The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1863-03-06
The Democracy of Connecticut and
the War

mOur. Tor Governor. lie AT once Accept ]
ed. Hon. Isaac roucey has promised TO
stump the State for him.
The following resolutions were adopt |
ed as the platform of the party. They /
were unanimously adopted, and during |
their reading we've vociferUusly cheered. |
Whereas. II is the privilege and the
duty of a free people, living under the |
guarantees ola written constitution which |
combines tine provisions Of an organic law
with the great principles OF federation !
and fraternity, frankly aud fearlessly TO
assert theif rights, freely to canvass the
acts OF their appointed servants, and TO
affirm the great truths Which underlie the
government, and upon which, for three
quarters of a century, have securely rest
ed the liberties of the people; and where
as the present administration of the Gen
eral Government has for nearly two years
been IN armed collision with more than
one-third of the States comprising the
Coniederacy, and in the prosecution Of
the existing war, has assumed powers ut
terally at variance with the letter and
spirit of the Constitution of the United
| States, il becomes us, the representatives
of the conservative people OF Connecticut,
while reasserting our determination to
| adhere to the true principles upon which
our Union is founded, and proclaiming
our devotion to the Constitution, firmly
| but temporarily TO condemn the errors
of our public officers; and whereas, the
| Administration of Abraham Lincoln has
violated the Constitution. OF the United
States in many of lis posI, important par
ticulars: Therefore,
|. Resolved that the United States
are confederacy of States coequal in SOW
ereignty and political power, Independent
in their separate organizations, and re-
serving to each all powers not granted by
the Constitution OF the central Govern
ment.
2. That while, as citizens Of Connec-
ticut, we assert our devotion 10 TIE Con.
stitution and the Union, and will hereaf-
ter, as we have heretofore, support with
zeal and energy the authorities of the
| United States in the full exercise of their
Constitutional pewers, we deliberately
avow that the liberties of the people are
| menaced by Congressional and Federal
usurpations, and can only be preserved
by the energetic action OF State authori-
ty; and we are determined TO maintain
and defend the honor of our State and
the rights Of the people.
3. That, while we denounce the here.
sy of secession, as undeiendcd and I'M
warranted by the Constitution, we as con-
fidently assert, that whatever may have
been the opinion of our countrymen, the
time has now arrived when all true low
ers of the Constitution are ready to aban-
don 1.-THE monstrous fallacy," that the
Union can be restored by the armed
hand; and are anxious to inaugurate such
measures, honorable alike to the contend
ing factions, as will stop the ravages Of
war, avert universal bankruptcy, and
unite all the States, upon terms of equal
ity; as members of one C6niederacy.
4. That the democracy of Connecticut,
sympathiztng with their conservative
brethren in the Middle and Western
States, pledge themselves to unite with
them in the adoption of all honorable
measures, having in view the cessation of
hostilities between the North and the
South: the reconstruction of the Union
on such terms as shall thoroughly define
the rights of the States; the reproduction
of those friendly feelings which form the
true foundation of the Federation, and
the erection upon more enduring basis
of the temple of the Constitution.
5. That the militia OF Connecticut are
the natural guardians of the liberties of
her people, subject to the control of her
chief Executive officer, acting under and
by authority of the laws of the States;
and any and all acts of the Congress Of
the United States violatiye of the sover-
eighty of the State in RELATION thereto
should receive the execration of people
Justly jealous of their liberties, "who
know their rights, and knowing, dare
maintain"
6. That the militia bill recently intro
duced into the Senate of the United
States by Senator Wilson, of Massachues-
etts, is subversive of the sovereignty and
rights of the States, and designed to make
them mere dependencies upon the cen
trail governments; unconstitutional in its
provisions and dangerous to the liberties
Of the people, the authorities of each
State should sternly resist the operation
of scheme so fatal to the just relations
which should always exist between the
Federal and State Governments.
T. That the banking system recently
passed by Congress, based as it is upon an
unconstitutional and irredeemable paper
currency, cannot fail, if forced upon the
people of the States, to prove destruot-
i've to the existing moneyed institutions
of the several States, and is covertly de-
signed to establish vast central money
power" alike unknown to the Constitu-
ton of the United States and dangerous
to the principles on which the Govern
ment is founded.
s. That the President of the United
States, by his emancipation proclamation,
has struck serious blow at the rights Of
the States; erected an almost impassa
BILE barrier between the North and South,
in attacking the people of fifteen States
through an institution which is blended
with their social fabric, and over which
the individual States possess exclusive
control and power; and, regardless Of the
great lessons of the past, the National Ex-
ecutive, in pandering TO the insane ia
naticism of the abolition faction, has ven.
| tured upon a system of public policy
which, ii successfully inaugurated, would
disgrace our country in the eyes Of the
civilized world, and carry lust, rapine and
murder into every household of the
Slaveholding States.
0. That the act Of the Federal Adj
minstration in suspending the writ Of
habeaS corpus; the arrest Of citizens not
subject to military law without warrant
or authority; transporting them to dis
tant States; incarcerating them without
charge or accusation; denying them the
right of trial by jury, of witnesses in their
favor and counsel in their defence; with
holding from them all knowledge Of their
accusers and the cause oftheir arrest; an
swering their petition for redress by re-
peated injury and insult; prescribing in
many cases condition Of their release,
test oaths, arbitrary and illegal;
In the abridpment offreedom ofspeech