The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1863-04-01

nor is Mr.. Lincoln and his Cabinet the t
Government; but the Constitution of the |
United States. These are but the agents /
pointed out in that sacred instrument to |
administer its wise and humane provisions.
When they transcend their powers as
agents, may we not as sovereigns criticise !
their actions, and ask an indignant and |
outraged people to repudiate them through
the ballot box? l know, Mr.. President, /
that in a recent speech made by promi-
nent Republican in Congress 1T was said
that the President of the United States
was above the Constitution, that he did
not take an oath to obey the Constitution,
but to administer its provisions to others"
| quote from memory, but do no injus-
tice to the text.
Mr.. Gunckel-Who was he?
Mr.. O'Connor-I do not now remem-
Der his name I have the speech on Gle
in my room, and will produce it if the
gentleman desires.
Mr.. Gunckel-Where does he live?
Mr.. O'Counor--In the East. Massa-
chusetts or Maine, perhaps. I think it
was Fessenden.
And now, Mr. President, / will bring
my argument to a close. ] have already
detained the Senate much longer than
anticipated.
| Mr.. Gunckel-Before the Senator from
Monroe takes his seat, would like to
know what he would do with the rebels
| iE the South when the rebellion is put
down. l mean the leaders, Davis, Floyd,
Beuaregard and Yancey The masses, of
course, are not responsible.
Mr.. O'Connor-I would give them
fair trial under the Constitution, convict
them Of treason and hang them as high
as Haman was hung, for having commit
ted the first overt act of treason; and upon
the other end of the beam as counter
poise, | would hang in chains of cables
strength, and which would not corrode
through all time, Wendell Phillips, Ste
phen Foster, Parker Pillsbury, and Hor-
ace Greeley, as the instigators of this overt
act and, sir, as the mariner place his
beacon upon the rock to warn him of dan
ger, | would let these instigators hang
there as political beacon through all
time, warming the people of this country
that their approach was danger-that a
contact with, and Endorsement Of their
political views, was death.
| Mr.. Gunckel-Will the Senator from
Monroe tell us how he or the Democratic
party proposes to put down this rebellion?
Mr.. O'Connor = By you and your
friends returning to your first love, if yeu
ever had any, and all rallying as we did
before the 22d of September, around the
Constitution Of our country. You have
very near sirs, accomplished in one bad
hour, what the rebels have NOT yet accom-
j plished in almost two years war. and
! what they never can accomplish, if VIC
4 are true to our birthright-the overthrow
Of this Government While gentlemen
) disclaim any right and power under the
Constitution to interfere with the institu-
$ tions of slavery in the States, regarded as
a legislative body and in times of peace
, they still assert that Congress, by some
!. mysterious power or opera ton that nc
: one has explained, and which no one eau
explain, acquires power it did not before
: possess, to sweep out the institutions o.
r all the States if it desires to do so; because
, if it can sweep out one under the warpow
5 er, it can sweep out any other. 1t is jus
: as easy to say that Congress can declar,
: the growing of wheat or tobacco Requires
t to be stopped as military necessity, ant
: that Congre S has the power to determin,
and enforce that necessity, as to say Con
t gress acquires the power to determine tina
!, the abolition of slavery is a military ne
d .cessity, and enforce that determination
o This plea, sir, of military necessity, is tn
S old plea of tyrants, and of tyrants only.
Whenever you begin to draw your pow
i ers of legislation from the disturbed an
/ unsettled condition of the country, an
l. not from the Constitution; when you Gas
J. the Constitution from you; when you pu
d it away from your sight; when you bur
1T it from your sight and do not refer to il
d and recur to it as the charter of our ex
IS istence, the Bible of mans rights, tn
n source of our powers, but step beyond il
and say, as you have said upon this fool
is and as your party say everywhere, we de
!" rive our powers from the disturbed cor
le dition of the country; in other words, tina
treason and rebellion, traitors and rebels
5. are the source of our power, and not th
Constitution that our fathers made for u
re not after long peace, but after a seye
l. years carnage and bloodshed-where,
lie ask, is the Government that my father
at beaueathed to me as an inheritance to N
and my children forever?
What conceivable act is there that pas
re sion or caprice or tyranny or despotis1
of can suggest that you may not perform III
of der this claim of power, that you say yc
" derive from traitors and rebels, and n,
il from the Constitution, to do anything an
is everything that the Constitution forbid
ne when you look to that -
Of If, Mr.. President, to our country tn
ne day shall ever come, when prattling chill
hood, mature manhood and enfeebled o
ed age shall no longer lisp the sweet accen
of of obedience to the Constitution of OF
is, country--then are we undone-andt to pc
it ish is written, as it was of eld in lette
r. of blood on the doorposts and lentils
N. all of our beloved institutions Perm
an me to repeat it, sirs, if ever this sacr,
do instrument, this Bible of mans rights,
IA disregarded in its sacred precepts by t
as masses of the American people-if
as them it is desecrated and destroyed,
ut must perish, and another Scipio African
pg will sit down amid the ruins not of a sc