The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-02-10

ON those clauses and expressions, what were
ard are the Senator's real opinions and senti
nients, is real design in offering the resolutions
.nd ! will begin with the very sentence which ID
,he foundation Of the resolution now before rs.
Tie Senaior from Kentucky says:
Verify, tie people North and the people
South ought 10 revolt against their war leaders,
snd ta-s this great matter into their osn hands y
The people North and the people South ought
70 DO this They ought TO take this great mat
ter, hat il, the var, into their own hands. Can
il Dc doubted that the meAing of this language
:, that it is the dnty or the right of the whole
/ people North aud South 10 take the matter oi
iais VAR into their own hands, without any ref.
ereuce to legislation, Uithoat any reference what
! ever 20 an election, or 10 any other matter or
thing, and dispose OF it in their primary popular
capacities without reference to lsW or anything
Of The kiud: 1t seems 10 me there can be NO
doubt Of il. The people North aud the people
South ar" called upon to revolt sganst their war
leaders. " no are their war leaders Not sole
y the President OF the United States and the
Executiue Government, bat both Houses OF
Congress. The Congress OF the UEited States
have the power to control this war in all its par
ticu srs. The Congress OF the United States
vote supplies Of ulen aud money for the prose-
cution Of the war and if there are war leaders,
il is a. plain that the two Houses OF Congrer,
come within this category as that the President
comes within it. The Houses of Congress s-e
war leaders. The President is a war leader
His genersls In the field are war leaders. The
Sena;or from Kentucky invekes the people MOI .h
and tie people South to rice and revolt against
> cir wlf leaders, aud take the Issue Of this war
their own hands, without referencr to Law,
Without reference to the acton Of Congress, or
IL 81
erFment lie proceeds:
" And elect members TO national convention
of all tie States, to terminate war that is en-
richiug hundreds of thousands Of officers, plum
tereFs, and sposmen IN the loyal States, and
threatens the masses Of both sections with ire.
tTievaOe bankruptcy and indefinite slaughter; !;
and to estore their UnioA and common Govern
ment upon the great principles Of liberty end
ccmptouise devised by Washington and his az
sociates"
How is this convention to be elected! He
calls upon the people in their Originsl capacity,
both at the North and at the South, TO revolt, to
take the question Of this war into their own
hsnd-, and elect a national convention. The
Senator from Kentucky knows well enough
thatit s rot competent for the people Of the Uni
ed Ststes whether at the North or at the South,
to elect members of national convention for
any purpose whatever without the consent Of
Congress. There are but two modes of amending
the Constitution. The first is, wherexthe Con-
gross shall recommend or propose certain def
mite amendments to be acted upon by the vsri-
Gus States. The second mode, where txo-thirds
OF the several States Of the Union call upon
Congress to Call national convention but no
national convention can possibly exist, les me
tell the Senator from Kentucky, without the
consent of the body Of which he aud | are men,
bers
This resolution entirely ignores those legsl
forms required by the Constitution. Instead of
calling upon Congress 70 summon a national con-
vention, instead OF calling upon the Safe Legis
latures 70 instruct Congress 10 do this, the SEN
ator from Kentucky calls upon the people to rise
in their primary capacity and meet in national
convention and to amend the Constitution es,
in his language " to restore the Union aud Con.
stitution upon the great principles of liberty and
compromise adopted by Washington and his as
sociates."
That clause Of his resolutions ia plainly no ap-
peal TO any constitutional mode of altering the
Constitution, but one directly a revolutionary
mode OF doing so Where would It end Who
could control the results! Who would be un-
der an obligation to ebey the final decree! What
people would be called together in national con-
vention for this great purpose' Would the
Senator from Kentucky allow the rebels in arms
TO participate IN this convention : Certainly be
would Certainly he invites it The resolu-
tOn recognizes the right OF the rebels in arms
to participate in this election" as much az the
loyal p, ope at their quiet homes. 1t would ap-
pear from this thai SO far as the Senator is con-
cerned, he is just - much sttlched to the rebels
now seeking to destroy the Government OF his
country, and to expel him from his home and
his hreside, a. to the loyal portion Of the popu
aton now endeavoring to resist their blcody
violence. Sir, this is a spirit Of charity toward
the rebels, confess, in which / DO not symps-
thize. do not understand that kind of loyalty
which occupies an attitude of Indifference be-
tween parties like those now engaged in deadly
combat the one against the other. Such Pc
sitOn of neutrality is monstrsus; it is hostility.
There is no middle ground or post of indifference
which can be occupied by any true man. In
this contest he who is not for US is against US.
But, sir, the animus and purpose Of the Eeua-
ator from Kentucky are further developed in
the few passages from his resolutions which
shall low proceed 70 read He SAYS:
That the present Executive Government of
the United States hes subverted"-
That is, destroyed, annulled, put out of exist
ence-
- for the time ia large portions Of the loyal
States, the freedom of speech, the freedom of the
press, and free suffrage.
l will not pause TO inquire into the pretended
facts which, in the mind of the Senator from
Kentucky, may serve as a foundation fer this
strange assertion. l read it for the purpose of
showing the snimus Of his resolutions, for the
purpose OF showing the very thing he had in
view when he called upon the people North
and the people South to revolt against their var
leaders. One of the reasons for this revolt is,
THAT the present Executive Governmeu,
of the United States has subverted for the time
in large portions Of the lsyal States the freedom
Of speech, the freedom Of the press, and free
suffrage"
II this be founded in truth, if there be evi.
dence Of the fact implied in this declaration,
then this complaint against the Government oi
the United States may be regarded a. well foun-
ded. The complaint is that the Government ha:
diverted these precious privileges belonging &c
American people. Ifthe Executive Government
has thus subverted aud destroyed these privil
eyes, it would follow not only in the mind OF the
Senator from Kentucky, but in that of every
freeman, that the Executive Government itsei
ought 10 be brought 10 justice in some form Oh
other. Bus whether true or false, it is one O
his reasons for invoking the masses of the peo
pie Of the United States % revolt against the su
thority Of the Executive Governments and th,
authority Of Congress; be believes it so be true
aud so believing recommends-vhat every free
man Of proper spirit would recommend in cas-,
no other remedy we're prscuczbIe-a revel
against the iniolerable oppression.
may be imperfecily informed upon the sub
ject Of this alleged suppression OF the freedom o
/ the press and OF speech and il is very possbh
} that | may not possess all the information upol
this subject possessed by the Senator from Ken