M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1863-04-30

thers shonld he bat one party; and
that all shonll rally in an 'nncondi'
tional support ofthe constituted au'
thorities.' This dogma needs oxami '
nation. Ifby an unconditional sup
port of the constituted authorities 1t IS
inteuded to claim that we must all
recognize the fact that we are engag
el in a civil war, and that we must
conduct il, while it lasts, through
these authorities, AMI must hold no
irregular intercourse with the enemy,
we readily sccede to the proposition.
But lit is meant that we are lot to
question the methods which the Ad
ministralion pursue in the prosecu-
tion Of the war; that We nave no
rightful control over the measures
or that we are to refrain from dcman
ding change Of their policy-l reject
the doctrine without the slightest hes
ita,ion. The very issue which you
make with the Administration Of
itself refutes tha! doctrine. That
issue is, that their course of action
subverts the Constitution makes the
war an attack on the social system of
the South, and renders it impossible
TO succeed in that war. without de-
stroyiug, tor the Sonth and for the
North, the Whole principle Of State
sovereignty, on which tho Union was
necessarily founded as one OF its cor
ner.stones. 1t is in vain to say that
the acts of tho Administration, Of
which you complain, are military
measures. In every civil war there
are political considerations which
mus. qualify the military action, or
that action can result only in disaster.
A Government that undertakes to
suppress a great revolt Of powerful
ani oiganized communities, at the
same time furnishing the strongest OF
moral motives for resistance is in the
same situation as he Sho fights his
enemy with one hand and supplies
him through tho other with the mn
ntions OF war. In the present case
we have made the conquest one OF
infinite difficulty, by first declaring
that We wsgei tho war solely for the |
supremacy Of the Constitution, and |
then turning round and making the
overthrow OF the Constitution too
probable result ol our success.-
T'That's So Applause.
The result will not be confined to
the condition OF the revoted States, it
the war continues to be prosecuted as
it has been for the last six mouths -
You can not Acqueece in the meas
nres of tho Administration, involving,
as they do, the exercise Of many
powers that lie wholly outside OF the
Constitution, without leaving this
country hereafter to be ruled by pow
ers that will rest upon nothing but
what the Judgment Of party, or a
faction, or a clique, shall deem to bei
public necessities. in this aspect OF
our affairs | can not avoid word Of
earnest appeal to all rejecting men,
to consider wl.at fate must attend the
securities OF property, as we'll as the
rights of person, if we permit the
Constitution to be lost.
There are five great securities Of
property, the continuance Of winch,
10 this country, is dependent on the
preservation Of the Constitution Of lie
United States. Let me enuT, ,crat,
them. They are:
First. A uniform mstallic curren.
cy, ss the basis and standard of all
values.
second. rhe power to establish a
uuifOr.u system Of bankruptcies, when
tver ;hs interests OF commerce de
mand it.
Third. The inviolaLility Of con.
tracts by State Legislatures.
Fourth. The provision which pla'
ces property under the protection Of
the Constitution against Federal pow
or. 80 that no lnau eau be deprived Vi
it without legal rocess.
Fifth. The prohibition which re
strains the Federal power OF eminent
domain, to that private property can
not be taken for public use without
just compensation.
Now, no rational being can suppose
that these guarantees can he extorled
anew from that centralized despotism
which is but too likely 10 DO the sue
cessor that the Constitution OF the
United States can ever have. | care
not what ideas men may form OF tha!
stronger government which some
allow themselves to wish for in the
place OF our present system. My
reason aud my instincts both teach
me that that government will be an
unchecked and uncontrolled JespOt
ism ;and we need not look lar itr the
signs Of ita approach. [Applausc.
Consciously, or unconSciouoIy, theic
are many agencies t,wOrk to promote
its advent one Of the most potent Ui