own will that he banishes wi
tho he will, imprisons whom he will,and fav
,na whom he will that, like Olympian J'
49,, be
old Shakes his ambrosal curs and gives the nod,
WV The stamp Of fate and sanction of the God
And now, we conclude by asking