Des Arc weekly citizen., 1867-07-27

 pect either for these positions or for those who use them. For the educated politician---iiie man who has experi- ence in public affairs and who aspires and labors 10 Dc a teacher and counsel- or of the people--and who urges these teachings and counsels, Il am exceed ingly filled with contempt;' because I can but believe that such man con scionsly dcsccrates the truth, and reck- iessly, but with most consolidating ad- dress, hazards every interest of the people only that he may take tho bone- it of being lon the strong side" Alas, what pen shall ever be able to recount the countless horrors which have re- suited from-bcen wrought by--that demoniac spirit of our political leaders to be on the strong side, and to make issues and pandcr to passions ito keep the strong side!D This spirit made bleeding Kansas" rent the Union in twain, drenched the country in blood and clad the people in mourning; de- moralized, deceived and betrayed the most gallant people under the cycles of the sun to the most humiliating sub iugation, and now eounsels, urges, threatens to compel dishonor to a peo pie who have nothing but honor left. But l know that there are mrny peo- pie who are honest, and even intelli- gent on most subjects, who commit grave political errors and mistakes. It would be strange if they did not when there are so many influences to de-
 ceive. la popular governments, there fore, and more especially now, since so much power is proposed to be given to so much ignorance, it is necessary to answer the knayc in his argument lest he make fool of his nearer.
 First, then, it is said we arc helpless and cannot prevent the success of these military bilts. Well, if this is true,
 WHY ASK OUR CONSENT? If success does not depend on consent, why beg, and coax, and threaten to secure con- sent? five must be distranchiseda and have an ''enemy's government" forced upon us, spare us the gratuitous dis honor ofconsonting! If fend, with the power, should come to burn your house, or rape your wife, or kill your family, and should coolv ask your con sent, saying you had better consent, for if you did not he would burn, or rape, or kill anyhow, and perhaps, be- ing incensed by your refusal, do all: :: would you consent? l like the spirit of the old Roman centurion. A de- cemvir--a ruler the strong side-bc- came enamorcd of the centurion's daughter. He first persuaded. but persuasion failing to secure consent, he resorted to his power, the power of his office. When the hour of supposed helplessness was reached the father snatchcd a knife and plunged it into the breast of his daughter, exclaiming, ''This is all, my dearest daughter, 1 can give thee to preserve thy chastity from the lust and violence of tyrant" And what was the result in heathcn Rome? The soldiers and people hon. orcd the father, and rose with indigna- ton and abolished the decemVifal power of Rome forever. and the guilty deccmyirs slew themselves. And to this day this thing is told as memori- al of the noble father, and of the glo- rious army and people who avenged him. And the daughters name was Virginia. The virtue of all our daugh- ters, and the pride of all our sons arc secure only in our sense of honor as q people.
 But are we helpless? If we contcm- l plate resistance by arms, l concede i that now we are helpless. But our strength is net in arms. Our strength l k in the Constitution. If the Consti- 1 tuition is strong we arc strong, and if 1 we are helpless the Constitution is | helpless. have shown if theso mili- i tary bills be forced upon us the Con stitution is destroyed. On it's parapets alone let us mount our guns and fire 1 on. The most startling evidence of
 our progress toward anarchy, is tEo ! idea with some, l fear many of our people, that the constitution can do us no good. The very thought should alarm every man on the continent who
 has property, or liberty or peace, or
 who desires to get or keep either. The
 only possible hope l have in the future
 for anything good or safe.to the people
 of any section or any color, is found iii
 the belief that the constitution is not
 dead--is not helpless. It has been sad ly disrc@arded, abandoned and tram pied on, l admit. But it's enemies are
 too cruel They insist upon dealing their blows too often, too quickly, and
 rcckleSsly. Their motives are becom-
 ing manifest. The murderers intent is at last being seen.
 The people will come to the rescue
 they will come ill wrath, and these ,long rioting enemies will call en the very mountains to hide them. If am
 mistaken if the Constitution is dead ; if the people have lost the will to save it; these patriots and Chritians, and
 all order-loving men, have but one du- iy to perform. That duty Is to pray | pray carnestly-pray uuccas;ngly, that the Cesar of American history would como and come quickly.
 Our noble Governor sought to test 1 the constitutionality of these measures
 before the Supreme Court by q bill in
 the name of the State. l am glad he did so. Itwas manly effort for which
 our children will praise him. Besides
 he gave the court an opportunity of de- ciding an important question which may be one day involved. He failed
 to get tho test, because the court was
 not able to decide that it had iuris- ! diction in the form in which the ques- ! ton was made; not because Georgia
 was not State, but becaue Georgia ] being State the question. as made,
 was political only. But the humblest
 of the ten millions of people of the ten
 States, whose rights of person or prop
 erty are interfercd with by one of these military officers, can make the i question, and make judieially; and then the court must decide it, and will
 decide it, and can decide it only in fa-
 vor of the citizen. do hope that every
 citizen, whose property seized, or whose person arrested, under prctense of these military bills will promptly appeal to the law. am aware that
 our people are attempted to be fright ened from this appeal, to the
 courts becanse they are told it
 will be years before this decision can