Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-04-05
Lost Liberties


bssf the success Of the as wsgad by the Lin
o,n e.b,l would involve the subugAOn Of the States,
she extinction of their soyessiynty and of all Their
constitutional rights and that its continued prosecutor
With the objects of those who direct it unchADgeS,
will in the end, prove the utter destruction oi e'i
liberty" Thsss politicians have made discovery, hu'
uahappy for the good results that might nave 0eth
attained they are three years too lase IN maE~g IT,
Whsa they permitted Back Rspublicanism TO organz
the whole Of their country for war; to band together
not only all the elements of fanstcism and consoida-
lion. bat the Conservative and Democrats parties
we'll In one mighty crusade against the South, they
might have forsseen that the power to which they sue
cumbed would never relinqaish u mastery over them,
and thas when it had succeeded IN crushing the re-
ssslcs Of the South il would turn upon aud grind 70
powder the little less hostile party at hone, whose
existence must always threaten its hold on power
The war in its inception, beirg blow ct sovereign
States and the rights of ei.zsrs whose allegiance be
louRed 10 States, could neither be undertaken Der
wAged without, as 6rst step setting aside the Con
st,ution and Abjaring all Obligation TO il Tbs beirg
prersQ sts, 1. followed, necessarily, that success N
such war sculd entail the permanent overthrow OF
the States aud the rseoverlbls loss Of the liberty OF
Il they had not been blinded By the prevailing din
bosm Of the times stupe6 d BY terror, would have
understood this and would have seen that the only
hope Of saving any thing that was valuable IN th'i'
Government, and of shielding themselves h1ally irtm
the same crushing process that vas being ATTEMPTED
on the South, lay in akiHg common cause with she
South in a upon the pestisnt faction which after
having disturbed the peace Of the country for bali
century had las. got possession Of the Government
Had they done this, they were bold In pledgirg
themselves ia aiyanc3 to do the fan Idcs would have
been e1terninatsd, and the Uaion, Purged Of their
perneiOus presenc, would have taken new lease OF
He We incline 10 the opinion that this would have
bsen satisfactory 70 the Southern Sstes-ior ,hers Vas
AZ the time geauiae and prevalent reverence for the
Union. and general conviction that the majority OF
me N)sh,rl people wore not really inm'cal to Us.
Tia; vas the last chance to "save the Urioe," At
least 10 open the way to its early restoration. was sO
she last chance for the Constitutional party CT the Ncth
to maintain the SAFES in their true position, and 10
guard from invasion and destruction those lber.s and
rights the loss of which they now Oresee az certain
consequences Of the continuance Of the They three
away the chance. They had nos the manhood 10 face
their real enemy They prefers ba'ely and Pusilani
mousy to fail into the current that swelling and
sweeping On towards the South aad yielded 10 the
eowardly persuasion thar might safer if not bet
than right Faey defended the South with brave Wor
tl the trial came and then they tucked tail and hid
themselves in thu mul itules that coming on TO
overrun and npls into the earth by the mere
force of numbers We "6re1 upon the old Dag" sas
the lAskadalsical s1eusel Bat Seward, With his de
moniac grin, now tell them that he eontrVed to have
tat done, by sending armed squadron to the
mouth Of Charleston hlrbor pretendedy u force iss
way in for the relief of Sumter. The cOWardcs OF The
Conservatives made them the easy veins Of SeWards
triek-so easy that when they begin now to CRY over
their lest liberties the South that Is defending lie
In the only way in which liberties can be defended,
may feel pity, but not much respect, for plOpe
50 readily duped by seheming knave, and so quietly
submissive to the usurpatcn and Outragss of Vulgar
despot
IIisno idea that the liberties Of people always
most endangered in lie Of var. It may do harm
ourselves TO take heart lesson being SOTO euly
pressed into she convictions Of the Ohio Dsmoeraey.-
The plea Of "publie eIpsderey," the "exgencies Of
the service" the necessities Of the State" &c, 81
Is so easily made BY ambitious and designing rulers
aud go readily accepted BY snIOu, and unsu pectOg
people, tnAb TIC BtVcSeS aosuHPsSAS A1e Sst uAoSs4
oas abuses of power may DO prActised without the
scrutiny and accountability they would ,leit in ord
nary times. To go farther back for illustration,
A,d that by no striking scores Of Others
that might be given the experiences OF Great Britain in
il war upon the American colonies may be cited. la
bis udicOus observations on the history of that time
Mr.. Buckle says: "Such we're the first fruits Of the
policy Of George Ill But the mischief did not stop
there The opinions which IL necessary to adv
cate in order 10 justify this barbArous war reeOlsd
upon ourselves In order 10 defend the attemp, to
destroy the liberties of Ameriol, principles laid
down which, Il carried ntO effect would have sub
Vertsd the liberties of England. Not only in the
o9urt. but in both houses Of Parliament IRON the
episcopal bench and from the PuPits of the church
parry there we're promulgated doctrines OF she most
dangerous knd-doclrin.s unsui.ed to limited non
archy, and, Indeed incompatible with it. Fae extent
20 Hhich this Reaction proceeded is known to very
few readers because the evidence Of it s chiefly to be
found in the parliamentary debates and in the thso-
'lisieAl literature, particularly the sernOns, of that
time. none of which are much studied. The
danEsr uAs so imminent 20 make hs aoless deten-
ders of popular liberty believe that everything vas at
stake; aud that if the Americans were VAnqa'shed
the nexI step would be attack the Liberties OF Eng
land and endealOr to extend TO the mother country
the same arbitrary government which By that TIME
vould have been established in the colonies" IL was
from thoughtful observation Of these facts and their