Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-04-26
zser .a4rz COLUMBUS, O., FRIDAY MoRNIN

tion in secession and coercion. These were |
but the manifestations of an underlying
spirit. On the one side and the other it was
asserted that the estrugglewas for territorial
limits only. Neither was entirely correct, |
for both were actuated by the revolutionary
spirit, and the firing of the first gun on Fort
Sumter was the voice of Seer, declaring
that revolution had been accomplished.
The old political system passed away in
1861, and another was adopted. It's little
finger is heavier than the whole body of
that which it superseded. No longer do
we ask have we Government. Its Argus
eyes seek everywhere the accumulations
of labor and capital, and its Briarean arms
are ever graspiug all those eyes can see.
Its vast military and naval establishments
have risen with portentious mien, and over
shadow the civil administrations in nearly
one-half the country. Beneath the blows
of their iron sway, popular Government.
resting on the consent of the people, has
there completely fallen. Its vital energy
is apparent wherever we see strife and con-
tentiOn, and violent passions and antagon-
ismsof race, and section, and States. It's
genius and humanity are conspicuous
wherever healing wounds are made to cape
afresh, and to receive new infusion of gall
and bitterness. There is no doubt that we
have Governments strong one-strong
in the number of men whom it can con-
script-strong in the treasure it can raise
the rights of the States and the liberties of
the citiZens-strong in its capacity to over
ride the Constitution-strong as Rome was
strong both east and west, under the EN-
perors-strong as France was strong under
the Reign of Terror and the Guillotine-
but weak as they were weak when the
Goths and Vandas avenged on the seven
hilled city the wrongs of Germans or when
the blood of the murdered Danton choked
the despairiug Robespierre. -
No Government can be really strong
which does not appeal both to the interests
and affections of the people, which does
not attach by the beneficence of its acts as
well as by its dependence on their will.
The equality of the States was the basis
of the Farmer Republic. Is it maintained? !?
The answer comes to us from the Recon-
struction bill, which puts ten States under
martial law, and subjects them to the will
of military officer.
| The strict confinement of the Federal
Government to international and inter-
State affairs was an element of the Farmer
Republic. Is it enforced?
The answer comes to us from the Civil
Rights bill, lintrudes Federal author
| ity upon the States and utterly overrides
| the most sacred Constitutional guarantees.
The maintenance of the coordinate
branches of the Government the distribu-
tion of power, the separation of constituent
cies from which it flows, were indispensa-
BILE features of the Farmer Republic.
Their doom was written in the Tenure of
| Office bill, which deprives the President of
| the power of removing even members of
his Cabinet, and thus subjects the Exec
utive to the control of the Legislature
Their doom was written in the attack on
the Supreme Court, because of its decision
in relation to military commissions. All
power now centers in a single hand, and is
| conferred by consolidated majority.
for no RI RI
the era of the Farmer Republic, and warm
ed the hearts of all its children.
Now, who so poor as TO entertain this
sentiment? 1t was rolled up and packed
away by Mr.. Lincoln; and kept thus dis
honored. it has fallen into contempt, and to
urge its authority serves only to provoke a
sneer, or to call out joke. 1t forms no bar
rier to the projects of party rage or party
desire. Its provisions are entirely disre-
garded or Immediately altered to justify the
enactment proposed, or to command the
attainment of the end. The highest re-
spect shown to his remains is the PROPOSE
tion to amend them. The strife of parties,
which was once under the Constitution, is
now over and above it.
Powers granted to the Federal Govern
menti Is it not true that every power which
is desired to be exercised is found to be
granted, and that more would be found if
necessary. --.s !
| guiding legislation and containing the
muniments of personal iberty-so sacred
that under no circumstances could it be in
! fringed, or even amended, except in the
method prescribed-to be essential to free
government. Now we have willingly dis
pensed with it, and committed unlimited
| power to a temporary majority, and this
we call flippantly, the Will of the Nation,
| Tell me, does one single feature of the
Farmer Republic remain
| We had plain and simple and ecohomi-
| cal Government. We have a magnificent
complex, obtrusive, extravagant Govern
ment. We had an army of $4,000 men; we
have an army of 100000. We had light
| taxes we have enormous burdens. We had
gold and silver as legal tender; we have a
deprecated Government paper currency
| We had trial by jury and d-personal liberty
we have military commissions made valid
by law, and arbitrary arrests justified.
| We had a Government whose exactions
of money or duty were so light that we
| scarcely felt its existence. We have a Gov
ernment whose strength glitters in the light
of the FURNISHED bayonet, and is reflected
in the resDlendent lustre of the sword.
We had harmony and traternal concord,
and due respect for States and people and
opinions and habits. We have a bitter Sec
tional strife, subjugated people, e,Oyerthrown
States, and an animoslty OF party warfare
never before known.
We had freedom of thought. We have
| an intolerance which strikes down inde-
pendeuce of opinion and proscribes politi-
cal differences as crime, and establishes a
searching scrutiny into the hearts and con-
sciences of the community.
We heard in our bitterest struggles the
voice of reason, now that voice is drowned
in the clangor of the trumpet which mar
| shals prejudice, and rage and hate to in
tensify the party strife. @
We had peaceful confederation. Now,
while national unity is inculcated as the
highest duty, the perpetuation of geo.
graphical divisions and national hatred is
rewarded with the highest praise.
Congress, which was the theater of intel
lectual debate, is now the registry of the
DEGREES of a party caucus, anu hesitation
to record Them is treason to the reigniu 9
power, and involves loss of personal pre-
ferment, even of political life.
We have broken down the barriers which
hemmed in that vast array of powers
closely akin to mere brute force-Which
we believed the Government, and even
society, could not, in any event, justly ex-
ercise, and have given them as the play
thing of every passion. We had repub-
lie; we have an empire.
1t is said that learned naturalists have
pushed their researches 50 far that from
the inspection of a single bone they can de-
termine the species OF the animal, and re-
produce his form even though it be that OF
the giant mastodon. No philosopher ex-
amining the United States of 1867 could
possibly reproduce, without the aid of his.
tory, the Farmer Republic of 1860. The
change has been of the most radical charac-
ter. 1t is the change which converted the
Rome OF Cato into the Rome of Caesar; anC
no less than that is it change wrought by
the power of the sword.
Nor do wonder at it. In the first Con.
gress of the war Mr.. Lincoln justified hi:
suspension of the hG6eas corpus, on the
ground that he had the right to infract one
provision of the Constitution in order tba