The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-04-10
ron aoyERSou
Fo,rsbs Ohio Democrat

Bahject to the decision Of the Democrats
H NsM State Convention.
Z Sg1 frc Forthe Ohio Democrat.
ne the AdministrattOn the Gov
5lE hs1s erMmentf
Until the present administration came
into power 1t was held and believed that
the administration was "those to whom
the care of public affairs Is committed
and that the Government was "an estab.
lishmeut Of legal authority" that the
Constitution Of the United States, and
oil laws enacted 10 accordance Herewith,
were the establishment of legal author
ityn-t the Government. We always sup.
posed that the people govern, and the
servants do their bidding that all Of.
6ce.holders are the servants OF the peo.
pie, and that the people have the unlim.
tied right to watch the conduct of the
servants with jealous eye, and, in the
exercise of the liberty of the press and
ofspeech, to comment upon the conduct
Of those servants, as their Judgment aud
sense of duty might dictate, subject only
to be held answerable to the laws of the
land, according to the provisions there.
Of We always believed that the Con.
stitutioh Of the United States was id
full force as much in times Of war as in
peacei and that, so long as We obeyed
the Constitution and laws OF the land,
ne might, even in time of war, enjoy the
rights and privileges guaranteed by the
Constitution as follows:
"Congress shall make no law respect.
ing an establishment ofrelgion, or pro.
hibiting the free exercise thereof, or
abridging the freedom of speech, or of
the press; or the right Of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition
the Government for redress Of -griey-
ancea.p 8 -
"The right Of the people 10 be secure
10 their persons, houses papers and eff.
fects, against unreasonable sea rches and
seiEares, shall not be violated, and no
warrant shall issue, but upon probable
cause, supported by oath or affirmation,
and particularly describing the place to
be searched and the person or things to
be seized" - At-
mo person shall be held to answer
for q capital, or otherwise infamous crime
unless on -presentment or indictment of
grand jury; nor be deprived of life,
liberty or property, without due process
Of law"
All Of these provisions we're as 50.
credly regarded during the war Of 1919
and the Mexican War as at any other
period OF our history. Had the Demo
cratic administration, during the Mexi.
can War, adopted the same disregard
for the Constitution, and the same infa.
mouG practice of arresting men for exer.
cisiDg the liberty of the press and free-
dom of speech, as that which represent
administration has adopted and prac-
tieed, the forts prisons and jails of the
country would have been crowded from
cellar to roof with "bloody hands and
hospitabls graves gentry. l believe
there Ia not man living who, in lS46,
voted against men and means for our
army In Mexico, who ia not now hold:
ipg, or has held, a fat Office under this
administration, far away from the battle
field. Bot abolitionism has changed
matters, and now the administration,
with them, is the Government, and
the Constitution is suspended, the lib
erty of the press freedom of speech,
safety of person, life itself-all have
lost all protection under the Con-
stitution and must look to the admins
tratfon for any protection they may de-
sire; all Of which depend upon the IN.
qualified support Of the administration,
10 all its errors, blunders, sins, corrnp.
tions and objectionable wickedness. =
The Illegal arrest and Imprisonment for
four months of innocent persons, the re.
moval Of good officers, because thsy will
not lie in their hearts, but own their
honest convictions. The appointment
of incompetent abolitionists to Office
which results 10 the slaughter Of thou
sands Of brave freemen; the emancipa
tlod' proclamation. and every other dia
bolical performance In the endless list
must all be proclaimed right, whethe
one believes It or not, in order to fee
secure sgaiust being arrested and cFag
ged away inte some dungeon. Now, j
Is declared that all who talk Constitu
ton are ecopperheads," and must be ST
fenced, In the language ofthe Clevelant
Herald, leading abolition paper.
The Herald Of March 81 contains al
editorial article headed, Treatment o
Copperheads," which opened thus: ~ !.
"EEery days experience teaches tina
the Copperhead, G now aiiording aid an
comfort to the rebels, must be silenced
. If necessary, resort must be made !
the bayonet, for the Government will b
false TO itself, Il, while using the bayone
against traitors in arms at the South,
refrains from using all The force neceI
sary to sabdne tie traitors in ou
midst" ~ ,isi
The hCoppsrheads" here spoken .
everybody understands to be Democrat
ana Conseryatiye--all, In short. who al
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