Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1863-01-09

ID
and to freedom Of speech, and compelled,
on the perilof incarceration without hope
Of trial and for an indefinite time, to keep
silent or commend the official corruption
political and moral that was ulcerat-
ing at the heart Of their country. The
continuance OF public confidence in those
who called AeuseEres The government re-
quired uniform tone of mendacity in
political literature, and the utterance of
truth was wisely forbidden. But the
people were thinkiag- yes. they we're
thinking detpiy. Silently, and earnestly,
and deposited their ballots with solem
Significance In the result the Republic
boldly proclaimed its right to be free
nation. and american citizens indicated
the honor Of that sacred title. They had
condemned frantic and corrupt admin
istration, and, stretching forth their arms
to rescue from fanatical, aggressive.
and incendiary policy the constitution Of
their country, they have announced to
those welding its political authority,
that, achereser, may DC he deriuative, THE
ULTIMATE POWER OF THE GOVERNMENT IS
WITH THE PEOPLE whose Judgment must
and shall be respected.
That Judgment, thus cmphatically pro-
nounced, is a Judgment Of condemnation
against the entire policy OF the present
administration
Let that administration learn wisdom
from history and be warned in time
Less than two years ago, small cloud on
the southern horizon, 10 larger than the
hand Of man, attracted the attention Of
obsergant and rejecting minds, and ex-
cited their apprehension and alarm The
President-clect was pointed to it, and
words Of considerable wisdom we're whis-
pered in his ear, which, if then uttered by
him to the country, would have dispelled
that cloud forever; bat he needed not
and, as he journeyed from his residence to
the capitol Of the United States, his fell
low-citizens, from Springfield to Harris
burg, thronged about his way to greet
him, and to urge that he would avert the
impending peri, and to their petitions
and addresses, and their suppIiant looks
Of entreaty, hope and anxiety, be gave a
reply which, at this day, sounds like the
! sSszlatteSs sssa ssarsstc inoekery of The
Atheist in the presence of the visitations
of God. Let him, in this hour, when
that small cloud has darkened the whole
Heavens and lights the gloom that envel-
opes the nation only With its lurid fires Of
death, --let him, in this hour, picture to
himself thecondition Of tho country when
be put on the robes of Office, and its con
dition now, look out upon the seas Of
blood that have since that time engulph-
ed its smiling fields, = call up before him
from two hundred thousand graves the
maagled bodies Of two hundred thousand
slain, hear the deep moan Of the mill
lions Of hearts that are everywhere swell
ing and throbbing with agony, bereave-
ment and desolation, land, learning
thought and wisdom from experience, re-
deem the past, and save US IN the future
from deeper ealamities than those We
have already endured [Applause.
Some Of the representative men Of the
abolition party, aud a portion Of the radi-
cal press, have endeayored to restrict the
significance Of the late elections to popu-
lar condemnation Of the inefieicncy and
want Of yigor with which the war has
been conducted II this were true, what
consolation can those gentlemen derive
from il?
Efficiency and yigor in the conduct Of
war are determined by the progress
made in accomplishing the purpose for
which the war is prosecuted.
For What purpose is the nation prose-
cutting the war in which il il now en-
gagged
In the language Of the resolution
unanimously adopted by Congress on the
22d Of July, 1861:
q That tbs war "a not waged on their part
in any spirit of oppression, nor for any ppr-
pose Of conquest or subiugation, nor purpose
Of overthrowing or interfering with the rights
or established institutions Of those States, but
10 defend and maintain the supremacy or the
constitution, ana 10 preserve the Onion with
all the dignity, equality, and rights Of the sew
eral States unimpaired and that, as soon MS
these obiecis are Accomplished, the war ought
10 cease.p
What progress have We made in realiz-
ing these plainly declared purposes2
There is not a man in the country who
does not recognize the humiliating fact
that 1.-THE constitution" has not been.
maintained or defended, either in the
States that formerly withdrew from their
allegiance to the Federal government or
anywhere else, and that 10 preserve
tho Union" is consummation from
which we are further removed todny
than when the war began.
Why is this?
To answer this question tits necessary
to consider the political policy that has
been pursued by the administration IN
the prosecution Of the war, for il is thet
policy that has produced tho results we
experience, and defeated those at Which
il was promised to arrive.
\ ] leave out Of consideration the great
questions 70 be hereafter tried by the
people, Of the necessity and expediency
Of the war as means Of restoring the
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