The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-21


repression and concentration except in times OF Inn
pending catastrophe like those from which we are
that slavery was the most potent OF dissovents In all
political organisms. IL could not but act the same
Eorth South East and West had for Ito long
been responsible for the evil and for It's continuance
Many years the bae'ul poison had been working, IN.
til throughout great section OF the country 1t had
eaten out that respect for nationality which Is the
most noble and vital part OF any organized form of
associated humanity and the leading characteristic
OF the present epoch IN the worlds history. And at
last the outbreak came. The slave power the most
planted itself squarey across the track OF the great
democratic principle TO which this Union owes tho
breath OF life. state sovereignty, from harmless
and bombastc phrase seemed TO become for O time
most formidable fact; for 1t was under the form OF
State sovereignty that the olgarchcal, anllrepubll-
gle so long impending. The attempt to destroy the
mid and benehcent Union Ia order to extend and
terrible mocEeries ever conceived OF declared to be
an uprising for liberty against tyranny The spirit
OF liberty was never so strangely travesed before
confederacy, built according to those awful words
which win forever remain historical upon
the corner stone which the builders re-
jected, the corner stone Of negro slavery The
effort to destroy the Union was serious enough,
hottest cause display more brilliant courage. energy
endurance. patience, fnnatica selfsacriace than The
rebels IN their mad struggle against the inexorable
this Is nation or not; whether the central govern
ment protect Itself against serious effort
acauesce or not In their political dissolution; whether
the great republic will lie down to die like lamb
as soon as the knife is oursed at its throat Per
hapS II needed this spasm, this sudden apparition
of poicai death, to reveal to the people the depth
Of their national sentiment, the strength OF their
than the great rebellion Is likely to be made again
TO destroy the central government; yet the
enemies soon to become our fellow citizens,
have manifested In the cause OF slavery,
nj hasn hQQ mt pd IN
political community. The growth of great empires,
whether republics or monarchies, Is slow. Years
are much to the individual mortal, bat man Is the
master OF time. II not in our generation, assuredly
at no very distant epoch the race which has been
fend it should i ever DO unustly assaied So long
as IL Is true to its natal principe and TO the law OF
It's being, that oil men are created FREQ and equal
and endowed by their Creator with inaltcnablc
rights, so long will this Union protect itself. IL Is
almost omnpotent In the cause of right. cause OF
wrong would "sit upon its arm and make it power
less" 1t cannot Cypress so long az the general DIFF
fusion OF education and intelligence among the peo
pie insures constant and jealous scratlny Of ali its
proceedings. Nor do dcprecate the Cry OF danger
IRON consolidation although have no sympathy
with IT, from absorption OF power by this or That
lance said Jefferson, sis the price of liberty" Let
Us continue watch carefully the OF the gen.
era government We have all Of us eyes and voices
and votes, and If the administration becomes really
tyrannca in its tendencies, let US choose better
one.
Ana now let us look OF the pretcnsions and prnci-
pies OF the two parties and their candidates. la favor
OF one or the othor o whom our votes are to be cast
so soon. What are the issues OF Lllls Presidential
we are called on to decide
/. Whether the viii OF the American people, con-
stitutionay expressed Is the law OF the land 2
2 Whether, IN the United States, all mon
do;yed with equal rghtss
3. whether Il is Just and reasonable to pay our
debts or to repudlate themf
a., whether economy and constitutional purity
by the election OF Mr.. Seymour or OF General
H. viog nronourdad tha foraoo,uy r,unotsoua NJ
Motley proceeded TO answer them as follOws:--
and 2. Now VIC know that there stand on the
construction laws. For anything IN my knowledge,
they are as binding laws, in as full force over the
down 70 the i humbest day ahorer as any other
laws on the statute book, whether passed at the |
beginning o. last year or al the end Of last century
We arc all OF US more or less familiar with the gene
sis Of those statutes, and know that they have been
the OF fierce dispute between the executive and
that they were enacted BY extraordinary majorltles
OF both houses over the Presidents veto But ut
any rate they are the law Of the land BY the will OF
majority OF the American people. / know no way OF
learning that will or OF discovering whether there
has been a change in that win, except through the
votes Of this Congress or Its successor. Meantime
they have been passed according TO constitutional
forms ana have not yet been repealed But we are In
by very large portion Of tho Of this country
that these laws are unconstitutional, revolutionary
patton OF o power which can flnd no warrant I'm the
constitution We all read the constitution. We can
best to understand why those laws are In violation
OF the constitution Most certainly the constitution
prescrlbes that members OF the national House Of
Representatives shall he elected In the several States
by those qualified to vote for members Of the
most numerous branch OF the STATE LeEislature:
stern defenders of the constitution-seem to have
forgotten one little fact nero Urine, which has
naturally slipped their memory-namey, that there
has been war-that the states, now so cruelty OPP
pressed as II Is charged, were four years long In
o. lives and exactly $1,000 ss @ to SUBJ
due and that 1t IL the special attribute OF the ma
ona legislature now that the rebellion has desisted
from organized h0atities to lay down the terms OF
peace. Because that legislature, In us discretion,
wishes to take what II believes to be necessary
ana expensive work be not renewed at some con-
venient opportunity, II Ia said TO be guilty OF UNI
iary despotisn together with curious kind OF lnst-
tuition called negro supremacy. Now II the national
on which the states iately in rebcon should be PER-
United TO resume those practical relations with the
Union which they had 20 sconfuliy broken or as
they intended forever. whence was the power de-
rived by which the suppression OF the rebellion has
heel carried on 10 rs CONCLUSIONS IL was said,
authortatIyely IL not wisely at the outbreak or the
rebellion that the right of by the central
government did not exist aud that nothing was
more strictly according TO law than fcr sovereign
according TO pleasure. IL IL now claimed that IL has
the rigni TO come back again at It's pleasure. Well
the people OF ths United states found In the consi
tuition all that was necessary TO give practical
refutatson OF the doctrine OF secession, and
utlNOtfdts anu IcphilCuIr, tuuNiuuauy mni
collectively, by speech, vote and on the
battle ieid stood shoulder 10 shoulder, proving
Ia the most decided way by which men can prove
their conyictions--by dying for tbenl--that they
believed this Union 70 be "a government; that II had
derived FROM Its fundamental law laid down IN 1853
b. the people-thc only legitimate source OF govern
menall the powers necessary Tor It's existence and
20 protect Itself when assaulted. When this nation
was born when i expanded, by force OF that consii-
tuition, from the cHrysalls OF cVnicderacy into an
organized commonwealth--a nation among the ma
tionsit stepped M once into tic ful fruition OF ell
the necessary functions OF "a nation. The right and
the means were found In the constitution to raise
great armies, 10 levy enormous sums to suspend the
Ion OF the laws when deemed necessary by those
20 whom authority freely delegated, 10 set up
military governments In rebel territory fast as
occupied and 20 make laws for the whole country
through body In which there were many pcrman-
emily vacant seats We know that by the act OF those
who hated the Union and the constitution and were
doln2 their best 10 make both NO down IN blood, we
had all been placed In abnormal condition. To sup
pose that In such extraordinary times the regular
lima