Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-01-09
The Insolence of Power.

AO uiIOBduCe duu luVOlerdQco OF the
party in power towards those who honest
ly differ from them as to the beat and
wisest means Of preserving the national
life and prosperity, is fast developing into
such practical and mschievous measures
that a silent acquiescence in their design,
is no longer The part Of patriotism or mar
illness.
Some excellent writer has said that
"Passiye submission for the insolence Of
power is as dangerous as it is oowardly, by
inviting and encouraging further oppres-
sion.' 1t is the teaching OF all history,
that the unrestrained exercise of political
authority leads inevitably to the subver-
sion of popular rights, and every species
OF oppressive exaction which the assi)u
of avarice and ambition find necessary for
their qualification. Men seek and exer.
else power by an instinct of their nature
as imperative as hunger or thirst, and
where, as in the unfortunate instance now
presented by our own country, it falls in
to the hands of unscrupulous and incapa-
BILE fanatics, who madly dream themselves
the Heaven appointed agents for recon-
structing the organization Of society upon
the basis of their own wild theories, moth
ing but the utmost vigilance on the part
of the more rational portion Of the people
will prevent the best interest, and more
vigorous life of our country, from being as
madly and ruthlessly sacrificed to the de-
mon of fanaticism, as were the deluded
victims of the crusader, whose bones
whitened the plains Of Lombardy and Pal
estine.
1t is no longer 10 be concealed that the
conduct of the war has been diverted from
its Legitimate purpose into partizan strug-
gle for the retention of power, and that
the two elements of jealous hatred tow
ards the conservative party and of blind
ed zeal for the abolition Of slavery, are
intensified into the madness of despera.
ton. AS the imbeciity and incapacity of
the politicians who govern the country,
threaten the overthrow of tho party they
have raised up with so much patient labor
and unsorupuous depravity the men who
have risen With it to the surface, and are
floating along on the topmost waves of
power, begin to nerve themselves for fna!
and desperate effort to retain their ascon-
dency.
In view Of this object, all consideration
of patriotism and humanity are entirely
disregarded, and their hypocritcal pro-
fessions are becoming so transparent in
the light of coming events, that none ex-
eept those who are wil(ully blind, can be
longer deceived by them. The Constitu
ton, in their eyes, has lost all its sacred
ness and efficiency, and under prctexts SO
shallow and specious as not even to have
the merit of plausibility, is openly viola.
ted and despised. The pale spectre of
two hundred thousand victims that have
been already offered up as an uuavailing
sacrifice to the Unsuitable Moloch of fanat-
icism--tho bitter desolation of as mahy
households, whose light and joy is buried
forever in naneless graves-lhe certain
prospect Of an indefinite continuance Of
the war, and repetition doubly manifest
ed in its horrors, Of the past two unhappy
years of our history-thess are all power
less to effect the scared conscience of men,
who, by long and patient persistence in
the most unblushing falshood and shame
less hypocrisy, have seduced the people 10
elevate them to positions Of trust; and it
is no. surprising that they have determin-
ed TO maintain the ascendency they have
thus wickedly acquired, by destroying
the liberties they were sworn TO sustain,
and desolating the nation for whose inter-
est they were empowered to legislate.
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