The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-01-18

agreed upon. Ana thai the state Zen
trial Committee be authorized to con-
cur with other proper committees in
fixing the time and place. That we
prefer Louisville, Kentucky, as the
place.
ReSolued, That the Democratic news.
paper of Ohio deserve an earnest and
liberal support; and that an early and
thorough organization of the party ia
Indispensable
words
Human nature is everywhere, and
in all ages, much the same. Men in
power, with few exceptions, are ambi-
tious, grasping and selfish. Washing
ton was one of the exceptions, aud APP
pears to have been actustod, through
out his life, by unaloyed patriotism
and . sincere love of human liberty.
His Farewell Address, is a compendium
of political maxims and advice, almost
superhuman in wisdom. Had its ad-
monitions been needed, we should have
had no civil war, no slain to mourn,
no mountain Of debt to oppress us, no
sectional heart burnings to reconcile,
no broken Union to be repaired. Our
neglect in tho past, being thus severely
punished, it is timethat we resolve not
to fall again into a similar error, when
wisdom is wanted to deliver tho coun-
try from the wicked schemes Of traitors
that threaten the existence of our fIe
government.
If Congress is permitted to interfere
with the Executive and the Judiciary,
or with either ofthem, in the discharge
Of their legitimate functions, the bal
anc Of power between coordinate
branches Of government is destroyed;
the Constitution set aside, and Con-
gress is possessed Of usurped deSpoiic
power. If such u state of things comes
upon US, it is extremely doubtful
whether our free institutions can again
be restored without q fearful struggle.
The maxim Is, that revolutions never
go. backward"-if this be true, they
can never be restored at all, ave by a
counter revolution. Lett s recur then,
to the Farewell Address; it has the
right advice for the present time; Con-
gress threatens sncroachment upon the
action of its equals in the Government;
threatens their impeachment if they
will not sanction its illegal measures,
and thus the Government is menaced
with the destruction Of tho equilibrium
of fits members. Washington's warn
ings against geographical parties were
blindly disregarded, and awful has
been the penalty. Let us be wisOrnow,
and take his advice in avoidinganother
greater danger, that is gathering over
US. He says:
. 1T is important, likewise, that the
habits Of thinking, IN a free country,
should inspire caution in those intrust-
ed with its administration, to confne
themselves within their respective con-
stltutional spl eres, avoiding ia the ex-
ercise Of the powers Of one department,
to encroach upon another. The spirit
of an encroachment tends to consoli.
date the powers Of all the departments
in one, and thus to create, whatever
tile form Of Government, a real despo-
tism. A just estimate of that love of
power, and proneness to abuse il which
predominates in the human heart, is
to satisfy us of the truth of
this position, The necessity of recip.
rocal checks in the exercise of political
power by dividing and distributing it
into different repositories, and consti-
tSting each the guardian Of the public
veal against invasione by tho others,
has been eyineed by experiments, an
cient n moderni some Of them in our
own country, and under our own eyes.
To preserve them must be as necessary
as to institute them. If, in the opinion
OF the people, the distribution or modi.
fcatiOn Of the constitutional powers
be, in any particular, wrong, let it be
corrected by an amendment in the way
which the Constitution designates.
But let there be no change by usurpa.
ton, for though this, in one instance,
may be the instrument OF good, it is
the customary weapon by which free
governments are destroyed. The pro
cedent must always greatly over bal.
o,co - Ill 100 4