Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-01-02
ssI'he Sublime Principles Of Old
Hickory as- t

quote as follows:
cit is noble day for Democratic meetings
and we trust the Democracy will take advan
tage Of the occasion to rebaptize their faitl
in the sublime principles Of Old Hickory"
"The Federal Government. for the past fif
teen months, has been rapidly tending to :
military despotism. The suspension Of tn,
Constitution by arbitrary power has taker
from the people the great bulwark of theil
liberties. Military arrests = the Illegal and
unwarrantable Incarceration Of American citi
zens in Government Bastiles- Investigations
and examinations refused-trial by jury de
MED = the rendering of the military power
superior to and independent of the civil powe,
all combine to make up chapter Of tyr
amy and abuse, which, under a despotic form
of government, would, in the eyes of the
world, have been sufficient cause for reyolu-
tion."
In the first extract our neighbor affects to
endorse the sublime principles of "Old Hick.
ory"--in the next he condemns both "Old
Hickory" and his champion, Stephen A.
Douglas. It is well.known historical fact
that Gen. Jackson was fined one thousand
dollars for suspending the writ of habeas
corpus at New Orleans during the last war
with Great Britain, and that Douglas first
distinguished himself in Congress by an able
speech in favor of indemnifying the old hero.
The rule set up by Gen. jackson was that the
city and its environs were his camp, and
every person in them was under his military
authority as soldier. He put Louaillier, a
private citizen, on trial for ''unsoldierly con-
duct" and disobedience to orders" He
arrested Judge Hall (who issued writ of
habsas corpus requiring Louaillier to be
brought before him) for "aiding and abetting
and exciting mutiny within my camp" He
arrested Hollander, a private citizen, for
talking disrespectfully of his superior officer"
Every citizen and all the civil officers were
regarded as soldiers, and as subject to military
discipline for the expression of opinions.
The same ground was taken by Jefferson
in his letter to DR.. Brown, in 1906. He said ::
''In an encampment expecting daily attack,
self-preservation is paramount to all law" -
This 'encampment" meant the city Of New
Orleans; and this paramount necessity"
was the apprehensions of the Burr project.
George Washington wrote to Gov. Trum-
bull, of Connecticut, in 1775, recommending
him to s'seize on those tories who have been,
are, and that we know will be against u.s.
,e&n c1, hot {hod nj
the right of national preservation was carried
in the early days of the Republic much far
ther than in this the greatest peril the country
has ever experienced. Yet we find the same
Democratic party which made great virtue
of the support the party gave to jackson in
these arbitrary measures, and of its vindica-
ton Of their constitutionality, now uniting in
an attempt to make far milder measures
odious, and to stir up sedition against them
when the necessity of the public safety is in
fnitely greater. Can this be accounted for
on any rational theory that allows the loyalty
of these partizans? Nationally they have no
ground to stand on. Their outcry and cen
sure is all against their own party record, and
it defiles the graves Of the especial heroes Of
the party.
But we do not expect to convince the Cou-
rier that it is wrong in assuming that "the
sublime doctrines of Old Hickory" are in
consonance with its abuse of the Administra-
ton for the arbitrary arrest of traitors and
traitor-sympathizers. Secession and seces-
sion-sympathizing does not stop at argument
or constitutions. IT is instigated by the
devil" and, like all the rest of his devices
knows no reasen, no laws, no justice, NJ
humanity nothing but wickedness.