The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-03-12

bu0 Co1otdbueIOHs 4 Cdu uQS 10 CuAouAON
lif my efforts have been impeded in tht
Interests Of party faction, aud a policy
(which was intended to reassure anC
concihate the people of both sections o
the country was made the occasion o
Iinfaming and dividing still furthel
those who only recently were in ARM
against each other, yet as individual
and citizens were sincerely desirous la
l shall ever believe) )of buryiBg all hostile
feelings in the grave of the past. Tht
bitter war was waged on the part Of the
government to vindicate the eonstitu
ton and save the Union; and if l hav,
erred in trying to bring about speedy
and lasting peace, to extinguish hear
burning and enmities, and TO preven
trouble in the South, which, retardine
national prosperity in that region, in
liuriously affected the whole country,
am quite content to rest my case with
the more deliberate judgment of the
people, and, ,as have already intimated
with the distant future. The war, all
must remember, was a stupenduous and
deplorable mistake. Neither side un-
derstOod the other, and had this simple
fact and It's conclusions been kept in
view, all that was needed was accom-.
pEshed by the acknowledgment of the
terrible wrong and the expression Of a
better feeling and earnest endeavor at
attonement shown and felt in the
prompt ratification of the constitutional
amendments by the Southern States at
the close Of the war. Not accepting the
war as a confessed false step on the
part Of those who inaugurated it was an
error which now only time can cure, and
which even at this date we should en-
deayOr to palGate. Experiencing, more
over, as all have done, the frightful cost
Of the arbitrament of the sword, let us
in the future cling closer than ever to
the constitution as our only safeguard.
it is to be hoped that not until the bur
dens now pressing upon us with such
fearful weight are removed will our peo-
pie forget the lessons of the wal, and
that remembering them, from whatever
cause, peace between sections andIStates
may be Perpetrsted.
The history of late events in our
country as well as of the greatest gov
ernments Of ancient and modern times
teaches that we have everything to fear
from a departure from the letter and
spirit Of the Constitution and the undue
accendency Of men allowed to assume
power in what are considered desperate
emergencies. Sylla, on becoming mas
ter Of Rome, at once adopted measures
to crush his enemies and to consolidate
the power Of his party. He established
military colonies throughout Italy, de-
prived of the full Roman franchise the
inhabitants of the Italian towns who
had opposed his usurpation, confscated
their lands and gave them to his sol
diers, and conferred citizenship upon a
great number of slaves belonging to
those who had prescribed him; thus
creating at Rome kind of body guard
for bis protection. After having given
Rome over to slaughter and tyranized
beyond all example over those opposed
to him and the legions, his terrible ID
strument of wrong, Sylla could yet feel
safe in laying down the insignia of pow
er so dreadfully abused and In minglinV
with the families and friends of his ny |
raid victims. The fear which he had |
inspired continued after his voluntary
and even in retirement bis
will was law to people who had per
nitted themselves to be enslaved.
What but subtle knowledge and con-
7iction that the Roman people had be-
come changed, discouraged, and utter
y broken in spirit could have induced
his daring assumptionl What but
public Indifference to consequences so
erTible as to leave Rome open to every
alamity, which subsequently, befel her,
ould have justified the conclusions of
he dictator and tyrant in his startling {
Experiment.? We find that in the time
7hich has elapsed, human nature and
xigencies in the governments have not
realty changed. Who, few years
go, in contemplating our future, could l.
ave supposed that in the brief period I
f bitter experience everything demand II
d in the name of military emergency Z
r dictated by the caprice, would come t
D be considered as mere matter off
curse, that conseription, con6scation,
,ss Of personal liberty, the subjeetiou /
States to military rule and disfran- t
hisemeut with the pretension of the a
ght Of suffrage, merely to accomplish 10
arty ends would receive the passive '
If not acquiescence, of the Il
eople of the repubEc9 1t has been r
early demonstrated by recent occur il
9nces that eneroachments upon the lp
institution cannot be prevented by the "a
resident, however devoted or deter b
'rmined he may be; that unless the Ip
sople interpose there is no power un- il
sr the constitution to check domin- 81
1t majority of two-thirds of the Con- b
.ess ofthe United States. An appeal az
the nation is attended with too much pl
'lay 10 meet an emergency, while if Il
f free to act the people would correct lis
time such evils as might follow leg 10
ative usurpation. There is danger q
at the same power which disregards W
e constitution will deprive them Of th
9 right to change their rules except ri,
: revolution. We have already seen tu
3 jurisdiction Of the judiciary circum- sV
ribed when 1t was apprehended that an
9 courts would decide against laws th
wing for thei- sole object the suprs- tai
acy Of party, while the veto power, ciV
lged in the executive by the consti- su
ion for the interest and protection of ou
} people, and exercised by Washing by
/ and his successors, has been rend- arl
ID Dugatory by partizan majority Of By
o-thiFds in each branch of the nation an
legislature. The constitution evi- mi
ltly eontemplates that when bill is Iup
urned with the Presidents objections, us
will be calmly reconsidered by Con- en-
IS. Such, however, has not been ins
practice under the present rules. 1t mo
become evident that men who pass tall
Dill under paTtizan influence are not per
'ly, through patriotic motives, to ad- clal
their error and thereby weaken to
ir own organizations by soiemnly eve
Tossing it under the official oath.
de of opinion, if nothing else, has Is,
'rvened, and prevented a calm and yes
consideration of a bill dis Sta