Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1869-03-15


base everything 20 fear frem departure
from the letter ard spirit of the Ccnstisu~
ion, and the undue nscendancy OF nen AIN
lo~ed 10 assum, powers in what IRE con-
sdered desperate emergencies. Sylls, on
becoming master OF Rome. at onco adopted
measures 10 crush bis enemies and 10 COW
solida.e The power of his party. lie es-
,ablishod military to'cnies throughout
Italy, deprived Of the full Roman fran>
chise the inhabitants Of the Italian towns
who had opposed bis usnrpat'on, confisca.
ted their lands, and cave them 10 bis sol
diers. and conferred citizenship upon q
number OF slaves belonging 10 those who
had prosc ibed thsm,-,hus creating at
Rcme kind Of body guard for his protsc-
ton. q. After having given Rome ever to
slaughter, and tyransized, beyond all ex>
ample. ever those opposed v bin and the
legiops, his terrible instru0ent OF wrong.
Sylla could yet feel safe Ia laying down
The sns,gus u nsvss. - dseadfolly sbus
ed, and in mln0ltDg freely With the fam
lilies and frisade u his nyriad victims.-
The fear which 10 had Inspired continued
after his veluaeasy abdicaticn, SD on r.
tirement, wAs Nv . . people who had
permitted thsuuelveo % be epslavsd.-
What bet subtle heevlsdee and con-
victien that The Rcmsn people had be-
come changed, discouraged. and utterly
broken in epirit, could have induced this
daring assumptionf What bot public in
difference 10 consequences 80 terrible %
to leave Rene open 10 every calamity
which subsequently befel her, could
have justified the conclusions OF The
| dictator and .yrant in his startling AK
pertinent
We find that in the tine which has since
elapsed human nature and exigencies 10
governments have not grestly changed.
Who, few years ago, in contemplating
our future, could have supposed that in
| brif period e bitter expsreece, everything
demanded in the name Of military emss.
gency, or dictated bv caprice, would have
come 10 be considered % mere matter Of
course; that emancipation, conhscation,
loss Of personal liberty, the subjection Of
staees to piiitary rule, and disfrAnchise
suffrage merely to accomplish party ends,
wsuld receive ths passive ssb0issisn, il
not acquissence, Of the people Of the repub
lie. Ii has been clearly demonstrated BY
recent occurrences, that eucroachments
upon the constitution cannot DO prevented
by the president, however devoted and de
tsrmined he may be; that, unless the PEG
pie in;crpose. there is no power under the
| constitution to check dominant majority
Of two thirds Of the Congress Of the United
States. An appeal to the nation ia attend-
Cd with too much delay to meet the emer-
gency while, If left free TO act, tho people
would correct Ia time such evils o. might
follow legislative usurration. There il
danger that the same power which disre
CARDS the constitution will deprive them Of
the right to change their rulers, except BY
revelation. We hsve already seen the
jurisdiction Of the jouieiasy circum scribed,
when it was appreEsnded that the courts
would decide against laws having fol. their
ssls object the supremacy Of . party while
the veto power lodged IN the executive By
tbs constitution. fer the interest and pro
lection of the people, and exercised by
, Washington end his suecessors, has been
rendered nuga.ory BY partisan majority
Of two thirds In each branch Of the nation
81 legislature. The constitution evidently
cont emplstes that when n 10 return Cd
with the presidents objections, it will b.
calmly reconsidcrtd BY congress. Such
| hOWSVNss h0U Hes oSVa' SuC PtnStNV Obot
tho present party rule. II has become evi
dent that men Who pass bills under parti.
san influences, are not likely through pat
riotic motives, to admit their error, and
thereby weaken their own organization by
solemnly confsfsipg il und,r official oath
PRIDE OF opinion. if nothing else, has pre-
vented calm ard dspa, sioLa,e reconsidera-
tieh Of a bill diseprroyed by the executive
1 Al 49,
) be admitted that this condition of affair
has developed . defect which. under thu
aggressive tendency Of the legislative de.
pertinent Of the government, may readily
work its overthrow. IL may however, b,
remedied without disturbing the harmony
Of the instrument. The veto power il
grounds, and, whenever it 10 so applied
and the bill Is returned With the executive
reasons for withholding his signature. j
ought TO be Immediately certified to th
supreme court Of tho United States for II
decision. II its unconstitutionality shall
be declared BY that tribunal, it shoul'
then become law but, il the decision i
otherwise, it should fail, without power il
congress 10 re-snact. In cases in whiel
tho vste rests upon the hasty end incon
sidsrate legislation, and in which no Don
! stituticnnl question 10 involved, would no,
change the fuudam entail law; for, in such
cases, no permanent evil can be Incorporate
cd ia The federal system. 1t is obvious
that, without such anne dmsnt, the govern
ment as it existed under the constitution
PRIOR TO the rebellion, may be wholly subver
ted and overthrown by two>thirds ma
ljor,ty in congress. II 10 not, therefore
difficult TO sec how easily and rapidly the
people may lose-shall net say have lost
their liberties, by an unchecked ard I'm.
comfortable majority in the law making
power; and. whenever deprived Of thsil
rights, how pcwerless they ave to rcgair
them.
Concluded Tomorrow.
OK Friday last - some men we're cutting
. road through the snow drift near Peach
am, VI. they came upon The frozen bodice
Of Mrs. Emmsns, aged 90 year,, her daugh
ter and her grandson. The old lady had
fallen, overcome by the Geld and snsw. hal
. mile from farmers house, through IN.
windows Of which light vas shining 81
night, while the daughter had spproache.
. little nearer, and the boy Vas within ~,
rods Of the window. lie had evidently
dragged himself ssms distance on his hand
and knees.
Il A Cincinnati school girl has been badl]
: poisoned BY sucking the ink from her pen
This 10 warsine to parents Who sens
their children - school before they ",
weaned.
i SPECIAL NOTICES,
DoGrath's Electric Oh.
i n-E-laeR-n