Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-10-12


never thought Of. 1t is impossible in her
condition. If Prussia with her excellent
population were at Q vast distance from
where she is, and protected by oceans and
mountains, she might bea repNblic; but,
where she is, it is impossible. On the conH
tinent Of Europe no State can exist with
free institutions, because the form OF gov
eminent must be such as furnishes the
greatest amount of military strength
Perhaps it may be said that Switzerland
'contradicts my theory. reply that Swift
zsrland is an exceptional case-a few nests
Of poor people buried in remote vallies
surrounded by inaccessible mountains;
they are not worth conquering. Besides
the mutual jealousy Of the great powers is
their real safeguard. England is the only
great and free power in Europe. This is
owing to her insulsr position. The ocean
is the divine charter Of her freedom. II
nothing bnt a surveyors line separated
England from France, England wonld be
a military deepotisin, as France Is. No
country can be free which has to sleep
with her hand on her sword. 49,.
But why resort to general reasoning and
the condition of European nations to prove
what have asserted, when the proof stares
us in the face in the example OF our own
country. We see it in every sight; We,
feel it in every emotion We hear it IN
every sound. When our present govern
ment was established, every thing possible
was done in the interest Of State Rights,
every conceivable guarantee was taken for
individual freedom-as little as possible
was conceded to the Federal government.
The Federal government was cabinned,
cribbed, confined, hedged in by saucy
doubts and fears" The school of extreme
State Rights were at work framing Con-
stitu:ion for federal government, with
the accumulated suspicious Of seventy
years. Their did their work we'll. The
problems to be solved was the framing of
Federal government, with the minimum
of power to function. [ thought at the
time it was useless labor, because [ con-
ceived, in tho humility Of my Judgment,
that the Constitution of country was that
which its necessities pointed out, and that
you could not in advance say would be the
necessities of Confederacy exposed to
perpetual war with neighborng power
of superior force But the trainers of our
Constitution were not deferred by any snch
considerations as these from their work
They established their Confederacy, guard
ed and limited in the interest of the rights
of the separate States as mucl, as possible.
Well, we have been at war not quite four
years, and what is the RESULT Is not our
Federal government in tho exercise of eve
ry possible power of national centralized
military despotisma Suppose there were
no States, only provinces, and unlimited
power was conferred upon you and Con-
gross, what creator powers would You ex'
ercise than you now dot Have we not
carried CONSUMPTION to its last limitss Is
not every man in the country between II
and so subject to military authority p
None are exempt except upon considera-
tions of public interest. Have we not
been compelled to lay direct taxes in tho
Very teeth Of the theory of the Constitu-
ton! Have we not issued such vast
amounts of paper money as to unsettle all
values2 Have we not compelled the hold
ers of our paper money to fund it, or lose
one-thirdl Have we not seized all the
railroads. Have we not destroyed rail-
roads and built others9 Have we not es-
tablished an universal system Of impress
ment of property, at our own prices, IN
our own money! uave we not establish
ed government monopoly of the expor.
tations of the great stspl Of the country :
Have we not forbidden the importation of
Injuries? Have we not compelled those
whom we permit to remain at home, to
execute bonds to furnish their products to
US at our priest Have we not suspend
ed the wri: of habeas corpusS Have we
not introduced the passport system, which,
we used to think, belonged excIusivelyto the
iron despotisms of Europe' In short has
not our Federal government done every
thing that centralized military despotisnl
could col Indeed if you were appointed
Military Dictator, what greater powers
would you exercise than You now dot / al
lude,o these things net to complain ofthem
but to lament them. If you tell me they
are necessary, reply that is precisely my
argument. Ny argument assumes and re-
quires that necessity. 1t is plain that our
government exercises tho powers of q cen
trail despotism. blame no one for it.
AM sure those. who are at the head Of the
government would gladly have it other
wise, but necessity compels tho course
they have taken. But shall be told, per
haps, this necessity is limited to the war
and when peace returns we will 60 back
to our old state of liberty. That depend:
upon the kind of peace. A peace without
reconciliation carries in its bosom the seed:
Of new wars. This armed peace and it:
offspring war would fasten upon US perma
nently a central military despotisln. 1t il
common to hear it said that tho Unite,
States have gone into despotism. If so
then it is very sad truth for us, for tina
would develop their maximum militar,
power, and would, Of course, necessitat'
: the same thing in the same way on on