The Portland daily press., 1866-04-14

assembly, and charges them with infidelity to
that liberty of which he assumes to be the APP
| pointed guardian.
The Executive the pre-eminent guardian OF
Freedom! Let me quote fey sentences which
Wlll put this claim in its proper light Said
Oamel Webster on one occasion: MIR. Presi-
dent, the contest for ages has been to rescue
Liberty from the grasp of executive power
through all The history of the struggle for lib
erty, executive power has been regarded as a
non winch must be Gagged. So far from being
the object of enlightened popular trust, SO far
from being considered the natural protector of
popular right, it has been dreaded, always
dreaded, as the great source of its danger
ana now, sir, who is he, SO ignorant of the his
TORY OF liberty at home and abroad who is he,
yet aMelhng in his contemplations, among the
principles and dogmas of the middle ages, who
puts INTO the mouth of the President of the Uni
ted states the doctrine that the defence of lib
erty naturally revert; to executive power and
Is us peculiar duty? Who is he that, over
looking with contempt the guardianship of the
CURLY for Freedom rests in the executive au-
tnorlty No sir. No sir. Our security is in
our watchfulness Of executive power. And
When we and those who come after us, have
zone an that we can do and all that they can
90, ltWfH be well for us and for them, if some
popular Executive, by the union of military
ana civil authority, by the influence Of patron-
age and office and favor, shall not hereafter
prove an Over-match for all other branches of
the government" Wise and far-seeing words
Can 1T be that they have been spoken more
than thirty years And they point with I'M
swervlng finger to that onward pathway in the
determination OF all sectional differences in
onr land, which shall be Our best assurance that
Presidents shall not be seduced nor executives
betray ~ o7l l'-1I 7 E-,i1l 20 III I-
And thank God, that sweeping the horizon of
affairs with anxious eyes, we see most of the
Dattiements Of liberty still unshattered If
one strong tower of constitutional defence is
temporarily weakened by inward assault, a far
stronger one remains full panopied in might
Wehave Congress still. The loyal delegates
OF aloyal people hold on their way.
6iorlOus is the token they have lust given of
their unterrified fidelity to the Of liberty
fiat the Civil Rights bill is Law. Auspicous
day which saw it take its place on the statute
Dook OF the land! Day which commemorated
the surrender of Lee, by an event without
which Lees surrender would have beena bar
rem victory, and the prize of long war all I'M
won. Nobly stood the nations Representatives
70 their duty While they continue so to stand,
and the loyal maiorities of the people uphold
them IN their work, no substantial defeat can
dash our hopes.
Presidents vanish but the people live. The
accidental eXerciser of the executive function
goes his way, but the great depository of au-
thority-the nations will diminishes not
Forth from its resources it evokes the instru-
ments OF its choice, 1t fashions Presidents; it
makes Congresses; it inspires Laws.
TO on, . People, strong in an unalterable
determination to be just, and all roads will lead
to rest. Turn not back from the plough, and
the harvest-feld shall be a land of lib erty and
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