Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-06-01

tries that We ma the ideal Of very little gov
erning
A. nations advance in civilization. while the
individual has more apparent liberty aud has
rights accorded 10 him unknown under despolic
rule. the government becomes more complex
and by means Of the many organizations through
which i acts takes hold upon the citizen ~ many |
different directions Thus iu the United States
a. Il has been. the citizen has bad not only the
Federal Government. whose enactmeuts were the /
supreme law OF the land. out the state Govern-
ment: not satisfied with these. he has had county, |
+ city. ward. and township government, and. still
unsatisfed with these. the citizen puts himself
\ under voluntary restrictions by joining church
societies, benevolent organizations, political par
ties, Of which some are transient aud some per
manent. Instead of there being less government
/ in the United States than IN other countries,
there Is more. In no country are there so many
laws passed for governing the citizen in the rela
/ tons OF life
IL seems clear that one Of the changes 70 be
produced will be the simpifcation of the opera
tons of our Government There is an almost
| universal demand for the exercise of more power
on the part of the Executive This has been
evolved from the very nature of the war. IL Is
serious question yet among lawyers whether
the war for the restoration Of the Union can be
justified by the strict letter of the Constitutions;
but. despite that doubt. the urgent necessity OF
unanimous in demanding the suppression of the
Southern rebellion This same feeling has grown
in intensity with the fluctuations Of the
There was some opposition nj first, when the
Government seized, with strong hand, the per-
sons and property Of those who suspected
OF treason But the public temper demanded
just such exercises Of power. The case OF Mr..
Nallandigham Is a notable example of the point
i'm question On strictly legal grounds the
Of bo IN - ipiaf
sible Yet when the matter was discussed before
the people, the State OF Ohio, by "A majority of
O0.0OO sustained the action of the Adminlstra
ton; and had the whole people of the North had
4 chance To vote, the majority would not have
been less than a million When public opinion
was so overwhelming. il was idle to urge the sin
uositIes Of law by which Mr.. Vallandigham
might have regained his liberty
, The recent suppression by President Lincoln
of two newspapers of this cityls another pertinent
instance of the absolute changen the public tenn
per the subject of the power 10 be exercised by
the government Had journals like the World
and Journal OF Commerce been suppressed four
years since by President Buchanan. or even two
years since by the head of the present admins
traton, the whole country would have famed out
with indignation, and call to arms to resist such
suppression would have met with a response from
every hamlet in the country IL is enough TO
proven that the suspected parties were entirely
innocent of the guilt attributed TO them. there
was no such feeling Of Indignation; there WAS no
riots or attempted riots. no. official protests.
There some sympathy felt for the journals,
but the matter excited more curiosity than ndig
nation. Nay. in many quarters the government
was ardently applauded for the firmncss and Wig
> or which it displayed. The very audacity of the
act seemed 20 captivate the, Imagination of many
of the supporters of the administration. We
; venture to say that if the government had never
removed the nterdct against the reappearauce
, of these papers, the matter would have been
merely nine DAYS wonder, and nothing would
: have come of IL.
But where were the LAWYERS of New York then
Where were the men whom taught to
. look upon as the opponents and defenders of the
laws OF the land? Not "A word was heard from
Mr.. George L Curtis Mr.. VIM. Nj. Evarts,
D from Mr. Charles O'Connor or Mr. David Dudley
Field from Mr. Daniel Lord or Mr. VIM. Curtis
Noyes, from Mr.. James T. Brady or MIR. W m.
U Allen Rutler-irOm none of these gentlemen,
u who claim the respect of this community, was
: there heard so much syllable in denunciatlon
! of what every man of them knew 10 be a viola
ton of the most sacred laws of the land Ii is
e idle to doubt il, we are in the midst of a reyou-
Il ton. aud revolution which will change in "A
! very marked degree the character of our institu-
d tons Heuceiorth the national Government Is
10 be vastly more powerful than ever before.
u Instead OF Union the nation Is to be consoi-
dated Government IL has already taken away
the militia from the States The control over
the currency heretofore possessed by State Gov
:. ernmcnts and local authorities has with general
: applause, been transferred to The General Gov
l. eminent The Executive strong,
: the local authorities never so weak. The Wash
: ington Administration. whatever form IL may
: hereafter assume, will always control the sword
. and the purse and through them the destiny and
q perhaps the liberty OF the people
e The case OF Arguelles is an illustration OF the
e point under consideration. Whether he be guilty
or innocent is irrelative to the question He was
u covertly seized bv United States Government Off
GERS, hastily carried from the city. and probably
y put on board steamer which was to convey him
u to Cuba, and this in the face OF the fact that
there exists between Spain aud the United States
no treaty of extraditon. Time has been when no
such act would have been tolerated by the Amer
lean people Now they seem to acquiescc in it..
apparently caring little about the right the
wrong of the matter, and rather pleased on the
whole at the holiness aud the power displayed by
, the government
u We do not think that because OF this vast in
J crease of power the part of the central gov
/ eminent the people are to lose their liberties.
> Not at AL The education of the American peo
: pie has been such that they will have their cleo
tons. their canvassing, their public meetings and
their right to discuss in periodicals The questions
that divide them into parties
e The lessons which the people have been learn.
d ing through generations they will not forget in
day but it is no less that the great military
element. heretofore dormant, the worship o. force
: consequent upon martial pursuits. will give n
: power TO executive enactments whch they never
mad before. Ii is idle to dream of the Constitu-
ton as it Is the Union ~ il was These words
form very pretty party cries, but in the light of
the eveats OF the last three years il is patent that
q radical changes about 10 be made or have
? already taken place IN the character OF our insti
tuiions IL IS tie part of wise men 10 accept the
. situation of affairs it Is
! OF course We state these simply as specula-
i tons. The facts are a. obvious our readers as
> TO ourselves, and any 80 inclined may theo
rize "a best suits himself We submit, however
that whether or not our institutions are 10 be
: changed radically "a apprehend, il j. the
duty OF Christian men. aud all who have AZ heart
the best interests of the country 10 il that
whatever changes may be effected they shall come
about without violence and to submit to what j.
inevitable. trusting 70 time to make all things
right - Round Table (Rep)
Aaras Test OF National Character.
II il Justly remarked by Prof Goodwin Smith
? (than whom, il i known the cause OF our Gov
eminent has no more Jealous friend IN England.
I,f.. -. a Iii -, 4