Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-09-28

The fProclamafion-Despoffsm i'm
Theory and Practice.
Despotism never stops OF its own accord, and
always travels the same road. The path is well
beaten. and whatever may be the excuse for the
several steps in its progress. the end is always the
same The time has come, In the United States,
for the sons Of patriotic sires. who gained lasting
fameby fighting for civil liberty in the revolution.
to cease 20 be astonished at anything. We thought
we knew something OF the native rights of a peo-
Pile and the just powers of a government. Each
day tells US that we were mistaken. There are
no native rights; no just powers. Rights are
simply the amount of free agency which the Ad
ministration permits the people to enjoy; and in
stitutions are the sum of the proclamatiOns of
the President. Rights have ceased to be natire;
powers no longer exist because they are just. and
the supreme law of the land is the will of the
Executive.
In the case OF a practical despotism it becomes
difficult to Judge whether the measures are the
result of folly or of sagacity. Their audacity
disturbs the mind in its effrts to estimate them.
and so many standards present themselves that
we become confused and distracted. l. the despot
a fool or a ieDd? Is he totally blind, or is he
guided by a malign wisdom deeper than we can
measured Is he pursuing a fixed plan of aggres-
sion-ori is he merely striking at random, de.
termined only to destroyf Are his invasions of
right things which seem to him necessary or iusti.
fable 10 consideration of the ends he hopes to
attain; or are they simply the result Of an utter
and wanton recklessness of consciousness?
These questions arise within us in contempla-
ton ofMr Lincoln's last published procla nation,
by which the privilege ofthe writ of habeas corpus
is suspended. Mr. Lincoln puts the act upon the
ground that, in his opinion, it is required BY the
public safety. Whether the public safety does
actually require it, is a point upon which, so far
as we are aware, there is no information beyond
the statement of the President to that effect.
We are not shown that it has been publicly called
for, or that any exigincy has arisen seeming to
render it necessary for the sake Of the people or
the Government; nor is any such ~exigincy appa-
rent in the aspects of society at home, or in the
prosecution Of Ne war abroad.
In order to do no injustice to the President, we
would get as nearly as possible at the result at
which he appears to aim by the proclamation 1t
provides to suspend the privilege of the writ of
habeas corpus throughout the United States, sin
cases whereby the authority of the President of
the United States, military. naval and civil Off
GERS of the United States, or any of them, hold
persons under their command, or i'm their custo
dy, either ms prisoners of war, spies, or aiders aud
abettors of the enemy; or, officers, soldiers or
seamen enrolled. drafted. mustered or enlisted
in, or belonging to the land or naval forces of the
United States, or deserters therefrom or other
wise amen1ble to military law, or to the rules aud
regulations prescribed for the military or naval
services, by the authority of the President of the
United States; or. for resisting a draft, or for any
other offense against the military or naval SER
vice
The effect of this, stated in simple terms, is
to put every person in the United States under
the power of any officer of the General Govern
ment. civil or military. From the President to
the Fourth Corporal in the military, and the
Deputy Marshal in the civil province, each is SUI
preme in the legislative, judicial aud executive
departments State sovereignty. State govern
ment, State constitutions and laws are Obliteraied;
for the lowest United Suites officer NAV put The
highest State dignitary to durance; m " arrest,
imprispn, torture and kill. and yet no State power
may i~nterpOse to inquire into that officers author
ity.
This proclamation brings US, the people of the
United States, un1er that which is, in theory, the
simplest Government known to mana despot
ism: the irresponsible sway of one man, with no
rule of popular conduct but his will. Why we
have come to a despotis m in theory. except it be
to come also to a deSpotism in practice; to bring
men to the dead level of things without right. it
is not easy to conjecture We have been wont,
during all the past of cur history, when speaking
of our own Government, to attach a good deal
of Importance to its theory We relied upon its
theory for protection. We are gaining some
insight into the value of theories of liberty to
protect and preserve, when the spirit OF liberty
has taken its departure My generations vet
unborn reap the benefit OF our experienced
We come b lck to the declaration upon which
the President uses the provisions OF his procla-
nation; that this utter extinguishment of the
people, this radical subversion ofthe constitution,
this complete revolution in the Government, is
required by the "pubIic safety" We come back
to dispute its truth. It is not true. The proc
lamation is predicated upon a falsehood. The
public safety of the United States never required
that the oeonle should be stripped of their civil
rights. When the public safety of the United
States should require such a measure. it will be
high time for the United States To cease to exist.
The people can not afford. 1T that price, to pur-
chase the pleasures and benefits of a nationality.
We should fail in u material point it we should
neglect to characterize this act, in respect to its
particular meaning and intent. 1t is n party
measure; its object is to secure a purely party
party end. IL seems that the party of the Presi
dent is in peril from the will of the people, and
that il is the determination of its head to employ
bis power to avert the impending danger. In the
place of the "public safety" let il be read the
safety of the Lincoln dynasty. and the thing is at
once trne and comprehensive. The people are
making AN issue with the President upon n reso
luton of want of confidence" and the President
has accepted the issue and determined to extiu-
guish the people-rCincinnati Enquirer.