Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-09-03


necessity beyond all cavil or question. An
adequate, real, and efficient check in Gov
ernmcnt, securing balance Of power be-
tween political interests, is unquessonably
the highest and most important point in
constitutional science and it is most ev.
dent that because our system has been
found defective in this particular, we are
now involved in war and soourged by mis-
government in its most intolerable, odiou,
aud lawless forms. The checks already
provided in ON Constitution and Which
have been so salutary in their action and
Influence upon the Government, must be
supplemented by some proper provision
which shall more perfectly perform the Of
fee and function for which they we're de.
signed. For it is now proved amid the
blood and tears of this nation, that all bal.
auce in our Government may he lost and
all its checks be found insufficient to curb
The insoleDce and guilt Of faction and Sc
cure obedience to those Fundamental prn.
clples OF liberty, law, and right, which
we're established by our fathers. We are
/ at war. and blood flows, and wealth is was.
ted, aud ianaticism runs riot, aud the Con-
slituton is broken, and we arc bowed down
by bitter grief aud surrow in al our homes
| because sectional faction rules the Gov.
ernment of the UniteG States, free from
restraint, or curb, or limitation of it's , ow.
ers. And it should be made impossible
that this condition of things can exist, af.
ter we have once cxtricated ourselves from
the grasp Of calamity.
There should also be a judicous limita-
ton upon the distribution of Federal pat
ronage. The prodigIous growth and pres.
ent extent OF that patronage in official ap.
pointments, constitutes fertile source OF
corruption and danger Nearly the whole
mass of Federal appointments are poised
every four years upon presidential cleo
lion, nten"ifyng and debssing the strug-
gle for power. and sowing the seeds of cor.
rnption broadcast throughout the land. -
Purity, economy and justice in govern
ment become nlmos. impossible under this
{, system and their restoration aud man,c.
nance demand its amendment A change
| y which the great body Of public off se RS
"ruld hold for fixed terms, and br rrmov.
able only for lawful cause, would be one Of
great merit and wisdom, and is among the
most desirable objects to be sought in our
public policy,
AMNESTY.
Another proposition pertaining to re.
construction is, that as to individuals there
shall be amnesty except for particular Of
fences. All the excess of state of wal
cannot be visited with judicial punishment
Both necessity and policy require tn 1t, a
the conclusion Of such struggle, the man
tie of oblivion shall cover TIE past. A
nation torn By civil war demands repose a
its conclusion, that society may be re or
ganized and that the passions and demar
alization produced by war may disappear
before the renewed action of moral forces
Laws of confscatlon and treason may b.
polite and necessary to prevent insugrec
ton or to check i! in the outset, but ihey
become iuapplicable when revolt has RI
pened into public war, and one entire peo
pie are organized against another. Pena
enactments when directed against Who'll
population are odious and useless, ant
their tendency is to prolong and iutensf,
war, aud to embarrass or prevent its jus
conclusion. Their Office is to chsstse in
dividual offenders within Government iu
riSdiction, and not entire communities cun
t tending for Independence or other publ
object The laws of war necessarily an,
7 properly obtain between the parties 10
war peodipg The contest, and displace o
, supersede those of municipal enactment
@h'h'So'J thViOlOioi "ltulu tuS lllulb vi pun
l lie safety, follows Of course the termination
= of such a contest as that in which we ar
now engaged.
1t may be added that clear justice re,
Y quires that UnioniSts who have fled from
e the revoted country should be restored q
e their estates, and that the particular wrong
8 inflicted upon them sheuld as far as posi-
+. BILE be redressed.
. A CONTRAST.
r We have thu. taken notice Of severa
=, questions connected with the subject Of Re
r construction and indicated our views upoi
a them, How much opposed those view
are to the policy Of the Administration
t will appear upos the most cursory exam.
i ination. They point to the detorminstiol
( and ettlement OF disputes upon a just AM