Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1864-03-30


at the accomplishment Of the ooiec. l..
tho great lesson taught upon thi. s.y,ecl
by the history OF the past, is lhq. ..a,so,
tins character in republican cJurtro
largely Increase the power Of c.g.i govern
ment, and from the very nature o th ..
tends to place the cou.Iol Of all the clti-
2ens, and the management Of all the husl-
ness affairs Of the nation, in the hau9 Of
the administration, OF the truth Of tuB
lesson, the history Of our county 10 tho
past three years is another startling evil
dcncc. BY gradual and easy transitions,
the mind of man can be accustomed "a al
most any change, and by slowly ard in
perceptibly changing his habits oflife and
modes Of thought, he can be made 10 glide
gently but surely from the highest devel.
OpmeutS Of an advancing humanity into
the very depths Of political aJa5ement.---
1t is here the danger of ouI liberties is to
be found; from the habit of peace we are
gradually acquiring the new and danger
ous habit of war; from dependence upon
our own resources and judgment, we are
gradually acquiring the habit of accepting,
without question, the judgment of our ru-
lers and obeying their dctation; we are
now about to vest the right of controlling
our institutions in the hands of those who
have acquired the habit of obedience, and
thereby lost the habit of self reliance and
individuality. "All those who seek to de.
stroy the liberties of nation, ought 10
know that war is the surest and shortest
means to accomplish it, This is The Grs5
axiom Of the science"
lnasmuch, then, as the individual mem
Der of the State should be possessed Of in
dependence of action and implicit soir-re.
lance in order to fully fit hiDl for the IN
tiligent exercise of the elective franchise,
and as the structure of the army and it,
discipline inevitably tends to unite the
minds Of all its members in subm saion 10
the will Of one man, and thereby would
prevent the elections Of the nation from
being "iree and equal" am unwilling to
extend the provisions of the Constitution
as is contemplated by,this amendment.
| am not without authority and precc-
dent to sustain me in this conclusion.
In commenting upon that clause OF tho
! Federal Constitution which makes the
| President COmmsnder-in-Chef of the ar
my and of the militia, Mr.. Madison says
"Those who are to conduct war, can.
not in the nature Of things, be proper or
safe Judges, whether war ought to DO
commenced, continued or concluded. -
They are barred from The latter functions
by great principle in free government,
analogous TO that which separates the
sword from the purse, or the power OF eI.
ecuting from the power of enacting laws
In our own State the act Of Assembly
eyince a joalously Of interference by the
military with The freedom of election
| The ninety-i!th. section Of the act of "a o.
July, 1889, provides that no body ot
troops in the army of the United State,
or of this commonwealth, shall be present
either armed or unarmed, a. any place OF
election within this Commonwealth, dlr.
ing the time of such election"
A similar provision exists in the law -
many other Of the States, and Of England
The army ofthe Roman Empire, tinin 4
in the school of the soldier, and vested
with the privilege ofeloction, did the will
Of its leaders and, regardless of the will Of
the people, raised to the imperial purple
whomsOeVer their fancy dictated. Tho
man who gained tho affections of the So.
diery, however limited his qualification,
or base his character, at their beck oe'at.
the emperor Of the world, and q .-.r
changed caprice his throne would topic
in the dust
The soldiers OF tLo republic Of France
vested with the right &C srriIage q,
command Of their loader, voted in our a,,n
day to sustain the second of December
} and overthrow the constitution thov were
sworn TO support, and the sque sol,r.y
; voted to create Louis Napoleon emperor
b Of the French, destroying by their ballots,
, within six years, the liberties o: ;ne peo.
} pie, and the very institutions that tbeY
: had sworn to support and defend with
} their bayonet.
, In the recent address emanating from
the Chase committee at Washington AMI
circulated among the members OF The o..
10 Legislature, uttelauCe is gwen to the
, sentiments Of the opponents of Mr. Lin.
) coin, upon the question, in very plain lau-
guage. quote from the address
"lf President Lincoln in defiance OF the
teachings Of jackson, in violation of tla
great principle which underles our dem
/ ocratic institutions, and in the face oftL"
r solemn warnings of history, can now 50
, WELD his patronage as 20 secure his elec.
tion for second term, who so blind o,
NV " oNN N'AfAN iObl gOolo IADhIt iiN " . .
, have less difficulty in securing his election
! for q third term2 For with an army or
more than half a million citizen soldier
: Under his command, and an annual ps.
/ trouage Of thousand millions OF money
he can, if he has one-half the brain attriI
: uted to him by his friends, hare huHsst
d ciccicd from term 70 term during his da'Tl
) E6."
, 0" If the military necessity supplies n
- reson now for his nomination, ard tn
, extraordinary patronage occasioncd by n q
war furnishes the means Of his election.
as n matter OF course his uterc'' M,n t'
. yroiorg tic ear as a means ot peLpetuGhny Z
% po0er."
f Ia tho face Of tho impressive lessons n
the past, in the face Of the inevltabJ
tendency OF the army to Capitalization
O. one class Of persons gravely tell Us it .,
, crpeiieat to risk the consequence OF tn.
adoption Of the amendment, and anothyr
. class assert there il no danger our rule,
are honest: they will uot betray -.