The mountain Democrat., 1863-04-04
The March Of Despetism.


Among a party IN this Republic we
have noticed creeping further in, day by
day. 3 doctrine that every freeman should
protest against. The preachers and
teachers Of this doctrine are traitors of the
deepest dye traitors to Liberty herself
would confound the Executive with the
Government, and make submission to the
unconstitutional decree Of the one . test
of loyalty to the other. True, q Repub-
lie should respect in its Executive the
work Of its own hands but TO deem it
too sacred for criticism is to fall into the
basest political idolatry. 1t is the true
doctrine Of slaves, and those who promui-
gate it do their best to create slaves.
Who here shalt sneer at the divine rights
Of kings, when there can be found men,
republicans born and bred, who believe
that to speak slightingly of the President
is to bring the Government into disrepute.
What is this but the law of offended
majesty under which the Romans groan-
ed! What is it but the assertion Of the
one man power in its most offensive
form? There are some sins which the
sublime Apostle Of the Gentiles says
should not even be mentioned among
Christians, and there are political crimes
which should not even be whispered
among freemen. One man too sacred to
be criticised !-one judgment too infalIi-
ble to be, questioned Havo we really
come to this? Has our march towards
despotism been so rapidl But yester-
day we cleared the starting point-to-day
We are in sight Of the goal. Yesterday
freemen--tO-day--What! Yesterday
vehement in Self.Assertion-to-day abiect
in selfabasement. Oh. unparalleled
" "alacrity in sinking!" Why, how easy
it is for governments to manufacture
slaves when they have got the right stuff
to work with. But until now we never
thought that freemen could be converted
into slaves right off, without going
through many an intermediate process.
Never thought that the descendants of
the men who raised to Liberty the sub.
limest temple that the world has ever
seen, would turn them from her affairs,
and, in that land sacred to her, endeavor
to build up q tyranny.
But it must not be supposed that these
men are SO lost to all senses of shame that
they openly avow their infamous designs.
Oh, hol they mask them under q show
of specious patriotism it is not that they
love Freedom less, but the Union more.
Everything" they cry 49," sacrifice
everything to save the Union" Every
thing. we reply, but that which renders
the Union valuable-everything save
Liberty. The Union Is our political
Ark, but Liberty is the sacred deposit
that hallOws it; ri6ed o! its contents.
what is the Ark to us but . deSecrated
shrine-a memento of the folly Of men
and the crimes Of rulers?
States q man who halls from Massachu-
sets and this man, born with the in
stincts Of slave, has had the hardihood
to introduce into that Assembly q bill
giving him absolute power over the mill
tie Of the loyal States, and every able
bodied white man within their borders,
thus blotting out State boundaries as if
they were mere pencil marks, and knock
ing down Governors as if they were ten
pins What wonder that we hear asked
on every side, "Is this free country?
Are we citizens Of a Republic, or subjects
of q despotism? Have we a President
or Dictatori Is this Federal Union,
or consolidated Empire? And is our
Empire State sovereign as heretofore, or
q mere American Yorkshire ?" Grave
questions, and deserving the attention of
every true-hearted patriot Metropoli-
tan Record.