The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-06-22

The PoIificaI and Social Ques.

From the Courier aes Etats Unis of April IA ]
IF the commercial and financial struc-
ture is in peril; the past and daily at
tempts on the political aud social strue-
ture are of q nature to inspire serious ap-
prebensions. .reLro s-zsaua s.sl q, -zr, -
: Since the fall of 1861, even at the
said that the war would be
terminated In ninety days. the same min
lister " as telling a foreign diplomat
"The United States have .astonished the
wo ID by the rapidity of their nansfor.-
nation Into . military power; they win
surprise it more even by the facility with
which they will return to their former
state" e1+ sbr9a ai
AT. this. moment we think, the Secreta-
~ must be disabused of this hope Never,
in point of fact, win the state before the
war reappear. According to the prophet
ic expression of an English writer-''The
United States, as we have known them,
have fallen into the domain of the things
that were, but will never be again"
On this point, al least, foreigners have
been more farsigh ed than Americans =.
While step by step we here were follow
ing road without even knowing where
it would lead US to, the European press
was predicting at what cost victory would
be achieved, admitting that it was achiev
ed. We, oureelves, we're writing in our
number of the 1st of September, 1861,
as folluws: 1.-THE war will not save he
Union, and will lose tie Republic" We
hesitate not to repeat the same to-day. !
In fact, the Republic is even now lost,
~ orol
bases have Leen ssppea to their very
One of our most profound
political writer's has said that '.heavy
budgets are infallible signs of the social
and political downfall of a nation. With
a tremendous debt,aan enormous army,
formidable marine, a large police, great
mcnopo les, it IS imp ssible for people
to be free" The United States have the
misfortune to possess all these conditions,
and notwithstanding Mr.. Stewards pro-
phecies cited above, they can no more
avoid them
The only safeguard to a people under
such circums mstances-the private inde-
nendence of the ciLizen-has disappeared.
The nation has abdicated not only all in
itiative hut even all CONTROL over the acts
-of--rfrose that -prerend- to save it willis
pushing it TO its ruin. The moment that
the words, Hsaisationl tofthe cnuntry, is
invoked as the justification OF any meas
.ure whatever, there is no one who dares
to raise his voice to combat the same; the
fear of being accused of treason has shut
the mouths of all. 80,
l. The progress allowed to the central
power by such docility and 81 ence, allows
us to measure the future. We do not
speak here in the spirit of opposition, and
we will not say, with the Daily Nelcs.
that We are living under the worst OF aes
potisms; but we may oentest the title OF
free country to one whose Secretary of
State vaunfs his omnipotence to the Bri
ti.h Minister in the following terms: "My
lord, can touch bell at my right and
order the arrest of q citizen OF Ohio. 1
can touch another at my left and order
the imprisonment of citizen of New En-
gland; and no, po,ce7o on earth, save the
President; can release them. Can the
Queen of England do the same in her do
smainsph Itis impossible to proclaim with
a more naiUe satisfaction the reign OF alb
solatism in-its most dangerous applica-
ton. 'S'S : I - :
At the time when Mr.! Seward made
this declaration to Lord Lyons, the war
was as yet of only few months duration.
Since then, himself as well as his col
leagues have continued to exercise such
arbitrary power of which he felt SO proud,
hardly did we hear, here and there, a-few
timid protests The suppression of the
guarantees Of personal liberty IS then
fact obtained BY the Government, accept
ed BY the nation, and has even ceased tc
be an objrct of discussion Itself alone.
relations between the central power and
tirr ryrvr,i0.-- eiessrs,ye e-eise-eqtaftty ex
listing among them in rights, and Virtua!
Iy places the last at the mercy of the first
The moment that. the citizen learns to
fsar. the danger Of summary arrest, with
out possible recourse to judicial authori-
ty, he loses, in reality, his independer ce,
and with il his dignity. The selfish con-
sideration Of personal safety will not tard
to predominates over all others; he 81 crifi I
ces by degrees his share in the public af.
fairs, abandoDs one after another his most
essential prerogatives, and ends bv allow
ing stbelinstallation cfoa, dictatorship a1o
most without knpwlng of it,
? The sometimes happy and sometimes
fatal privilege which the United s tates
had of going faster than any eother na-i
tien in anything whatever. it is not be
lied here, and increases the danger,
Thl es years have been sufficient for the
introductien Of eonfseation,r conscription.z
the suppression of the habeas corpus
military voting, discretionary power OF
the Government over the press and the
telegraph, the violating of the secrecy of
the mails. The President has been al
lowed to assume the absolute faculty et
settling by a stroke of the pen the gra''
vest and most delicate constitutional ques-'
tions. The right of applying military
rule, even without an anterior declaration,
of martial law, has been quietly conceded.
to him. In one word, his perst nal aul
tfority and that of his ministers have
been s1bsiituted for all the laws, for all
courts, whose combined action formed the
basis and the guarantees Of the American