Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-03-24


standing army for tho enforcement OF their
measuron Of oppression. They have en-
gagged in GLASS Legislation, built and on
couragad monopolies that the few might
be enriched at tho expense OF the many.
They have iailod to act upon important
treaties, thereby endangering our peaceful
relations with foreign powers. u
Theircourso Of usurpatlon has not been
limited to inroads upon tho executive de-
partment by unconstitutional and oppres-
sive enaetmonts. Tho people of ton states
of tho Union have been reduced to con-
dition moro intolerable than that from
which tho patriots OF the revolution re-
bolled Millions Of American citizens can
now say OF their oppressorR, with more
truth thnn onr fathers did of the british
tyrants, that they have forbidden the
Government to pass laws Of immediate and
pressing Importance, unless suspended,
until their assent should be obtained, that
they have refused 10 pass other laws for
the accommodation of largo districts Of
people. unless thoso people would rolin-
quish the right of representation in the
legislature, right inestimable to them
that they have made judges dependent on
their will alone for their tenure of offices,
and the amount and payment of their sala-
ries; that they have erected q multitude Of
new offices and sent hither swarms of Off
GERS to harrass our people and eat out their
substance; that they have affected to rem
dor the military independent and superior
to the civil power, combined with others to
subject us to \ jurisdiction foreign to our
Constitution and unacknowledged by our
laws quartered large bodies of armed
troops among US; protected them by mock
trial from punishment for any murders
which they should commit on the
inhabitants, imposed taxeB upon us
without our consent; deprived us in many
onses of trial by jury; taken away our char
ters; excited domestic insurrection among
US; abolished our most valuable laws; al
ornment; Suspended our own Legislatures;
and declared themselves invested with pow
er to legisate for MS in all cases whatever
This catalogue of crimes long as it is, is
not complete. The Constitution vests tho
iudicial power of the United States in one
Supreme Court, whose jurisdiction shall
extend to all cases arising under the Con-
stitution and tho laws of the United States.
Encouraged by this promise as refuge from
tyranny, a citizen of the United States
who by the order Of military commander
given under sanction of cruel and delib-
eiate edict of Congress. has been denied
the constitutional rights OF liberty of con-
science, freedom of the pressand of speech;
personal freedom from military arrest; OF
being held to answer for crime only upon
the presentment of an indictment; of trial
by the writ of kdbedS corpus
and the protection of civil and
constitutional government-a citizen
thus deeply wronged appeals to the Su-
preme Court for the protection guaranteed
MIN by the organic law of the land. AT
once fierce and excited majority, by the
ruthless hand Of legislative power, stripped
the ermine from the judges, transferred the
the sword OF Justice to the General, and re-
manded the oppressed citizen to a degra-
dation and bondage worse than death. 1t
will also be recorded as one of the morals
Of the times, that party claiming for it.
self monopoly of consistency and patri-
otism and boasting OF its unlimited sway,
endenvered, by costly and deliberate
trial, to impeach one who defended the
Constitution and the Union, not only
throughout the war of the rebellion, but
during the whole term Of office as chief
magistrate; but ut the same time could find
no warrant or means at their command to
bring to trial even the chief of the rebel
lion. Indeed, the remarkable failures in
this case are 80 often repeated that, for
propriety's sake, if for no other reason, it
became, at last necessary to extend to him
an unconditional pardon. What moreplain-
" than this illustrates the eXtremities of
party management and Inconsistency on one
hand, and of faction, vindicativencHs and
intolerance on the other? Patriotism
will hardly be encouraged when in such n
record il sees that its instant reward may
be the most virulcnt party abuse and oblO-
quy, if not attempted disgrace. Instead of
seeking TO make treason odious, it would,
in truth, seem to have been their purpose
rather to make tho defense of the ConBtitu-
ton and Union n crime, and to punish
fidelity to an oath of office, If counter to
party dictation, by all the means at their
command.
Happily for the peace of tho country, the
war has determined against assumed power
of the states 10 withdraw at pleasure from
the Union. The institution of slavery also
found ITS destruction in the rebellion, COM
menced in its interest 1t should be borne
in mind, however, that the war neither
impaired nor destroyed the Constitution;
but, on the contrary, preserved ita
existence and made apparent it's real power
and enduring strength. All rights granted
| to the states or reserved to the people, are
therefore intact Among those rights is
that OF the people OF each state to declare
the qualifications of their state electors. 1t
is now assumed that Congress can control
this vital right, which cannot be taken
away from states without impairing the
fundamental principle of the Government
itself 1t is necessary to the existence Of
states, az we'll as to the protection of the
liberties OF the people, for the
right 10 select the elector in whom
the political power of the state shall
be lodged, involves the right of the
state to govern itself When deprived of
this prerogative the states will have nc
power worth retaining. All will be gone
and they will be subjected to the arbitrary
will of Congress. The Government vii
then be centralized, if not by the passage
of laws thcn by the adoption, through par
tisan influence, of an amendment directly
in conflict with the original design Of thu
Constitution. Thisproves how necessary
it is that the people should require the ad
minstration of the three great department.
of the Government to be within the limits
of the Constitution Their boundaries hav,
been accurately defined, and neithe
should be allowed to tresspass on the other
nor above all, to encroach upon the re
served rights of the people and the states
The troubles Of the past four years viii
provo TO the nation blessing if they pro
duce 30 desirable result. Upon thos
who became young men amid the sound o
cannon and the din Of arms, and VIII
quietly returned to the farms, the factorie
and the schools Of the land, will principal
ly deyolve the solemn duty of perpetuatin
the union Of the states, in defense of whicl
hundreds of thousands of their comradc
: expired and hundreds of millions Of ma