The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-06-01

Hon. GEO. B. AsHNuN was the Chairman
of the Convention which nominated Mr..
Lincoln to the Presidency. He was for
me:ly Whig member Of Congress from
Massachusetts,. While in Congress he
made speech from which we extract be-
low. Mr.. A. was denouncing the power
worshippers who advocated subserviency
to Presidential opinion during the Mexican
war, and though VIC may not approve the
course which he, Lincoln, Corwin and
others thought it their duty to pursue at
that time, we commend to our readers the
burning eloquence Of one who clearly points
out the danger Of sinking the right of dis.
cussion in blind alteration of Executive
authority. Too much was claimed by the
Administratonists of that time as due to
1.-The Government and though the oppo-
sition of those we have named was abso.
lutely factious and unjustifiable, yet it is
exhilerating to recur to words such as fol-
low. Would that our countrymen could
all fully appreciate this sublime language,
and dispel, before it is too late, that fatal
ethargy which is overcoming all they ever
learned from the lips and pens of q Patriotic
Ancestry:
II shall not be deferred from discussion
of the subject, here, and at this time, by
the miserable cry of those whose duty and
profit it is to yield q ready subservience to
power, that the present is not the proper
time to make this inquiry that we should
wait until the war is over before we should
presume to investigate the conduct of the
Executive Sir, 1T Is neUer too soon for a
people ach0 desire to remain FREE to scruti.
zine the conduct Of those acho are in po,ceg.
The time may come when 1t mag be too late
fatally too late. But it can never be too
soon. Eternal vigilance, tireless and sleep.
less, is necessary to watch and guard against
the insidious encroachment of those in
power and he who drugs his conscience
with the reflection that men in power are
presumed to do right, adopts the doctrine
OF despotisn. And he ach0 sees an erecu.
tire usurping to himsslf unauthorized mill
tary poscer, and fails to proclaim and de.
nounce 1t, is as talse to his duty, as much
traitor to has country, as the man acho de.
serts to the ensny's standard on the field Of
battle.
Can it be possible that, in government
like ours, war may be waged, and the peo
pie may not ask, wherefore? That armies
may be levied, the heart Of neighboring
republic be invaded, expeditions Of foreign
conquest under the lead of questionable
characters set ON foot-millions of dollars
expended, the blood of our gallant soldiers
poured out-and that our mouths are to be
sealed as to the causes or necessities which
have produced such results? Sir, l &C.
knowledge no such slavish doctrine. Scorr.
contempt, and utter loathing are all they
deserve They belong righttully to the lips
Of those acho live By tile thrift sohicA .tolloies
tawnang-those Of our number acho hare
been the humble applicants for the 6riga.
die'sh.ps, the paymastsrships and other
crumbs Which falls from the e1scutiue table !;
and whose patriotism is valorous and loud
mouthed in proportion to their chance for
getting Office and emolument. But l hold
that We should be false to our trust as rep.
resentatives, if we fail to hold to strict
accountability those who are temporarily
administering the executive department Of
the government. Those men are not the
government. They are not the country
They are for brief period, the Instruments
for conducting the affairs of the govern
ment and the country. The power Of the
people is only partially delegated for special
purposes. Hou absurd and preposterous,
then, Is the clamor that, aohen zoe uenturs to
censure those agents Of the people, ws are
a'raying ourselves against our country!
1t Is for such war, leading to such con-
sequences, that We are now, in our charac.
ter as representatives, called upon to vote
supplies. treasure and human life millions
Of dollars and thousands of men are de.
manded Of US, to be expended to accomp.
lish such result. And We are told that
without scruple, without complaint, it is
our duty to crafty this demand. We are
told that now, after the war has been be.
gun, the executive is charged with full
power over its conduct and end, and thai
our duty, as good patriots, is to yield to his
request, and keep silent to his usurpations
Sir, l hold no such slsvish doctrine.
deem it my duty to resist and denounce il
whenever and however attempted to b