The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1863-01-29
rendanov of Public sentiment.

of membe as sof the Kentucky Leglsiatute'
expressed in the solemn form OF resolutions
presented for ado tion. The reader will
de well to ponder these utterances, for
though none of them may be finally adopt
ed in the precise form in which they DOW
appear, yettbey are indicative Of the sem
timents and feelings, not merely of the in
tdiEidual members by. whom they were. Of
fered,. but of Glasses Of members and of
masses of, citizeus.uc With one exception,
only, we believe, the authors Of these reso-
lutions are classed as Union men; and that
exception is as good Union man as the
best Of his compeers, if by Union be meant
the Constitution faithfully executed, all its
safeguards and guarantees inyiolably respect
ed, and the lives, liberty and property Sc
cured Hereunder as behind impenetrable
bulworks and impregnable' intrenchments.
Aud that is the only sort Of government
under heaven which can claim the loyalty
and obedience of freemen. No other is or can
be made legitimate; nor, in the long run, can
any other be maintained, even by the bay
onet. The chains and shackles by which
tyrants and usurpers attempt to fetter the
arms of freemen, will burst asunder end
fall at their feet, as threads of fax at 'the
touch of flame. The government is an
agent of the people, not a monarch over
them. 1t is not their master but their SER
want. And all its power is borrowed from
their might, not to awe, Cypress or snbjugate
them, but to protect all alike from oppres-
sion and wrong. The government is inves-
ted by the Constitution with neither crea-
tive nor destructive powers. 1t can confer
no rights. 1t can take away no rights
Its simple function is, to exercise its gran
ted powers for the protection of pre-exlstiDg
rights-such rights as our State Constitu-
ton in express terms declares to be inalien-
able, indefeasible and inviolable; inahsna-
. Die, that which cannot be granted away
indefedsible, that which cannot be taken
away-inviolaGle, that which cannot be ques--
toned or touched. This is the simple, but
sublime function of government. When
ever it works up to this theory, it is faith
full agency of the people. Whenever it
oversteps this limit, it is a usurpation, sure
to end, if not promptly restrained, in tyran-
ny and military -desppotism. r :.r
But very opposite is the prevailing idea
of government embraced by certain classes
of men. They regard the maintenance OF
government as the highest duty of the citizen,
because they regard the aggregate of citi-
zens and their rights as inferior and subor-
70 20 he of fhai,
will-called government. Hence, notwith
standing the government may not only not
execute the purpose for which it was institu-
ted, but pervert its functions to wicked pur-
poses the very opposite, thereby becomin c
an engine of oppression instead of a protec-
ting shield, still the shallow sticklers fol
i "govsrnment" insist that all this is better
than no government. 1t is more loyal anc
conservative, in their opinion, to maintain
authority, lawless and oppressive authority
I even, than for freemen to assert their right.
by resisting unlawful authority. To drive
up their idea to its true point, power, powe
alone. is the true emblem and object o
government. 1t is not the faithful admin
isteripg ofIaw, nor the dispensing of justice
nor the defending of rights, nor the secur-
ing popular liberty, nor the protecting o.
property. not any or all these things, which
in their theory defines such government a
deserves the loyalty of freemen; but it i
simply, according 10 the theory of despot
the world all over, in all ages, an engine o
power with means adequate to the enforce
/ ment of its own will. To this--if we arr
not ready arrived-we were drifting az
fast as time and circumstances and means
could hurry US, until the head-long process
was checked (nay we not hope permanent
ly) by the result of the fall elections, an6
by the signal. manifestations of resistance
in the several St ate Legislatures now il
session. By the majestic moral force o
State interposition, arbitrary arrests have
been stopped, and the sacred, inviolabl'
writ of right, Habeas. Corpus, has been re-
stored to its ancient supremacy. Many
other arbitrary and tyranieal outrages have
been checked, restrained and prevented. ON
by one unconstitutional assumptions o
; their agents and servants are being rebuked
by the people, who mean that this govern
m ent shall only be conducted by constitu-
tional measures for constitutional objects, o
else they will alter, reform or abolish it,
And with this tendency, we are fast ap-
preaching single clean issue, the solutier
of which will determine.ths future condition
and relation, of these States. That issue is
whether the resident, either in time o
peace or war, can by amere executive edict
or BY an order as military commander, OF