The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-05-22
For the Ohio Democrat.
The Administration and the
Government.

For the Ohio Democrat.
The Administration and the
Government.
The great work of the AboIitionists
now days is, to make men of weak minds
and little information believe that the
Administration is the Government, and,
therefore, whoever is opposed to the Ad.
miniStration is, of course, opposed to
the Government, and therefore q traitor
The Infamous meanneSs of these men in
this work is unmitigated because they
know they are promulgating a most in.
iquitous falsehood If the Administra.
tion were the Government then this
Government would have died eight times
since the close of Jackson's Administra.
tion. If opposition to the Administra.
tion is opposition to the Government
and therefore all who are guilty of such
opposition are traitors, then why are
none of all the host of traitors who op.
posed the Administration of James Blu.
chanan, hung for treason? Bat these
same men claim tfat in time of war
the Administration and the Government
are one. This claim is as false and as
base as the other. But if this were true,
why was not Tom Corwin, Columbus
Delano, and all the leaders, with large
portion of the rank and file of the Whig.
party, hung for treason, when they op.
posed the Administration of James K.
Polk during the Mexican war? They
made speeches, many, loud and long,
against the war, against the Adminis:' ;
tration, and voted against men and
means. talked about BLOODY hands and
hoSpitable graves" end yet instead of
Mr.. Lincoln hanging those men for trea.
son, he has given all of them, who still
live, Office, because he, too, was one of
their number. The truth is, that no
honest, intelligent man, will claim that
the Administration aud the Government
are one. All men ought to know that
the Government has not changed since
its organization, while the Administra.
tion has changed as many times as we
have had numbers of Presidents-that
the Administration is only the agent Of
the people to administer and conduct the
GoVernment-that while 1t is the duty
Of all to respect and support the Gov.
ernment, it is the privilege and the duty
of all to deuounce, condemn, and oppose
every wrong done by the AdminiStra.
tion--that the purity Of the Administra.
tion, the safety of the Government, and
the interests of the people alike demand
such condemnation and opposition-that
to close the mouths Of the people and to
suppress the freedom of the press against
fully denouncing and condemning the
wrongs Of the Administration, would, in
very short period, result in an Admin.
istratioR most despotic and corrupt
that the freedom Of the press and liberty
Of speech are the bulwarks of American
liberty-that while the people are in du.
ty bound to support the Government,
and to that end are bound to support
the Administration as the only proper
instrument through whom the Govern.
ment can be saved and maintained, it is
equally their duty to denounce and con.
demn every wrong on the part of the in.
strument (the Administration THAT the
wrongs of the Administration are no ex.
cuse for refusing to support the Govern.
ment, or. Withholding our aid from the
Administration, while endeavoring tc
suppress the rebellion.
| ! What, then, is the position of. the
conservative men of Ohio2 They are
devoted to the success of the principles
of our Government--the principles which
make the Constitution the sole and ua.
changeable test Of all political opera
tioDs. While they do not always favor
all measures that may be Constitutional
because they may deem them impolitic
they are always opposed to every meas.
ure and every thing that is not Consti
LuLlOuhls lucy UOliONo tudL tue OOuSLl'
tuition has provided ample means fol
determining the constitutionality of eve.
ry legislative and executive action
Their rule is, and always will be, to re,
sort to those means for the settlement
1 of the validity of any act of doubtfu
constitutionality, instead of resorting tc
mob law or brnte force in any FORM
This devotion to law, as the only arbi
ter of public or private rights, requires
from the conservative people an undivi
ded support Of the Government, no mat
ter by whom administered, ia every ef
fort to maintain the Constitution. The
rebellion Is an effort to destroy the Con
stitution and the Government ThaI
rebellion must be put down as the only
means Of maintaining the. Government
and tAe-C Constitution, no matter at yhat
cost, the grand object most be accom-
4 pliskeds Never was any Administra
ton in this GoTsrnment supported by
its political opponents, as has been, aut