New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1863-06-26
A SPEECH IN POINT,

Inc ChlcaS0 convention, WHICH
hatched out more treason than any
similar Convention ever held in this
country, was presided over by Mr..
Ashman, Of Massachusetts,. This Ash
man was at that time and is now one
of the mcst violent and unreasonable
aholitionists living. He used to be a
Whig, and was once in Congress-
While there, he made a speech upon
the subject of the Mexican war. This
is what he said:
Il shall not be deferred fro m a dis
cussion Of the subject here, and at this
time, by the miserable cry Of those
whose cuty and proftit is to yield a
ready subservience to power, that the
present is not the proper time to make
this inquiry that We should wait un-
til the war is over before we should
presume to investi gate the conduct of
the executive ! Sir, 1t Is uever too
soo,, for a people who desire to remain
free to scrutimize the conduct ofthose
who are in po,Oer. The time may
come ,ohen 1t may be too late-fatally
too late. But it can never be too soon.
Eternal vigilance, tireless and sleepless,
Is necessary to watch and guardagainst
the insidlous encroachment of those
in power; and he who drugs his con-
science with the reflection that men in
power are presumed to do right, adopts
the doctrine Of a despotism. And he
pho sees an eercutive usurping to
himsel funauthorised military poacer,
and fails to proclaim and denounce
it, IS as false to his duty, as much a
traitor to his country, as the man
'oho deserts to the enemy's standard
on the field cfbattle.
Can it bs possible that, in a govern
ment like ours, war may be waged, and
the people may not ask, wherefore p
That armies may be levied, the heart
of a neighhoring republic be invaded,
of foreign conquest under
the lead of questionable characters set
on foot--nillicns of dollars expended,
the blood of our gallant soldiers poured
that our mouths are to be
sealed as to the causes or necessities
which have produced such results? Sir,
l acknowledge no such slsvish docrtine.
Scorn, contempt, and utter loathing
are all they deserve. They belong
rightfully to the lips Of those ,oho live
by the thrift ~hich tollonOs fawning
those ofoar number ,Oho hare been
the humble applicants tor the br;ga
dierships, the paynasterships and
other crumbs 'ohich falls from the
executive table and whose pasrio1isu.
is valorous and loud ,nou.hed in pro-
portion to their chance FIR getting Of
fee and emo|ument. But I hold that
we should be false to our trust as rep
resentatives, if we fail to hold to stric;
accountability those who are temper
arily administering the executive de-
partmenls of the government. Those
men are not the government. They
are not the country. They are for
brief period, the instruments for con-
Quoting the affairs Of the government
and the country. The power of the
people Is only partially delegated delo
geted for special purposes. How ab.
surd and preposterous, then, IS the
clamor that, aohem ,oe venture to cen
sure those agents Of the people, we are
arraying ourselves against our coun-
try!
1t is for such q war, leading to such
consequences, that We are now, in our
character as representatives, called up
on to vote supplies, treasure and human
life +; millions of dollars and thousands
Of men are demanded Of US, to be ex
pended to accomplish such a result.
And we are told that, without scruple,
without complaint it is our duty to
crafty this demand. We are told that
now, after the war has been began. the
executive is charged with full power
over its conduct md ond .nd &bot n,r