Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-09-29

to the is reciprocal with the duty
OF the Administration to assume position ndepen-
dent Of party. And we all know that the Admins
ration in these latter days has more and more adjust
cd its policy with reference to the Cancellation Of
single class among its own nominal sdherents
class SO justly rebuked by Mr.. Seward in his late
Auburn speech
There Is still another reason why loyal men
have been driven into opposition to the Ad-
ministration. We allude to the little respeot
which in too many cases the Administration has
paid to the laws On this point we cite the testi-
mony of Mr.. Senator Trumbull. Addressing
meeting in Chicago at time when, during the
military administration of Gen Burnside in the
Northwest, public opinion was greatly excited by
the illegal assumptions Of that officer, he said:
Tho times are grave A majority of the people
Of our State arg taking groasd against The Admin
70 you some Of our mstabss that they may be corrected in
e future The reason is we have not adhered to David
ahead
One Of our mistakes is that we have allowed our op
P0nants to make false issues But this is not the worst
The great charge the charge that has damaged the Ad
mnisraton above all Others that 100 are in apor of The
e1ercis: Of arbitrary pooerthat we are opposed to the
freedom OF speech and opinion to the freedom of the press
10 favor OF curtang personal liberty and n favor of
despotism. Now we should not allow these things. We
have been the advocate of free speech for the last forty
years. and should not allow the party which during that
whole time has advocated the gag to usurp our place
we are nghtng for the restoration of the Union and
the of the Constitution and all the liberties
guarantees to every citizen And it makes me feel bad
when hear some honest friend brimmiDg full of patriot
lsm sag rs does no. care the Constitution and does not
want to have forced into his way or thrust in his face
until the war is over"
It's these things which have made Others besides
Mr. Trumbull feel bad" They have made all
men feel bad" who have any respect for liberty
regulated BY law. We should not, perhaps, have
made these violations of law . test of political
fealty to the present Administration, if we had
seen any way by which an adherent to the Admin
lstration could at the time preserve his alle-
glance to it and maintain the integrity of his
opinions. But, with here and there single ex-
ception, no man has been found in the ranks of
the Administration courageous enough to lift his
voice In animadversion on such abuses and as
sumptions of power as Mr.. Trumbul rebuked.
There has been among the Presidents supporters
no public sentiment which has sought to restrain
him within the limits of the Constitution and the
laws Every transgression he has made beyond
those bounds has been excused and palliated where
it has not been encouraged and defended by his
retainers Could these things be without pro-
ducing detection on the part Of those who hold
their opinions by somo tenure less mutable than
the will and pleasure of the Executive Has the
President in a time of war "the right divine of
kings to govern wrong"
1t is such considerations as these which have
made it not only the sacred right, but the solemn
duty of men who realize the danger of partisanship
in time like this to oppose an Administration
which not only refuses to assume position inde-
pendent Of party, but which every day places
itself on narrower ground of purity, by yielding
more and more to the behests of single faction
among its heterogeneous constituents. We speak
as to wise men; let them judge what We say. And
we equally address ourselves to the understandings
and consciences of candid men in all parties let
them render sentence according to the truth of
what we say.