The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1863-08-06
The Attacks Upon State Rights.


tration to override State rights" can b,
traced from the commencement of the war
It has acted upon the assumption that tn
Federal laws and laws OF the States wer,
not only insufficient to meet the exigencie.
of the times, but were positive obstacles il
the path of the government in subduins
the rebellion. Before the radical policies
OF the administration had made it obnoxi
Gus with the people, and while there wa,
nothing OF party spirit, there was the same
disregard of law and assertion of arbitrary
authority as when the President. in his
replies to the Albany meeting and the Ohio
committee, attempted to justify his despo-
tism by pointing to the opposition which
his measures had engendered. When Mr.
Seward was touching bells on his right and
left, and ordering the arrest of citizens in
remote States by telegraph, he was giving
daily assurances to foreign Ministers in
Washington, AMI to foreign governments
through orr own diplomatic agents. of the
undivided loyalty of the North. and The
firm determination Of the People to main
tain the government
The opposition to his measures. upon
which the President comments with so
much severity, did not exist, save among
an insignificant fraction of the people, rep
rotated by conservative men of all parties
as ultra abolitionists. But these faction
lists were permitted unbridled license to op-
pose and denounce, not only the admins
tration, but the war, its purpose, and the
character of the government itself A
prominent member of the administration
party in this city said in speech made by
him at the monster meeting here when
Gen Burnside suppressed this paper:
Although it may not enhance the esti-
mate many of you have of me, Will say
that | have taken in my house for two We airs
an abolition paper which had for the r.otto at
its head these words; The co ostitut;on
and the Union are covenant with death
and league with hell" 1Derisive laugh
ter. And will say far eher that Abraham
Lincoln, to my certain knowledge. has ia
Ken that paper AID read it. [Coptinued
laughter fe.t nobody thought Of accusing
him OF tre'@On, and never was called to
an accent for it by any of my republican
friep"1s who came to my house"
It was not against these men, but mem
bers of party whose devotion to The con
stitution and Union needed not the en-
phatie Endorsement of Mr.. Seward to ap
prove 1t tufore the world, that a deSpotisn
was Invoked which struck down United
Sta'.es and State constitutions and laws
and subjected onr citizens to the arbitrary
capriccs cf the President and his Cabinet
This fact Is proof that the war and the
government, which is plead as justifying
the despotism exercised, was not the origi
nal reason for its Inauguration.
The purpose of the administration Il
place the army beyond the rightful inAu
ence and control of the States by whom il
was created, was shown in denying to The
States the privilege of Offering their col
diers. The Governors of the States were
VAN enough to suppose that the appoint.
r.ent of all ofhcers of the militia belonged
u hem Iii ,er he constitution. They
were = eeliiy IN zee We by Mr. Cameron
What Mr.. Camer0ns projects were in rela-
ton to subverting the present government
and establishing another which would sub
serve the interests of himself and his
friends, have been fully revealed. Mr.
Cameron was influenced by some other mo-
tive than the promotion of the general
good in denying to the Governors the right
to Cfficor the troops furnished under the
respective calls Those men were either
State or United States troops. If they
were United States troops, by what right
do Governors appoint regimental officers?
If they are State troops, or are called as
the militia of the States, by what right are
the Governors denied the appointment OF
all other than regimental oficorsy Regi-
mental officers? Regmental officers may
be controlled by Brigadier and Major Gen
erals. If an attack was meditated on the
rights of the States, Brigadier and Major
Generals receiving their appointments from
the States would not be likely to lead in the
attack. Major General Sanford, of New
York, would not be a very pliabe instru-
ment in the hands of the administration in
assaulting the rights of his State
Thus we have an army in the field which
is neither part of the regular army of
the United States, nor is it the militia force
fthe States Its lower officers are appointed
by the States, and its higher officers by
the general government. Why this innova-