The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1864-04-14
Lincoln versus the Constitution


Lincoln versus the Constitution.
4 pertinent question for the American
people to ask themselves and their rulers
at the present time is this: '.Can man
support Mr.. Lincoln and his policies, and
at the same time support the Constitution
of the United States :" Democrats have no
trouble in answering this question-they
invariably regard the policies Of Mr.. Lin
ccln IS IN direct antagonism to he Con
etitution. and hence respond to the ques-
iion with an emphatic No. For SO doing
they have suffered abuse and obloquy un-
measured. at the hands Of a venal and cor
rupt administration prsss-have been de-
nounccd as traitors. sympathizers with
rebellion, and enemies Of their country
Some of them have been arrested by the
strong arm OF military absoiutsin, and in
carcerated III government basti.es-denied
the right of trial by an impartial jury of
their peers-refused counsel for their de-
fence. and solse have even been banished
from the land Of their birth and the coun-
try they love and would save from utter
destruction at the hands Ct the tyrants
that rule over the destinics of this nation
with an iron hand, without regard to law.
These are but a tythc Of the outrages per-
petra.ed in the name Of freedom, avowed-
" to save the life Of the nation thus
presenting the curious and illogical spec
tacle of destroying the vitals OF the body
polite as means of perpetuating its ex-
istence Thank God the time has come
when the light of reason begins to dawn
upon the beughted ntellects of some of
the hitherto ardent adherents Of this sys-
tenn Of destroying to save. Thad, Stephens
the leader CT the House Of Representatives
at Washington il 4 speech upon the con-
duet Of the war and the treatment of the
rebellion short time ago declared that it
was entirely outside Of, and unknown to
he Constitution" Henry Winter Davis,
an administration leader from Maryland
recently said:
"Three modes had oecn proposed to settle the
slavery question: One prohibit slavery every
whore. This vas right, and went to the root of
of the evil. But it doubtful whether three
four'hs of the States could be secured to pass such
amendment the Constitution. Tic next
was the amnesty proclamation. Congress is not
pledged to It's support but only the Executive
The government proposed by it is something as
IN known to The Constitution as the rebel govern
nent itself, which refuses to recognize it,
Even these men, the most radical
amongst the radicals thus admit that the
scheme of Nr Lincoln as developed in his
Amnesty proclamation is ''unknown to the
Constitution. IS outside of it. and there
fore by oil legitimate reasoning unwar-
rantable. We might go on at much great
CT length to show by abolition authority
Itself, that the various policies ofthe Presi-
dent arc opposed to the plain provisions
Of the Constitution, and consequently that
no man can at the same time support him
and the Constitution Of The United States.
VIII plain people, the honest masses,
those whose toll and sweat, and blood, are
required by the cormorants iii power to
carry out the destructive policies of this
administration, continue to lend an un-
questioning support to those whose every
act has been to destroy the time-honored
Institutions OF our fathers or will they
stop and think, aHd candidly ask them
selves the question, us it possible to sup
por; The party in power, without destroy
ing the Constitution of my country: =
Let this question be candidly asked and
honestly answered in the light Of three years
experience Of tie madness, the folly and
the stupid if net criminal blunders of our
rulers. and We have no fears for the result
Of the approaching campaign-no doubts
IS 20 the restoration Of the Union and the
return Of an honorable PEACE Think,
then act.