M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1863-06-04
a just God, bid defiance to our perse.

} a just God, bid defiance to our perse,
cntors. U ., II
| | ask tlrat this book may speak
again in our favor. 1t says that the
Constitution aud laws Of the United
States, which shall be made in pursn
anre thereof. are the supgeme law Of
lHlc lind Ptsrr irs tIcrs can be h
h,shcy isw than tbs surreh36 l;,F.laI
T<Y saffhot osoapo tAa c0Aclusioa.
!BfH t9't'iope5iiouS tvilS that now un
'hIrpi,y heset MS rs n nation, consists
,g.tUply ~ This tact, that years ago q
party arose in the country proclaiming
to the world a higher law than the
Constitution. | tell you, that in nv
Judgment he who preclaims that doc
trine, and in the next breath swears
to sustain the Constitution, is periured
in the sight Of God and man. The
Constitution istho supreme law. 1t
provides for the maintenance of these
great rights ofreedom-tree speech
a free press - and who shall take
them away from us 7 '"'-
Yet, my fellow ,citiz ms, inthe face
of this fact. we have been told here
in Indiana, not merely that public
discussion was in general terms pro.
hi5ited; but we have even been told
what particular measures of public
policy we shall not discuss. am not
going to descend into particulars upon
this point, but | will TIL you this, that
the Democratic party will discuss the
tax bill and the internal revenue
lpoicy 4; Oor you have the money to
pay y i; will discuss the Confscation
Act and the Presidents Emancipation
policy. These measures affect the
best interests obthe white man, and
the peace security OF the Government
for generations to come. To discuss
them is our undeniable right. ! plant
my, feet upon the Constitution and
soIcmnly declare, in behalf of myself
and the great Democratic party, that
| we will never surrender to any power
on carIh the right to discuss all these
measures, which bear so iearfully upon
our deartstinterests. We will discuss
the Presidents compensated emanci
patton policy. We will discuss the
right Of this Government to pat its
hand into the pocket of the laboring
white man 'or the purpose of freeing
the negro. We will discuss the Con.
/ script Act, We will discuss the
policy Of every law that is now or
may hereafter be placed upon the
/ Stalutebook. Those Of them that are,
in our judgement, wrong, We will ask
to be repealed. We will test their
constitutionallty in the Courts In
short, we will do all that our fathers
, have done to assest our manhood and
freedom; to demonstrate to the world
that we are not the degenerate sons
Of glorious sires II we are to give
up these privileges at tho bidding OF a
I!ospot, 'et us hide the lace Of the
'.1s1.oss p; Liberty in q funeral vail,
a9c,5ge 'hC' -r,'@ C' longer with the
= m1'a0ne q. freed un. a.ran. Al
a"". tne name ar dgspoH,m and weal
.eGi ar gfll!ares. ..-- g..
Il lfr Ng propose, as Democrats, to
( 39 aug iilpg wrongs Do we love
our country the less that We intend
10 assert the heaven. given right o.
free discussion 7 No, as for me, go
help me God, it is because love my
country more. What is your country
and minel have no coanrry ont.
side Of the provisions Of the law. Mr..
Lincoln and his Cabine. constitute not
my Government, They are merely
public servants, to be held RESPONSE
bic for their acts by an intelligent, an
honest aud patriotic people. Am
!, in making these declarations, prea.
ching to you doctrines slbversive OF
the principles and precepts o! the
lathers9 Let me ask you, in all can
dor. does it not seem wonderful that
may, ct this very moment, be talking
myself into a prison by uttering these
ancient sentiments Of liberty 1t
sometimes seems to me as II a favored
dream had come upon this country,
and as il, after while, we should
wake up and find that we had simply
been plagued with hideous and op
pressive nightmare. But we look
around us to day and the sun is shin
ing, the air is blowing, all is real and
/ yet, in the midst OF all this reality and
: in the noon Of the nineteenth century,
> we are assaulted with the most ter
: rlble psruieipls aud destructive here
tsy this denial of the right of the
, pqopls OF free government to con
troll and manage that Government fol
themselves. .t
j What does the Democratic party
propose to. dol 1t proposes, BY lht
help of God, to preserve this Consti
tuition. The Constitution made oul
, Union; without it the Union woulC
, ,,o,,o, Eoya bod m oy;atonoo 4