M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1864-05-12

'H'J 'S'N'H''O'''HSi I'h'N''S NNhh q
minority interlning'ei with or neal
about them, who may oppose their
movements"
But sir, propose to call another
witness to testify against this coercive
Ip)licy, who also spoke in advance oil
the war, Edward Everett, in his
letter Of May 30, 1860, to Washing
tun Hunt, accepting the nomination
OF Vice President Of the Union party,
OF, which believe, the distinguished
gentleman from. Maryiand(Mr. Henry
Winter Davis was a member, and
for whom number Of gentlemen
upon this floor voted, then said:
"The suggestion that the Union
can be maintained by numerca! pre-
ponderancc ami military proves OF
one section exerted to coerce the other
into submissionis, in my Judgment,
as aclt contradictory as it is danger
ous. 1t comes Loaded with the death.
smell from fields wet with brothers
blood, If the vital principle OF all
republican government "is the con-
sent OF the governed" much more
does q union Of cocqua! sovereign
Statee require, as its basis, the harm
ony Of its members aud their voIun.
tary co operation in its organic func.
tiQns."
1t viii, no doubt, be said that Mr..
Everett has changed his views upon
the snhjcct. That may be 50, but !
have not. believed it sound doc
trne in 1860 before secession Occurred
oy coercion began. Three years eK-
pevience in attempting "by numeri.
cal prepoNdcrance and military yrow
ess ofone srcllon eXel ted 20 cource
tho other into submission" has con-
vinced Inc more thoroughly that it is
"as self contradictory as it IS danger.
ous"-- contradictory because it viola
tps the great principles Of free gov
rrnment, which derive their lust
powers from the consent of thc gov
rrued ) and dangerous becpuse, by
ils exercise, especially when welded
10y u weak, vaccilIatins and unscrup
Nous man, it destroys, insical OF
maintaining, the Union, Constitution
and organic law; civil liberty and
personal security me forced to yield
u what i5 claimed to Inc IL military
necessity, and the Government itself,
in the brief period OF three short
yeare, IL to day verging on the very
brink OF rW!u.
ain well aware, sir, that the cry
OF dlslOyalty, want OF patriotism and
lack of devotion to the Government
which IS in every place and at all
times raised against those who have
the independence to disapprove Of
any Of the octs Of Mr.. Lincoln, as well
as an inOrdinate desire for Govern.
ment patronage from the building OF
a steamship and sboIdy contract
down to the insignificant position of
taking charge OF q mutilatcd and de
preciated grcenback in the Treasury
building, has changed the opinion OF
many MN, but the fixed principles
Of free Government, as well as the
rules ofrisht, reason, justice aud truth
are Interchangeable and although it
may be unpopular and even as the
risk OF personal liberty in times like
the present to advocate them, they are
nevertheless eternal and inmutablc
The distinguished gentleman from
Pennsylvania cir. Stevens) who
stands upon this floor and before the
country as an acknowledged leader o.
the Administration party, has had the
honesty aud independence, in speech
delivered ut al early part of the ses-
sion, to announce what he holds tU be
the true position of the Confederate
States. lie says:
Some think that these States are
still in the Union and entitled to the
protection Of tile Constitution and the
laws OF the United States"
This idea he at once repudiates and
then boldly afirms that which he
holds to be the true doctrine:
"Others hold that having commit.
ted treason; renowned their allegiance
to the Union, discarded The Constitu.
ton and laws, organized a distinct
and hostile government, aud BY force
OF arms have risen from the condition
of insurgents to the position OF an in
dependent power, de facto !; and hav.
ing been ackDowled ged as a belliger.
ent both by foreign nations and your
own Government, the Constitution
and the Union are abrogated, so far
as they are concerned, and that as be.
tween the two belligerents they are
under the laws Of war and nations
alone, and that whichever power con.
quers may teat the vanquished as
conquered prc~inccs, and may impose