The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1863-02-18


mer and the present character. Of our
people. H
1t is in vain to attempt denial of this
charge. II have marked its progress in
perhaps q thousand instances within the
lasttwo years. ! have seen, sirs, the spirit
of independent men, holding office; sink
under the dread of this fearful assumption
of power-too honest and too firm to be-
come the instruments or fatterers of that
power, yet too prudent, with. all the dam
nable consequences Of that power before
them, to even whisper disapprobation of
what, in their judgment and in their hearts
they condemn. Let the present state of
things continue-let it continue for another
two years to be known that none are to
acquire or hold in peace the public honors,
but by fattery and base compliance, and
the American character, if it is not alrady,
will at the end of that time be utterly cor
rupt and debased. Our people appear to
have lost all sensibility, to have become
callous and hardened under the operation
. of these anti-republican causes. What a
few years ago, would have shocked and
aroused the whole community from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, is now scarcely
perceived or felt Then an arbitrary arrest
and the refusal of the writ of habeas corpus
would have fred and aroused our people
from ''the rivers to the ends of the EARTH
l-now thousands are arrested for mere
depression ofopinion, cast into political
prison, a trial denied them, and the writ
of Aabeas corpus denied them ALSO aud all
upon the plea of necessity; and millions do
not dare to even whisper their disapprov-
fal. re,d ,,c..
This is no fancy sketch; it is mere
unvarnished statement of facts-facts that
must have occurred in the presence of the
most superficial observer within the last
six months.
: But the clouds of popular indignation
is even now warising in the horizen, and the
mutterings of the distant thunder that por-
) tends storm, furious in proportion to the
time that the elements have been pent up
and restrained, are already being heard
not only in civil life but they are echoed
and re-echoed from our military encamp-
ments admonishins those in authority, il
! they are capable of being admonished, to
| stay their handssof usurpation, cease tf
trample under foot Constitutional-law
cease to act like, i.-x e,.. .f.@-,
''This Internal serpent; he it was whose
+ guile, ~ s ~, go,
: Stuffed up with envy and revenge, dcceiyet
The mother of mankind, what time his
y ,ua pride t,.5.s -
Had cast him out of heay n, with all hi
- host .,. ~
: OF rebel angels; by whose aid, aspiring;
To set himself in glory above his peers,
He trusted to have, equalled the Mos
r High 5ssq ...s zf55. fs
If He opposed; and with ambitious aim
Against the throne and monarchy of Coz
, Rails d impious war in Heaven, and battl'
proud.PHfe aai .
t The Jacobinism fthe French Revolution
e was an outbreak Of this infringement o
CONSTITUTIONAL power and which we hae
deemed, until quite recently, as being in
:. .|capable of growth on our American soil
!, but we were mistaken. 1t has already, Ill
+ my opinion, infected the body polite, ant
unless we can eject the noxious views, GU
5 liberties will soon fall prey to it.
S The god Momas is said to have foun,
# fault with Jupiter because he had no
e placed window in the heart of man
o which would have enabled one, merely b.
), looking in at it, to have ascertained (
: PERSONS character and his propensity t
2 do mischief, as we'll at first sight, as afte
}, long years of acquaintance. | can onl
r wish now that the criticism of the heathe
: deity had been verified one year ago i
; relation to those high in authority in
n land which for three quarters of facentur
: hasobeen the pride and admiration of th
civilized world. Cerberus-like they guar
1t the portals to Constitutional liberty an
e Constitutional rights. orc n.
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