North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-08-03

their coas Is; their wealth was dried up,
land ravaged. They were pushed to the
| extremity Of endurance they became spent
and exhausted by tbe conflict But in
their hour of EXTREMIST peril, France, at
the instance ofa Pennsylvania diplomatists
extended them her powerful assistance, and
they emerged from the struggle triumphant
and independent. Is this war to be msman.
aged and pretracted, until a foreign Power
may be induced to assist our antagonist, as
France assisted the FeEotted colonies the
third George2 Unauestonably the feeble,
changeful, arbitrary and unwise policy 0: the
Administration, begets this danger ofinter-
19ntion, and will produce it if ever take
place. Nor has its diplomacy abroad been
calculated to evart the evil consequences o f
its action at homo. That diplomacy has not
been wise, judicious and ma ;Jaly, but feeble,
pretentous, aud offensive. k.shoald there
.fsre be one Of the leading pbjes1s ,n selecting
an Administration for the next.four years, to
avoid this danger of Intervention. BY 'tEe se
LECTION of rulers who will not provoke it, snd
whose policy will command respect at homo
and abroad. ..
DANGERS BEYOND TflE WAR.
But other dangers menace US nnleF Re-
publican rule, even il success in the war be
secured. And as these, in a still greater
degree than those already mentioned, deserve
careful and earnest attention, we proceed sp
state them distinctly.
OPPRESSIVE GOVERNMENT.
Ifalready we have experiesced the arbi.
trary disposition and unlawful practices of
our rulers. what may we not experience aft
er Some time has elapsed, and when military
success has rendered them still more inso.
lent? If their assaults upon law and upon
right be so numerous aud fragrant while they
are subjected to opposition and struggling to
maintain their position against an open foe,
what may we not expect when all constraint
upon them ia removed In considering
what they have already done in opposition
to liberty and lawful rule, We may excaim,
If these things be done in the green tree,
what shall be done in the dry ~ Let no
one be deceived by the assertion that the
| arbitrary ald evil ACTS of the Administration
indicate but temporary poli1y, and are
| founded upon necessities which cannot long
| exist. Not only is the excuse that this
policy of the Administration is necessary, in
| view of the public intesests, false in point of
fact, it is equally untrue that if unopposed,
if not put down, it will be of short duration
and expire With the var. Fit be necessary
now to do unlawful things and trsmple upon
individual nights in adherng communities,
the same pretended necessity will exist here
after. VIII it not be as necessary to up-
hold arbitrary government in order to pre-
vent renewed revolt, as it IS to support arbi-
trary government in order to subdue exist
ing rebellion7 When did ruler who had
deprived bis country Of its liberties ever
voluntarily restore Ihem2 That people who
Will accept excuses for tyranny will always
be abundaptly supplied with them by their
rulers. and especially will they be furnished
with this argument Of necessity, which will
expand itself to the utmost requirement of
despotic power under all circumstances.
Our ancestors who settled this country
and established the Government of the Unit
ed States, fortunately did not admit this
doctrine of necessity, but proceeded, under
the guidance of most wise and just policy,
to tie up the hands of official power by con-
stitutional limitations, by checks and bal.
ances established in the very framework of
Government, and by intoxicating among the
mass of the people, ip whom was to be
lodged the ultimate or sovereign power, q
profound respect for all private rights and
for the laws by WHICH they are secured and
vindicated and we will do we'll to act upon
their policy and follow in their footsteps
They took the road of safety and made it
plain before al succeeding generations, and
he will be recreAnt to duty and false to our
lineage if we surrender the principles to
which they held, or permit ourselves TO be
deluded by those argumensss Of power which
they despised and rejected. ......
Success itself in the cd ious policy now
urged by the Administration, Of the subju'
CATION of one third or more Of the States OF
the Union, were it possible, could be SO only
at the price of the liberty of the whole
country; for our system would not admit Of
military rule over them. Necessarily popu-
lati ons within them must conduct local
governments, and exercise the proper portion
of power pertaining to them in the Federal
| Government. In short, thcy could not be
held as conquered Territories unless We
should change or WHOLE constitutional sys-
tenn and abandon altogether our experiment
of freedom; and therefore the impe rative
| na.osaitu s,f channinp the issnA hatKaen the