Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-01-28

tional Flag and that traitors ma,
never again sit in the Council Cham
bers of tho Nation, nor plot thei
treason beneath the dome of it's Capi
tol. Let us pray to righteous Coz
that such scenes may never stain tn
coming annals of the Republic, and j
need be. that the havoc of bloody
desolating war, may abate not unit
the day OF regeneration shall come.
\ The events of the hour, grand an,
irresistible in their course, are rapid
Fastening to their legitimate results
He who disposes while man struggle
and proposes, has pronounced His i'm
perial decree. .. -....'.a ,3a4
Those who hesitate now to yield a,
unreserved support to the Fedora
Government, or fail to sustain its con
stituted authorities, Enthusiastically ar
ray themselves on the side of it's enc
mics, and will be so recorded in tht
history of the times. If treason il
crime, to sympathize with traitors il
also clearly criminal. While there il
treason in the heart, the man cannot
be truly loyal and we know not how
soon his hcsitating courage may nerve
him to commit the overt act. The lin,
of demarcation between loyalty ant
treason, is plainly defined: and exceed
ingly narrow. isa...a... g.
Obvious as these considerations art
TO all discerning minds, it is a painful
reflection, that there exists faction
in the Northern States, which has per
sistently opposed the action of ou,
Government in its efforts to subdue
the Rebellion, aud clamored for peace
upon any terms. While protesting te
be loyal, the members of this factor
have given strength and courage t.
traitors, and by their conduct proved
| themselves the most insidious and dan
gerous foes of the Union. Recen,
events, however, have demonstrated
the continued attachment of the patri
otto masses Of all parties, to the per.
petuity of our free institutions; and
shown that they cannot be deceived by
mere pretences Of loyalty, or misled
by the cry of peace, while there is nc
honorable or permanent peace short oil
vigorous and successful war. ~
Systematically opposing every mea.
sure yet devisedpr successful pros.
ecution of the War, and having no
mode Of their own for an honorable So
luton of existing troubles, these NAL
contents seek to justify their course,
by creating distinction between the
Government and its administration
confronting us with the novel doctrine
that the Government is the Constitu
tion and the institutions founded there.
on, while the Administration is merely
agents chosen by the people, and re.
sponsible to them. Assuming to act
upon this theory, they claim the right
to oppose the latter, while pretending
to support and maintain The former.
This dangerous paradox is fit COM
panion Of the doctrine of Estates
Rights" which held the American Un-
ion to be only league between SOW
ereign States, disolvable at will; and
that the citizen owed paramount al
legiance to his State, and only SUBJ
ordinate one to the Federal Govern,
ment. A doctrine which, although dc.
nounced by the stern old leaders OF
democracy, as destructive of the Tn.
ion, yet succeeded in diifusing its sub.
tie poison through the Southern mind,
and, finally, eliminated in the crime
of treason.
1t needs but word Of refutation.
| do but adopt the idea of great wri-
ter, when, say, that our free, written
Constitution is not Governments, but
the warrant and representative of Gov.
crnment. 1t is not power, but the sym
boil of power, and will, in any emer.
gency, prove altogether useless, un.
less the power for which it stands be
forthcoming. Where does this power
reside? Not in the Constitution, nor
in any of the coordinate departments
created by it; nor in the people, but
in all combined These constituent
elements compose the Government,
the powers Of which are exercised
through its constitutionally appointed
agents, the legislative, executive and
judicial departments. Without these.
the powers defined in the Constitution
could not be appropriately exercised ;
and without them, it is obvious, we
should have no Government. There.
fore, to strike at any of these, is to
injure the Government itself to the
full extent of the blow. aaa a.
The President of the Uuited States,
for the time being, is the Supreme Elk.
ecutive Of the Nation, the chosen
agent of the people, the pilot who
guides the ship of State. The liber.
ty of speech. and of the press, guar.
anteed 10y the Constitution, is formida.
bic only to the enemies of liberty, in
its broader and more extended sense
The right to freely discuss the affairs
of Government, and criticise the acts
OF its agents, is fundamental to liber
ty and cannot safely DO denied.
| To all this | fully subscribe. Blu
the right claimed by some, to oppose
the execution of the laws, and, by
factious opposition, to thwart the Pres
ident in the discharge of his high du
ties, at so important juncture, is sub
versive Of all liberty, and right that
belongs to treason only.
Again, the War policy Of the Gov
ernment has been continuously de
Dounced, as snbversive of the rights
Of the South, and in violation OF the
Federal Constitution. 1t is reasonable
to presume that these men have either
forgotten, or never known, that Abra
ham Lincoln is not only President oI
the United States, charged with the
execution Of ara power, but also Com
mander.in-C Chief Of the Army and Ma
Wy of tho Union, and thereby clothed
with the lcar power of the Govern
ment. In the exercise Of his civi
functions, he is guided by the plai,
language of the Constitution, which
defines the limits of his power, ane
beyond this he cannot go but in til,
discharge of his duties as Command
4 er-in-Chief, in time of war, he is gov
erned only by the laws Of war, as rec