Weekly national intelligencer., 1864-04-28

this country, notwithstanding this rebellion have all their
constitutional rights to-day that they ever had that
bad faith on our part to deny them of those consu
ona rights It's no very high morai to insist on that
II ID very low form of morality to deny it
believe, Mr. President that justice will be done and
the rights Of freedom amply vndcaed by passing the hill
as now stands repeating all the acts but the act of 1898
WHICH, as think should remain on staute-book, at
least until the final adoption of the constitutional ameud
ment, which have passed through this body with such
an approach to unanmity aboshng slavery throughout
the territory OF the United States, and making land
should it be adopted really free when it will be happy
and glorious country know that in making such
tions as these subject myself to criticism from certain
sources. will not at this hour of the day undertake to
argue upon that criticism / will simply read passage
from Guzots Memoirs published only few years ago.
volume pages 46 AZ. need not of course say to
philosopher the Christian pbanthropst of his age and
time; who, like Cardinal Wosey, has sounded all the
depths and shoals of honor like him served his king
zsalously and we but his country, his felowmen and
his God far better:
recognise no greater danger to free institutions than
that blind tyranny which the habua fnatcsm of parian
ship whether Of faction or small segment pretends to
exercise In the name Of liberal ideas
" Are you staunch advocate for constitutional govern
ment and political gnarantees Do you wish live and
IN cooperation with the party which hoss tn standard
Ken unce at once judgment and your Independence
In tnat party will find upon all quesons and under all
opinions ready formed aud resolutions settled
before hand which right of your tire control
Self evident facts opsn contradict these opinions
you forbidden to them Powerful bacls oppose
thee resolutionsyou not allowed think Of them
and prudence suggest circumspeconyou must cat
aside You presence of superstitous creao ami
popular passion Do not argue-you would no longer be
liberal Do not oppcse-you would be To- ked upon
tineer Obey advance-no matter at what pace you al
urged or on whit road you cease to be slave, in
stsntly become a deserter!"
Mr President think the lessons OF history and our
experience all teach US that in the trying days which
we are called to live hope safety is in banding
ourselves together to sustain the Constitution of our
country"
The contempt of the Constitution deplored by
these enlightened friends of the Ad ninistration,
or, if not always the contempt Of that instrument
where it stands in the way of the passion cherish
ed for the hour by the dominant majority, at least
the prevalent intolerance of all loyal opposition to
any measure of policy on constitutional grounds,
portends infallibly one Of two things: either the
sure subversion of our civil institutions or sure
political reaction against the maxims which incul
cate the duty of passive submission to the be-
hests Of party. The friends of the Administration
have il within their power to avert the one and
the other of these consequences by foil wing the
rule of duty which Senator rrumbull prescrbes to
himself and his party when he advises against
even "the appearance of violating the Constitu-
tion" But it is greatly to be deplored that either
he or any other Senator should conceive himself
to be under the necessity of inculcating such an
elementary principle of political morality, and that
for simply obeyipg his clear convictions Of consti-
tutional duty Senator like Mr. Foster should be
called to make defence as if replying to an inju-
rious accusation There may be federation where
there is no liberty. but there can be no liberty
without toleration
1t is known to our readers that in the discharge
of our duty as independent journalists we have
Sometimes felt ourselves laid under the obligation
of dissenting from the practical expediency or con-
stitutiona rightfulness of particular measures Of
policy adopted by the present Administration.
And for the candid but moderate expression Of
opinions to this effect it has been our fortune
sometimes to incur obloquy and Misrepresentation,
proceeding generally, it is true, from quarters
which did not make it more difficult to bear than
the similar impatience of opposition which we
were called to meet under the dynasty Of the so
called "slave power" whose measures Of policy
we could not approve, however convenient or pro-
ftabc it might have been for Us then, as now, to
run with the current. 1t is pleasant to be Gin
the majority" but when I" the majority" is on one
side and the Constitution and truth are on the
other We shall always seek to range ourselves with
the latter.