Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-04-14

L. rs Wcu az ny tuS ifOng IdllldutH'.
This was during the struggle pctwcen the
crown and the people. But after the CON
stitution was settled us to this particular by
the petition of right and the 29th OF Car.
H. no sovereign had afterward toner
ity enough toattempt an abuse OF this great
bulwark of English liberties
The remarks which | have made in re
gard to arbitrary arrests apply with equal
force 70 the suppression of journals which
have spoken out in condemnation OF these
dospotic acts of the administration. Black
stone SAYS, "the liberty Of the press is
indeed essential to free state, The liber-
" of the press was oar common-law right
ne British colouists, and for its protection,
together with the freedom of speech and
the right of fpeaceaby assembling and peti-
sioninr the government for redress of
grievances, the first amendment and added
10 tke Constitution. These restraints were
necessary, tits said, because by the Indulgence
offree discussion the armof the governments
weakened, and its ability to carry on the war
seriously impaired But what an argument
is this in a country of constitutional liberty,
and where public opinion forms the substra-
tum of all our Institutions! And what an
argument at a time when, above all others,
free speech and a free press sre most needed
to point out and drive back the robbers who
are daily carrying off the public treasure
1t is an old precept to recite the begjHHiRgs
Of er3 1t was Rousseau that said, lib
erty ight be acquired, but could never be
recovered "
In addition to all these aggressions the
war policy Of the administration has sad
died the country with debt which at the
termination Of the struggle will exceed in
magnitude that of Great Britain, contracted
an century of foreign wars The argre-
gate of the appropriations on the 4th oi
March, 1868, was $4,000, 81 900 The
appropriations are first or last the real cx-
penditure The total of the English debt
Is fraction less than $4,000, 600, 900. The
English debt bears an interest of three per
cent, while the debt Of the United States.
when consolidated, will reach six per cent.
The gigantic debt will tax enormously the
earnings of industry for generations, while
the substitution Of paper money for the
gold and silver currency established by the
Constitution has destroyed the relation Of
debtor and creditor; has DESTROYED legal
securities as well as the earnings of indus
try in ordinary investments. Ii has incrcas-
cd largely the prices ofgovcrnmcnt supplies,
thus enhacing greatly the cost of the war
1t bears severely upon the investments o
widows and orphans, and is sacrificing the
business of the country in the general ruiz
of the currency. This food of asagnats ha,
stimulated into still more pernicious actor
all that crowd of corrupt and hateful inhu
.ences which follow in the wake of war a.
sharks IN that of the pcstllcnt ship. The
miserable crowd OF contractors and specula
tors on the suilcrings of their country like
so many leeches, are sucking out the life
blood Of the nation, while preaching the un
questioning support of the administration
and all its reckless and abortive measures II.
the true test Of patriotism.
The acts OF the administration, under the
double influence Of Republican and aboli
ton principles, are marked by singular ter
giversatlon and Inconsistency. In theiI
Chicago platform, as in all anthorative de-
carations, they declared it to be their inten-
ton not to interfere with slavery in the
States, and to administer the Government
according to the Constitution. In the ter
rltorlal governments urganizcd shortly after
Mr. Lincoln sadycnt to power, in New Mex
leo, Colorado, and Nevada, when they had
the power to assert a provision for the ex-
clusion Of slavery, no such exclusion was in
serted; ond although the Crittendcn reso-
lutions were rejected by Congress until the
first battle of Bull Run. They were pass
ed with great unanimity after that event. -
Notwithstanding these facts, however, and
also Mr.. Lincoln ) message to Congress cX
horting that body to prosecute the war sole
ly for the restoring Of the Union, we sool
find leaders of the party introducing int,
Congress bills for the conversation of rcbc
States into territories, for an indiscriminat
contiscation Of estates, and waging the wa
for the liberation of the slaves. We ais
find Mr.. Lincoln, under these Influences, re
commencing in his annual message in De
cembcr 1860, the call of convention T.
Iaa Al
States; and, without waiting for such con
stitutional authority, under the pressure o
the abolition portion of his party, proceed
ang to issue proclamations Of emancipation
Could human weakness and inconsstcnc,
further go
The great and paramount object of al
governments is the protection of private
property. II is the great basis of all civil
cations. Without its recognition and stable
protection there can be no such thing even
as communities. The trainers of the Con
stitution, regarding history as philosophy
teaching byeXamplc, aimed to insert in that
instrument a clause which, even in the
midst of the most fearful connections and
party violence. would prevent IA re-enact-
ment on this continent of those barbarous
contscations which marked the civil wars of
the Romans, and are n stigma upon the his
tory of modern Europe They therefor, in
the third section of the third article, used
this clear and unmstakable language, that
No attomdcr Of treason slnH ,cork corruption q,
blood or forfeiture, crccpt during ne is Qt he per-
son attained.
In disregard Of this constitutional prohi-
bltlon, this House passes Joint resolution
explanatory of the Confscation act, for the
purpose of cOnfscating the free and making
It operative against the innocent as well aS
the guilty
This war was inaugurated to put down
military usurpation, The calm, lust and
ever patriotic judgement of coniding pco
pie approved and chcorcd il on its progress.
1t was not intended to be war against com
munities, individuals, or their property and
rights, but war in defense of the Consti-
tuition, the laws, and for the preservation of
the Union, This is still its true and prop
er object, and to this, if we would look for
an early and stable peace the administra-
tion must return. The proclamatons must
be wlthdrown, the conliscation acts rcpcal-
ed, and we must back To the resolution,
adopted by Congress after the first battle o
Bull Run. Mark well its pure and patriot
ic import
ResOtred, That the present dcpiorahlc clyI
war has boen forced upon the country 10y the dis
against the constitutional governments and il
arms around the Capital; that Ia this natlonn
emergency Congress, banishing all feeling q
mere passion or recruitment, VIII rccolcct onl