Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-02-26
LETTER FROM ~occAs1oNAI..n -
WAsnIsorOs. Fsb. ls. lses.

nearly thirty and part OF il twenty years
old. How freshly opposite it is to the
present position Of partiesl The first
impression It makes and leaves never
to be erased, is that the leaders Of the
Democratic party Of these times are,
with few exceptions, the enemies of the
great man who swore that the Federal
Union must and shall be preserved.--l
This is peculiarly so in Pensylvania.-I
At the head Of the school is James
Buchanan, = politician never trusted
by Andrew Jackson. even when the
latter was courted and fsttered by the
former. In Philadelphia, the anti
Jackson chiefs, Reed Randall. Biddle,
Wharton, Mccall, and Sharswood, are
now the chiefs Of the new Democracy.
In Berks, the Muhlenbergs, who were
the leaders Of the jackson column, are
cooperating with the friends Of the
Government. In Lancaster, Champ
news, and hundreds Of Jackson Demo
crats, are open against the Democratic
sympathizers. In Bucks county. the
Calhoun influence dominates in the
Democratic councils. In Chester. the
leaders of parties have changed. and
the assailants Of Jackson are at the
head of the Democratic organization,
while his earliest supporters are acting
with the Republicans. Hence it is that
the Rebellion in the South, which is the
outgrowth Of the seeds planted in 1889,
'33, and "a, by the South Carolina
nulli6ers, meets the earnest though Sc
cret approval of the present heads Of
the Democracy. Wherever John G.
Calhoun had supporter or a party 10
the free States thirty years ago, there
the rebellion has supporter and party
to day. New York city was a head
quarters Of Calhounism-it is now a
headquarters of the agents OF Seces-
sion. Fernando Wood and Charles
O'Conor. of New York, were Calhoun
ties. They are at this time almost open
in their avowels Of attachment to the
rebels in arms. Among the chapters Of
political history pertinent to this view,
let US recur to that which details the
action OF the Democratic statesmen in
favor Of refunding the fine imposed
upon General Jackson by Judge Hall,
because Jackson had established mar
tial law in New Orleans, in order to en-
able him to check and punish the SYM
pathizers with the common enemy
There is not an argument which these
men used that, applied to the great and
overshadowing trouble Of this era,
would not compel Mr.. Lincoln to adopt
thousand times more stringent meas
ures against the rebellion than he has
vet resorted 10. Benton led the de-
bate, and he was followed by Silas
Wright and others, who, before they
died. took ground agains! the new lights
of the Democracy as only so many abet-
tors and counsellors Of slavery.
Following these old and cherished
Democratic examples, he would have
had martial law in every community
where sympathizers are found-would
have stopped every disloyal press
would have con6scated every rood of
rebel property, and, by consequence,
would have struck at slavery as the
great fountain and feeder Of tresson.--
You will not think this strong language,
when l give you the following extract
from the speech of James Buchanan,
delivered in the Senate of the United
States, December 22, l849, in favor of
refunding the fine:
"In the history Of every nation at
war, said Senator Buchanan. cases
might occur OF such extreme and over
powering necessity that, in order to save
the country, q military commander
might be compelled to resort to the estab-
lishment of martial law. Emergencies
might exist in which he would be guilty
of culpable negligence if be refused to
adopt this expedient. This was emf
nentIy the position Of General Jackson
at New Orleans. If. knowing as he
did, that traitorous correspondence
was carried on with the enemy, and
that no other means of arresting it exist
ed, he would justly have exposed him
self to the severest censure had he suf-
fered the city to be sacked rather than
save it by declaring martial law"
General Jackson's situation at New
Orleans presented the case par excel
Iency for such an exercise Of power
II we were to search the history OF the
world for examples-if Imagination
were permitted to take the widest range,
wecould not present. or even fancy.
case more strongly justifying, in every
particular, the declaration OF martial
law than that which existed at New
Orleans" ..--
Suppose General Jackson refused to
establish martial law, and the city bad
been captured, how could he then have
justified his conduct TO his country?-
Could he have said, Il knew there was
band Of traitors within the city who
were 10 correspondence with the enemy;
l knew that, in this manner, all my
pHns for its defence would be defeated;
l knew that by declaring martial law.
the city could have been saved; | knew
all this, but such was my reverence for
the letter Of the Constitution, that,
rather than violate it, determined that
New Orleans should be surrendered to
the possession and piIlsge Of the enemyl
7 would not. even for a few davs. re- 4