The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-07-26
)LUMBIA COUNTY, PA WEDNESDAY. JULY 26 1865

lis medHIuS. b1duy VINO ldik Ot dCCuisSu
State Rights' mean only 10 curse secession.
They may do that and welcome That doc
| trine has never found any favor in our sight
No body of men have testified against ii
more mphalicaly than the Democracy OF Pa.
! Every platform laid down by their authority
| has denounced ii. To quell it was The first
and highest aim of the Democrats who
swelled The ranks of our regiments. The
same may be said of the great mass of the
Northern Democracy. Their latest political
| act was to nominate for the Presidency
George B. Mcclellan the earliest hero Of
tho war he, like all lis later heroes who
have won true Ienown, struck for the Un.-
ION, and gave il the frst place in his heart,
even above "Aboilion." Secession was
the doctrine OF The Southern leaders; il has
fallen with them it is dead, killed, slain
by the sword. The great mass Of the
Southern people regard ii now as the ''bIood-
iesl blunder in the book OF time" Bot let
Us never consent 10 bury in It's grave the
any other Stale in the Union. Strike them
down, and the whole beauty and fitness of
our Government is gone. 1t would no more
be the same Government. than the British
Government would be the same if you could
strike out It's Parliament, and leave the
United Kingdom to be governed by the ar
biTary viii of the man, woman, or child
VINO may. chance 10 Gil The throne.
The Constitutional rights of the States are
the only sure defences of civil Liberty. 1t
was left under their shelter by The trainers
OF The Consultation even Alexander Ham
ilton, who was the most indulgent to Fed
eral power, lays it down as an axiom in our
political system that 'lhe State governments
will afford complete security against iuva-
sons of public liberty by the National au-
ihority"
One of ihe great charges which The Dec
laralion of Independence brought against
George the III was, "he has effected 10
TO render the military independent Of and
superior 10 The civil power." This preien-
sion, revived in our day, and reaching even
TO the total suppression of the civil power,
in all it's relations 10 civil liberty, is the
great political heresy that has prevailed at
The South, both deserve the signal condem-
nation OF the people. The absolute sway
exercised by officials in the Nor.hern Sta, es
was in nearly every instance, mere wanton,
useless, irritating usurpalion OF functions
that the Constitution and laws have wisely
vested in the civil tribunals of our country.
Do mol charge il upon Congress; no act oI
Congress ever authorized a military court
,otry a citizen not connected with the mill
iary service. Every act passed during this
war carefully sent all such cases 10 the
provided that those accused of resisting il,
if arrested by the military, should be 'iorih
with delivered over 10 the civil auihori-
ties 81 for trial. Yet here, in Pennsylvania,
citizens accused of this very offense, under
this very act, were, in open contempt OF
the Law, imprisoned in the gua!i house al
Camp Curtin, tried and sentenced by "miI-
itary commissions" Do not charge on the
military power The base acts done in It's
name. The military power OF our country
bdS ltc slJiOiC, dIu l. hds iiiiCd IL otlNi1
il needs no triumph over The. civil insliIu-
iions of our country. The great soldiers of
the war are soiIed with no completely in the
acls of petty despoiism done by Secrela-
Ties o! War, and politicians in civil office.
You men of Harrisburg have seen the guard
house OF The neighooring camp tenanted,
net by disordery soldiers or Rebel prisoners,
but by editors, and farmers, and men in ev-
cry walk OF life, robbed of their civil rights
and subjected 10 The "lynch law" that is
administered by military commissions. For
all This there could be urged no plea Of
.smililary necessity" such as may leave a
commander in the field OF war no limit but
his own will in The exerlion oil his power.
The plea OF "mililary necessity" could not,
with truth or decency, be urged in Penn
sylvania, where no civil court was closed
by armed rebellion, nor the due course OF
law obstructed, save by those who made
that plea The pre(exl tor their acts. These
acts were doGe from 40 necessity civil
or military. They were prompted by that
bad principle in human nature which the
laws and constitutions of free governments
are meant to curb. Shakespeare describes
il when he says:
'Man, proud man
Dresl in a little brief authority
Plays such fantastic tricks before high heav'n
As make the angels weep"
Your highes; interests and the interests OF
your children demand that these acts shall
not pass uucondemned, to be treated here
after as precedents. The highest duty
now, of the people of the Commonwealth
is 10 vindicate The Majesty of The law. To
vindicate il al the balot-box and in the
courts OF justice, SO that never again upon
the soil of Pennsylvania her citizens shall
b., ,rnntnrI,. sirinnah Of ihn rin hIs N al nra