Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1863-06-06
Harrisburg, On Wednesday, Juue I7ih,
"VaIlandig ham and Liberty. ,

Wy VIZ hOttV AbbANDltuAM AND
LIBERTY"
The arrest by military authority, of
this great advocate and defender of Con-
stitutioual Liberty, his trial by tribunal
not having, by the provisions of the con-
stitution which is the supreme law of the
land jurisdiction in the case, and his i'm.
prisonment, when it was not even asserted
in tho charge aud specifications, much less
proved by the evidence, that he had vio-
lated any provision ofthat Const tuition,
nor any law made in pursuance thereof, is
direct blow at the liberties of people
who are rightfully the source of political
government and power in this American
republic. 1t is direct negative to the
principle that our fathers ingraftcd into
their bill Of rights, that to secure the ina
lienable rights Of life, liberty and TIE pur-
suit of happiness, governments are in
stituted among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed
In the constitution Of government that
our fathers instituted they explicitly pro-
vided that "the right of the people to be
secure in their persons, houses, papers
and effects, against unreasonable SC arches
and seizures shall not De Violated" For
moro than eighty years we have enjoyed
undisturbed that right, and it is only when
JEFF. Davis and his legons on the one
side, and the Northern Abolitionists on
the other, are engaged in the overthrow of
cur constitutional government, that its de-
NAL by the Federal administration party,
is established as a precedent.
In the Declaration of independence, our
fathers asserted as some of tho causes
which induced them TO avail themselves
Of the right to institute new government,
the following: ''Ho,' the King of Great
Britain, ''has obstructed the administra-
ton of JUSTICE he has affected to rendef
the military independent Of and superior
to the ivil power; he has combined with
others to subject US to a jurisdiction for
eign to our stitutiop, and ackno wledg-
ed by our laws; he has deprived US in
many cases of the benefits Of trial by jury,
abolisbing the free system of English laws
in a neighboring province, establishing
therein an arbitrary government" The
people of the American colonies engaged
in seven years bloody war against an
English Sovereign to institute a form of
government ior themselves and posterity,
in which the evils they complained of
should be forever provided against Shall
we now, without a word Of defence of the
constituti on they adopted, admit that the
patriots of tho revolution were in error
and that King George was right
1t is not necessary that we oppose these
nfrao,ions Of our rights in faclious or
revolutionary manner. Our voice is
ag ainst such movement, for the form of
our government does not need to be
changed. 1t is good enough for all. But
it is necessary that our public servants
shall be taught that it is essential to the
existence of that government that they
pay some regard to the letter and spirit of
our Constitution, and that they must avoid
The commission of acts of injustice similar
to those which caused the revolution of
l776.
Abolitionists who despisc the Constitu-
ton as our fathers made it, and hate the
'Union as it was" are expected to howl
now. Weakened Democrats who by
their contemplate vacllating course are
in great measure responsible for the un-
warrantable proceedings in Mr., Valan-
digham's case. are expected to be found
standing upon the street corners and in
public places, denying any sympathy with
the cause of constitutional liberty, and,
like the cowardly Peter Of old, cursing
and swearing, and saying we know not
the man." But the sentiment "Vallan-
digham and Liberty" is the sentiment of
majority of the Democracy.