Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-11-18


from abridging freedom of speech or
of the press" but does not empower
the Federal Government to prevent
freedom of speech and of the press
from being prohibited by the States.
This power is indeed necessary in order
to enable Congress to exercise the pow
or already conferred upon it of guar
unteeing to each Statea republican form
Of government" No State can be, or
continue Republican without freedom
of speech or of the press. Congress
cannot therefore secure to each State
republican form of government unless
it can first secure to it freedom of speech
and of the press, the very pillars and
corner-stones of true republicanism.
The trainers OF the Constitution seem
to ha%e feared, and guarded against the
abridgment OF freedom of speech by the
Federal Government, but not against its
suppression by the States. Events have
proved that the dangers to freedom of
speech were from the States and not
from the Federal Government. The
slave States, or their oligarchy, have
since 1880, wholly suppressed, first all
advocacy of emancipation, then all adj
vocacy OF freedom in the territories,
and finally all advocacy of the Union
itself and of the rights of the Federal
Government. Meanwhile the latter
was compelled by the absence of any
express power in the Constitution to
guarantee freedom of speech and of
the press, to sit idly by and see itself
undermined by lies, in the affections of
the people, after which armed rebellion
followed as the natural sequel. Con-
gress must, therefore, in order TO main
tain the Union itself, be empowered to
guarantee aud protect freedom Of speech
III all the States.
). All doubt relative to the power Of
the Federal Government to establish 4
national currencyand q national bank
ing system should be removed by
Ell the financial arm of the Govern
mcnt, to afford profitable mode of en-
| ploylng the national debt, and to confer
| both Oh the Government and on our
| finances that permanency and stability
| which is the best security against both
| financial panics and local rebelliOns.
| Keep the people bound to the Govern
| ment by the most permanent ties of in
terest. Let the money of the people,
whether paper or gold, bear the image
and superscription of the Federal Gov
eminent, and the people will never fail
to :: render unto Caesar the things that
are Caesars" Ii we keep as much OF
our funds invested in our Government
rs possible, then "wheIe our treasure is,
! there will our hearts be Also
| 1. The fact that the Electors chosen
t. vote for President and Vice President
| Of the United States should be virtually
pledged and limited to the selection OF
Il single man by the nominations OF par
t. conventions was wholly unantici pa
! tai !,x FIX. fr. nf ti,.a IN,
! N tsieir view and intent, the Electors
| chosen in November were allowed the
| period from November till their meet.
! ing in February to- deliberate upon
their choice; they Were then to vote in
! February according to their own delib-
era tions; and within q few days after
! LII. selection by them, toy wit, on the
I i'll. day Of March. the President 50 re-
Gently elected! would DE inaugurated -
The interval between the choice III the
President and his Inauguration was cV-
identity designed to be but :, few days 81
"eeks, So short d. to preclude the IN
cumbcnt Of the office, who might him
self ne y disappointed aspiFant from
destroying the Government before hi
Successor could he inauguraled. The
machinery OF party conventions low
ever, defeats the intent OF the Consti
tltlt. NY N.Ihlt!-, h.iV" II. WIZ IL fittCts
ratIy elected in November, instead Ut il
February The terrible illustration 81
the evil of tiS defect in tle Co!lstitll-
Sion give! ~ Bl"i,nllau' ) administers
ton during tile last four months of lis
existence should cAr;v tlli. nnen;i.urlll
withou. dissent.
i a. Finally. II would be we'll 10 vote
u.,nn she question: Nl,etl".' lfle incre;S.
81; ileTninlencE iitit. ,i.:i.i.e:i power
which. must iierea u. attach r. the ON
eral Government 80 oct require ;.i
amaniiulpn. "Ati-ia!il!& :nt- Presidential
It,yn, 70 ii Neitr5, .l;3i whether Ihc rilYi.
ty Of the Presidential office ana a,:iain.
istration would net he promoted, by pY.
hibiting the Presidents reelection. -
a; present Il President is hardly warm
in his seat before pipe-iayinG and wire
pulling begin FOR the election Of his sue.
cessor. The President himself must be
otherwise than human if, with The pa.
tronage and power at his command, he
pulls no wires for his own reelection
Watcher lac does SO or not, the acts o!
his administration will be construed a.
eleetioneering lodges, and the wisesi
dictates Of craftsmanship will be brand
ed as the devices Of Il politician TO Sc
cure personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Politics
is thus debasei from high issues o.
craftsmanship to low questions of hon.
esty of motive and decency of personal
character. On the other hand, if the
| incumbent uses his power and patron.
age TO advance his own PREDICTION, it is
unquestionabiy an evil to be guarded
against. We are aware that frequent
elections teach the people as well a.
strain and excite them. But after all
the whole object and end of govern
meat is TO give the people Peace, SC
that they can advance in their personal
interests and pursue their Individual
happiness. We believe the strain and
commissions of our Presidential elections
now recur too frequently for the welfare
Of the country, and that there are very
serious reasons for limiting the Pres
dent to single term.-CIsic0go T"ibuae