The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1863-07-02
What Form OF Government
do We Live.

The American citizen was once Justly
proud to answer that question; to day, l.
he still owns freemans aspirations, he
answers II with sorrox and Humiliation -
Ii is a mischevous delusion tina. the
stricken genius OF republicanism will re
cuperale as the skies brighten and the
clouds disrerse; the neck that has once
consented to the yoke, can be brought to
it again.
If two years of civil strif. can clo,he
an executive with absolut. power, centu-
riss of peace cannot erase the memory,
the shame and Tho precedent from the an
nails OF the people. A right once relin
quished. even ii again resumed, is held
hy an uncertain tenure. and will not be
maintained with tat inf x.b.e spirit tha
renders it proof against the assaults O. a
daring and unscrupuous ambition. We
will not s i've the painful record of wha
rights have been relinquished; !e. each
citizen, for himself. look back npon th~
tair proportions o. his heritage as he re
ceived it from his fatters. and then real
ze his loss in contemplating the worth
less fragments that left To him.
Political convulSioDs approximate the
extremes OF Government, and sometimes
the feebiest cause will affect the creates,
tran formation. Lucre,ia's corpse bridy.
ed the brief interval between moparchical
and republican Rome. The soldiership
and genius of Macedonian Phillip swep.
away the sovereignties of the Greciau
sta'es. The first Napoleon dszzied the
republic of France into subi-ction with
the brlllisncy of his military triumph>,
and his intriguing nephew. by the pres
'ige of a name, passed from obscru,y TO
the Presidential chair, from the Presiden
iial chair TO an Imperial throne. The
| republic of the United States, which three
years ago was the pride OF the American.
aud the admiration of the world, is now
We dread to iealz, the truth.
What ia a despotic forp Of govern
ment? That which is ':absolu,e in pow
er, independent of control from men, con
stitu,,on. or laws; arbitrary in the exer-
else Of power" This is the definition of
a despotic government, as explained by
Noah Webster. Does The law or the
Constitution sanction the arrest of a clti
zen. or the violation Of an official oath with
ou Judicial processs Is there a citiz n
who, at lhis day, can trust the law and the
Constitution to protect him from such
IN exercise Of arbitrary power? Is not
he whose wili points out the victim. anu
the time and manner Of his arrest, aud
the place Of his confinement, and the
method Of his trial. essl utislly despo
Are We not. according TO the meaning oi
words and the existence OF facts, living
under despolic g. vernmtn.?
We entreat our fellow citizens 10 pom
der upon these things, wi h the th III, ht-
fitness OF meh who have Inherited an il..
estimabie treasure. which they alone ca
guard i,om the spoilers hand. To re-
deem that treasure. if now, by tame ac-
quieseence, they permit it, wei by jaw
ell, 10 pass from their safe keeping vii
cost them hereafter as precious blood ne
is no. v being wasted in insane contentioc,
Meet the intruder how, at the thresh-
hold Of your violated temples Snatch
from his po.luiing grasp the sacred gilt
OF your fathers. and regain the magnl
6cent estate that was beql-alhed to 70,
unlalnled with the atmosphere Of tyranny
Do it, by the fearless expression Of your
sovereign Will--lhat which none exc. p
Gods, is higher; and which alone has h,
privilege to control your deslnies. D,
ii. by exercise OF your Unlimited right o
free discussion; by appeal to the prolec
tion of the law; by the free voice of the
ballot box; by whatever means tho ex-
igency demands and the occasion SAIL
clife>; but d. it.-.New York .Ne,rs.