The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-03-12

have engaged IN class legislation and
built up and encouraged monopolies,
that the few might be enriched at the
expense Of the many. They have fail
ed TO act upon important treaties, there
by endangering our present peaceful rc-
lations with foreign powers.
Their course of usurpation has not
| been limited to inroads upon the Ex-
ecutive department. BY unconstitu-
tional and oppressive enactments the
people OF ten States of the Union have
been reduced to condition more intol-
erabc that that from which the patriots
of the Revolution rebelled. Millions
of American citizens can now say OF
their oppressors, with more truth than
our fathers did of British tyrants, that
they have forbidden the State Govern
ments to pass laws of immediate and
pressing importance, unless suspended,
until their assent should be obtained
that they have refused to pass other
laws for the accommodation of large
districts of people, unless those people
would relinquish the right of represent
tation in the Legislature-a right inesli-
mablc to them and formidable to ty-
rants only; that they have made judges
dependent upon their will alone for the
tenure of their offices and the amount
and payment oftheir salaries.
That they have erectei a multitude
of new officers, and sent hithe swarms
of Offices to harass our people and cat
out their substance. That they have
affected to render the military indenen-
dent OF and superior to the civil powers
| combined with others to subject us to II
Jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution
and unacknowledged by our laws, quar-
tered large bodies of armed troots
among us, protected them by moc.
trial from punishment for any mIrders
which they should commit on the in
habitants of these States, imposed taxes
on us without our consent, deprived Us
in many cases of the benefit of trial by
jury, taken away our charters, excited
domestic insurrection amongst us, abol-
ished our most valuable laws, altered
fundamentally the. forms Of our Gov
|
lures, and declared themselves invested
with power to legislate for us in all
cases whatsoever.
This catalogue ofcrimes, long us it is,
is not yet complete. The Constitution
vests the judicial power of the United
States in one supreme Court, whose
jurisdiction shall extend to all cases
arising under this Constitution and the
laws of the United States. Encourag-
ed by this promise of refuge from ty
ranny, citizen of the United States,
who, by the order of a military COM
mander, given under the sanction Of a
cruel and deliberate edict of Congress,
had been denied the constitutional
rights of liberty of conscience, freedom
of the press, and of speech, personal
? freedom from military arrest, of being
4 held to answer for crime only on pres
5 eminent and indictment, on trial Of
Y Jury, of the writ of habe0s corpus and
protection of civil and constitutional
5 governmental citizen thus deeply
= wronged appeals to the Supreme Court
/ for the protection guaranteed him by
V the organic law OF the land. At once
fierce and excited majority, by the
ruthless hand of legislative power,
h stripped the ermine from the judges,
e transferred the sword of justice to the
5 general, and remanded the oppressed
o citizen to a degradation and bondage
/. worse than death.
: 1t will also be recorded as one Of the
T, marvels of the times when Il party
G claiming for itself monopoly of con-
y sistency and patriotism, and Boosting
d too, OF its unlimited sway, endeavorvd
s by costly and deliberate trial to i'm
d peach one who defended the Con-
e stitution and the Union, not only
n throughout the war of the rebellion but
d during his whole term of Office as Chief
r Magistrate. butat the same time could
d find no warrants or means at their COM
e the rebellion. Indeed, the remarkable
0 failures in his case were so often repeat
J, ed that for propricty sake, if for no 9TH
= er reason it became at last necessary 10
o extend to him an unconditional pardon.
d What more plainly than this illustrates
End inconsistency on the one hand, and
It of faction, vindictivenesS and intOlcr-
d ance on the otEer? Patriotism will
s. hardly be encouraged, when in such Il
y record il sees that its instant reward
d may be the most virulent arty abuse
| al, 4 n a ttaInntnI Al
r Instead of seeking to make treason
II odious it would in truth seem t. have
!, been their purpose rather to make the
G defense of the Constitution and Union
y a crime and to opunish fidelity to an oath
A. Of Office, if counter to party dictation,
d by all the means at their command.
Ie Happily for the peace OF the country,
D the war has determined against the AS
re sumed power of the States TO withdraw
J. at pleasure from the Union. The insti-
d tuition OF slavery also found its dcstruc'
s. tion in rebellion commenced in lis in-
Of terests. 1t should be borne in miud
e however, that the war neither impaired
ID nor destroyed the Constitution hut, OF
t. the contrary preserved its existence and
er made apparent its real power and
is enduring strength. All the right
he granted to the States, or reserved to tht
n, people, therefore, are intact. Among
" those rights is that of the people o
er each State to declare the qualification
ID of their own State electors.
a. 1t is now assumed that Congress cat
in control this right, which can never b'
taken away from the States withou
he impairiag the fundamental principle
,g of the government itself, II is nccessa
he to the existence of the State, us we'll a
ld In the prOtection of the liberties of th