The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-02-10
/ .-Ssl1
We Know No Party, but the
Party of the Constitution.
&C. For the Register.
The Polar Star of Liberty.

fOr tne
The Polar Star Of Liberty.
NR. EDITOR :-PresumiDg upon your de-
,7nkaou to the Constitution and the Union
syeAfure to ask the privilege of q corner in
the Register for few remarks upon the con
dftion OF the county,.
The Constitution is the soul of this Gov
szoament. 1t is the polar star of our liber
hes As the mariner watches his chart,
With unerring exactness, as he stands at the
: linnacle when storms and darkness gather
tfound him, so every true patriot, In times
Ike these, examines well the letter and the
1pirit of the Constitution that ne may keep
within its legitimate bounds. 90,
In the earlier days of our infant Republic
sthe cautious pilots who guided the ship of
State kept an eye constantly upon the Com
3stitution. Then everything went WE'LL
but when new school of politicians began
s5to figure in the governmental arena, schisms
&were made IN the body polite and strife
and discomfort usurped the place Of peace
land ouietness. Difficulties thus multiplied
until the attempt was made to set the Con.
stitution aside for "higher law" doctrines
by one set of political trcksters, and the
3 complete mutation Of the doctrine of estate
Rights" by another set of government dis
organizers. These extremists, though per-
feet tipodes in practice, were seeking the
same results-the subversion of the prin-
ciples of the Government. Though the
principles which governed these extremists
seemed to diverge widely, yet the effect
was the same as if those principles had con.
verged or even merged together. ,a
The natural fruit of this departare from
the strict letter and spirit of the ConstituN
ton is the present unholy and wicked war,
and the only means by which the horrors
Of this terrible calamity can be averted, is
q speedy return to the strict constructions
4 of the constitution. What is to be gained
4 by q continuance Of the war, if the Consti-
tuition is to be disregarded2 Does not every
itday lessen the prospect ola peaceable settle
nent? After O most sanguinary and bloody
*struggle for nearly three years, what have
I'VE ganed2 Is the Unien any nearer its
k,restoratou than it was al the commence
Sment? And how, let me ask, is the Union
Ito be restored? If the Constitution is set
a at naught, how can it ever be restored p
And does not the experience of every day
too plainly teach us that every buiwark
and palladium Of our liberties, guaranteed
by the Constitution, are fast being torn
assunder? The reserved rights of the
States are trampled upon by the very one
who has taken the most solemn oath to
support the Constitution, and thus preserve
those rights. The w. Of kabeQs corpus,
the great safeguard of English liberty, and
which, since its existence, has always been
held sacred, even by kings, is treated with
contempt, and is usedas mere political
rade mecunl to subservc mere party ends, by
one who bears the name Of President Of
Republic. What mockery! But 1t does
not stop here. The rights Of citizens, guar
anteed to them by the constitution, are dis.
respected, and forts erected by the Govern
ment for the protection of the Government,
are changed into basties for the imprison
ment of those who dare call in question
the abridsement of those rights.
Is this the way to preserve the Union -?
Is it not time to pause7 Is it not time 10
inquire concerning the object of this war
For what purpose is it prosecuted? Is IT
for the Dobler purpose of restoration of
the Union aud the preservation of the Con
stitution, or war urged for party purposes
and party aggrandizement These are ques
lions that every patriot should ask himself.
AS the ''Ark of the Covenant guided
the Isrealites through the wilderness, so the
Constitution must become the J" cloud by
day and the pillar of fire by night TO guide
the conservative people of this Republic
through this trying and terrible ordeal OF
its existence. If the Constitution is disre
garded or destroyed there can be no resto-
ration of the Union. In the language of
the venerable Cass, "let us cling TO the
Constitution and the Union as the mariner
elings to the last plank when storm and
darkness gather around The people must
demand their Constitutional rights. With
firm reliance upon the justice Of their
cause, the people u England forced the
Magma Charta from an I'm "illing king. A
similar unity of purpose may be necessary
for the preservation of the Constitution.
The wheels of the Radical Juggernaut
must be checked or they will crush out the
liberties o! the people. What higher or
Dober sacrifice can the patriot make than
to immediate himself upon the altar of his
country. The political vampires now gnaw-
; ing at the vitals of this Union must be
made to relinquish their 6endish hold or the
DAYS of this Republic are numbered. bet
every constitutional man be up aud doing.
II is no time to siamher, Whoever would
be free must guard well his rights under
the Constitution. The chains of despotism
are being forged for people who less than
century ago astonished the world with
their heroic achievements.
Shades of Patrick Henry! Is there none
worthy to wear the mnntte of that glorious
patriot Il ~. = - -. .-,l1 ~ Nous VESRoNs.
A NEwrouNDLASD paper, in speaking OF
.ha uo.As &c ssnnn hlr af that Island enln-