The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-10-01
as falling far short of the demands of this

would not surpass their tolerance. Proceed
ing upon this plan, the first OF these resolu
tons recognizes as a fact that doubts had ex
listed whether the Federal Government ha
power sto coerce State peaceably Withdraw
ing from the Union" but that this had bee
solved by the South firing the first gun. tn
inference, however, still remains that unIes
State makes open war upon the Union it i
doubtful whether the General Government
has power to compel the several States to re
main in the Union. From whence came this
paralyzing doubt, and how comes it stamped
with democratic authority. If there be any
thing iii the doubt, then the republican rcso
buttons of our State Legislature truly con
demned in the address are sound. The dog
ina came from Southern nullfiers, and nc
cloud of justification Will ever persuade the
clear American mind that they are incompe
tent to defend their own Government. thei
civil institutions, aud their hereditary fran
chises.
The incompetent powers of the old confed
Grafton plainly demonstrated the necessity o.
a change in this particular, and furnished q
cogent reason for the adoption Of the consti.
tuition. The necessary authority of our gov
eminent In questions Of State INSTRUMENTATION,
was strenuously affirmed by the democratic
party Of this State all through the Booth tri-
ais and the adjudications growing out of that
controversy. The constitution is the same
now as then, and why should any countenance
be now given to doctrine which we then
denounced as revolutionary.
The second resolution commences by APP
proving of "a onj'' fot the defense of the Tn
ion. The questions which these resolutions
habitually elude is tie present aonr, with the
battles it has fought since the rebellious at
tack upon Sumter. Here is a mighty strug-
gle for national existence, honor and posteri-
ty. Are you for or against it? If the latter.
what boots the extenuating and qualifying
casuistrles with which you seek to disguise a
sentiment you dare not to announce. Is the
present war that heaven approved contest up
on which you invoke the blessing Of Almighty
God, or is it ''as unholy a war as ambition
could devise or tyranny intlict p condemned
in the platform If you do not drop all vague
ness and become explicit on this point, the
world will not respect the verbiage which
stands godfather for your patriotism.
-, This resolution is followed by Iaborious di-
atribes upon the violated constitution, militia
ry usurpation, official imbecility, and the du-
ty which some day may devolve upon the
people to take the law into their own hands
published daily in Milwaukee organ as the
very acme of democratic wisdom they must
be familiar to all who peruse that respecta bic
journal. CThe fate Of this journal is a remark
able instance of mutabiity in political affairs
1t has boon engaged lately in reading demo-
Gratis out of the party, and is now excommu-
nicated itself by the potent edict Of the author
of the platform.) The rabid character of some
IF no into hnIa -
brief repetition as this extended address will
admit. Take the following extracts as sam
pile of the whole:
'But that war waged by the faderal government
to reduce sovereign states To provincial depend 81
cy, to subvert rights secured by the c1nsfitu9
ton to the several states and the people thereof
under pretence of maintaining both, would be
as unholy war rs ambition could devise ty
ranny infict
3. ResolDed, That while we believe that the slave
holding states had received long and grevous
provocaton. by assaults upon their constitutional
rights by northern abOlItioulsm. the original and
acCu7sed cause of the terrible civil war now rag
ing yet we believe the revolt.
And that the present federal administration, in
conducting the present var, nae left the word in
doubt whether their principal object ID to re.ture
the constitution Mt the south ar to subvart il Mt
the north The history Of the world has rarely
shown grnsser or more sys emallC abuse ot del
egated and limited powers IRE in.oIent as
sumption of arbitrary power by the constitutional
servants of the people.
Our fathers founded the constitution and if
those charged with the administration of the fed
eral government should be so insane and gully as
to turn their power against the rights of the state
and the people of the north, fully believe that
they will lind the great masses al the northern PEG
pie without distinction of party worthy Of the
constitution by supporting it, aud worthy of the
fathers who founded it, by initiating their exam
pie under lswless oppression. Better liberty AID
right out Of the Union than a government above
the constitution and the laws
These guarantees have been systematically
violated by The present federal administra Not
by accident not by mistake but upon the dsibar
ate assumption OF the President of The United
States and his subordinates, civil an mill lary,
that they may of right violate them whenever IN
their Judgment it may seem expedlent
Ard we hold TINT every deliberate violation of
the popular liberty private right by The Presi>
dent or his subOrdnates is Il crime against the m
stltutiOn which will he followed by just COnsttu>
tonal punishment if peace and c institutional ~
der should ever again reign in our distracted c"un-
try.
Many other official acts of congress toe Presi-
dent and his subordinates, not only tend to show
q conspiracy TO establish, but it executed, d of
their own force establish a M tary despntisrn on
the ruins Of the constitution
There are attendant phrases clustering around
these appeals to a spirit Of coutumacy to rec
ommend them to public liberation. This only
makes them more dangerous. Now, such are
same Of the insinuations, which, though not
heard of at the time of the Address, have since
then dilated into the bulk and burden of polit-
ical platforms and oratory. If it had been the
design to lay our present form of Government
aside, a more revolutionary method of prepar-
ing the public mind for that event, could not
have been devised by the ingenuity of our
leaders. If the Executive, in the confusion,
embarrassment and bloodshed Of this mighty
struggle for national existence, commits an act
these self constituted censors pronounce uncon-
stitutional or infractory of State rights, they
assume the right to proclaim his efforts tyran
nical and ''unholy," and if Congress or the
President fall into errors, they are to be de
nounced as lawless oppressors, and the ''great
masses are to initiate the revolutionary exam
pie of their fathers. Another conclusion to
which we are driven by these fulninations, is,
that the war against the revoted States has
become unhOly and damnable from some cause
or other, i'll its conduct; and this is the newt
able inference from the connection of the state
ment in the second resolution. There is CON
slant recurrence OF grievances we have never
felt, and they are repeated at every BREATH as
if the people could not otherwise be brought to
believe in the truth of the picture. Is this like
the calm transactions of men resolved to stand
by their rights, their country and firesides in
a moment so humlliating to the loyal Ameri
can heart.
1t is an often repeated motto that the Pres
ident is amenable to the laws as well as the
private citizen, and vindictive threat is made
of bringing him and his officers to punishment
at some future day We are not engaged in
defense of that officer, but are exposing these
resolutions. The main allegation, in connec-
falsehood The President has never set him
self above law, or deliberately assumed that he
loI , rrrbt r. violate tba ,,ro visions or o,,,,