The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-05-22
The DespOtism of the Republican
Party. -s,

maJOrltleS, concentrated and marShaled by
means of party organizations. So long as
the party in power respects and observes
tie constitutional forms of the govern
ment, whereby the will Of the majority,
may, on the return of each successive cleo
ton, be ascertained and enforced, there
need not be any serious alarm, about the
rights and liberties Of the people. But,
when the party in power seeks to perpet-
uate its possession of the government
through the instrumentality of despotism,
the danger is imminent. If successful in
the attempt, the innovation is revolution,
and the revolution will be complete, the
form of government entirely changed, and
when too late for remedy, the "sov-
ereigns" will discover that they are
thenceforth only subjects.
Transpiring events indicate that, as a
general rule, the party which is now DOM
inant in this country is despotic, and I'M
less expelled from power by the time of
the next Presidential election, will be en-
boldened to proclaim the abolition of our
present constitution, with it's free institu-
tons, for which it is our only authorita-
tive sanction, establishing in its stead,
as republican improvement, powerful
military despotism.
Precedents already enforced, will, if not
speedily reversed, soon lead to this radical
change in the form and substance of our
American institutions. The right to vote
is not now the franchise it was. All who
vote against the candidates of the Repub-
lican leaders, are denounced as copper
heads and supporters of the rebel cause. -
The Republicans, as we now discover, have
extended to citizen soldiers the right to
vote in their camps, and to be sent home
to vote, only on the implied condition, that
they will vote to keep the Republican
party in power; and on the same condi-
ton military rank and promotion are
granted, subject to the penalty for not SO
voting, OF Republican displeasure, which
is becoming terrible.
The sudden appearance in our political
campaigns of 100000 military voters, and
100000 well paid civil officers, with
countless host Of contractors, jobbers, pee
ulators and their dependents, all organized
and marshaled under the command of
political leaders, who are evidently feeling
their way along the path of despotic
power, must certainly rank among the
most alarming phenomena of our terrible
civil war. The rebellion which, all loyal
men deplore, and are ready to make any
sacrifice, whether of property or of life,
to suppress, is sought to be made the pre-
text and opportunity for depriving them
of their birthright, their constitutional lib
critics, to maintain which their sacrifices
have been so freely and nobly offered upon
the altar of our imperilled Union.
To show that we are not conjuring up
mere spectre of the imagination which has
no real existence, it is only necessary to
refer to well known political facts, lately
unmasked before the eyes of the Ameri-
can people and the world:
WAR DEPARTMENT.
ADJUTANT GENERALS OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, March II, 1861
Special Orders, No. 119.
Extract;)
81. By direction of the President the follow
ing officers are hereby dismissed from the SER
vice of the United States.
Lieut.. A. J. Edgerly, 4th New Hampshire
Volunteers, for circulating Copperhead tickets
and doing all in his power to promote the sue
cess of the Rebel cause in his state.
By order of the Secretary of War.
L. THOMAS, Adjutant General.
To the Governor of New Hampshire.
Are all soldiers in the field fighting for
the Union and the Constitution, and all
citizens at home who vote against repub-
lican candidates, to preserve and maintain
both the Union and the Constitution, to be
called "Copperheads'' and treated as
"rebels?'
This new system of official interference
in our elections, is defended on the plea
of necessity, to put down the men who
sympathise with the rebellion. The pre-
text is false and futile, and were it not
supported by the whole power of the ad-
ministration, it would be ridiculous 1t is
this very interference, which excites in
the loyal States deadly hostility to the ad-
ministration and gives Importance and nu-
merical strength to the WOODS and VAL
LANDIGHAMs.
Loyal men may differ in regard to the
war policy Of the Administration, but their
approval of acts and precedents which
must, unless timely rebuked, lead to abso-
Lutte despotism, is in our judgment, the
most alarming sign of the times. The
path of intelligent loyalty, however, has
not yet been closed. Loyal conservatives
have no other course but to help the Re-
publican Administration, by all the
means in their power, to put down
with the sword Jeff DAVIS and his CO.