Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-10-07


Judges Of that Court were the citizens of /
these same Southern states-thdt they de-
eided the E1lcs.
Did the remaining branch of the Govern
meni, the Executive, WELD its power inju-
rious to the interests of the South You
know that in all our days the South has
dictated the election Of the Presidents, has
surrounded them with their own Cabinets.
dictated their policy, and compelled the
use of their power for their especial benefit
that they executed the latOs. You know
perfectly well that from the inception to
the elimination Of this treason, that the
traitors themselves wholly controlled the
Government, that they 80 managed and
shaped affairs as TO make their treason
possible. That while the Government was
in their hands they first robbed, and then
strangled it, and attempted to thrust its
insnimste carcass out. You know, that if
instead of breaking out in open rebellion,
they had remained in their places, they
could still have controlled the Con gress
and the Supreme Court. And SO you, and
the world knows, that there could be no
possible excuse for this rebellion. That it
is wrong, all wrong, WiLh no right, or sem
blance Of right in il, or excuse for its
wrong.
Nor have the rebels ever pretended that
they had cause for the rebellion. They
never complained of the Government, and
never sought redress. When the rights of
our fathers were invaded, they exhausted
the last possibility Of redress. They
humbled themselves before the king; sup
plicated the Parliament; and implored
the countenanoe of the subjects of Great
Britain. And it was only when their
brethren turned frozenly from them, when
the Parliament spurned them, and the
king kicked them, that they grasped the
arms Of independence, and defed prince,
Parliament and people. But these mur-
derous wretches, having rifed and set fire
to the national edifee, rushed forth to rob,
steal, and murder, without excuse or pre-
text and none but robbers, and murderers,
the wide world over, have, or can sympa-
thise with them.
THERE IS NO RIGHT OF REVOLUTION.
But there is sort of an i'll defined no.
tion abroad, that there is inherent in the
American people right of revolution
"lhe sacred right of revolution" as Mr.
Vsllandigham calls it-under which this
rebellion may be justified. Let me brain
this imp, also.
Governments spring from two very ad-
we're sources. One is imposed by king,
or despot, an people, whether they will
or no. The other springs from the people
themselves. The American idea is that
Government can alone exist by the con-
sent Of the governed. Hence our Declar-
alton asserts, that a people may at pleas
ure revolt against a Government imposed
-rOn them by despot and at pleasure
change a Government devised by them
selves. When our independence was
achieved we sat down and devised our
Government. We made the amplest pro-
vision for its change and amendment. But
we did not provide for its overthrow by a
revolution, nor have we in anyway, at
any time, recognized the right of the peo-
pie to revolutionize a Government that
they have themselves set up and carried
on. Our fathers changed their own Gov
ernment. They in no way changed the
Government of Great Britain. Under our
mode Of changing our own Government it
has been changed, as have the people of
the States severally changed theirs. And
this is the just limit upon this power to
change a Goyernment,-the people of @
State can alone change their State Gov
ernment. The people of the United
States can alone change the Government
of the United States. 1t takes all the
States Of the United States to keep the na-
tional Government complete, hence no
State can withdraw from it, for that
changes it. Nor can an excuse exist for
Withdrawing, for if the Government is
carried forward in the scope if its design,
it performs its part Of contract, and it
is the duty of the States to conform their
policy, interests, and institutions, so that
they shall harmonic with that design. If
they cannot do that they they must seek
for a change in the Government in the
appointed way, which is not by re7olu-
ton.
These rebels purposely shaped their pol
icy and institutions, so that harmony was
impossible between them and the working
plan of the General Government, and then
instead of correcting their own deviation,
or asking for change in the Government
ITSELF or seeking any other solution of
their alleged grievances, they levied
armies, marched against the capital, and
sought the destruction of the whole na-
tional fabric. How is it possible that a
man can be found among us who will SO
act as to expose himself to the imputa-
tion of sympsthizing with them in this
effort.