The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-03-11
NUMBER Il

I ,"'N''N"f MVhtN nVA euNuge the Iuu
damen,al law, for in such cases n,
permanent evil can be incorporate,
in the federal system. lis obyiou,
that without such an amendment IN,
government as as il existed unde,
the Constitutions, prior to the REBEL
ion may be wholly subvericd aut
overthrowu by two.thirds majorit,
in Congress IL isnot therefore dil'
dcult to see how easily aud rapid,
the people may loso (shOll not say
have losli) their liborties, by an un-
checked aud uncomfortable majority
in the Law making power, aud when.
ever deprived of their rights how
poworloss they are TO regain thom.
Let Us turn for moment to the
history of tho majority in Congress,
which has acted in such utter disro.
gard Of the Constitution. While
public attention hes been careful
ly and constantly turned to the past
aud exposed sini of the South, aud
che servants of the peopll in high
places have boldly outraged their
trust, broken their oaths of obedi-
cnee, aud undermined the very foun
datious Of liberty, justice and good
government; when tho rebellion was
having suppressed by the volunteer
cd services Of patriot soldiers, amid
the dangers Of tho battle field, those
men crcpt, without question, into
place aud power in the national
counsels. After all danger hal pas.
sed, when no armed foe remained,
when penitent people bowed their
heads to the dag, aud renewed their
allegiance to the Government of the
United States, then il was pretended
patriots appeared before the nation,
and began to prato about tho thou
sands Of lives aud millions Of treas
ure saeiiiced in tho suppression of the
rebellion. They have since persis--
tently sought to iuaame the lreju-
dice engeuderod between the sections
to retard the restoration Of peace aud
harmoryi aud by every means to
keep open aud exposed to tho poi>
sonous breath of party passion the
terrible wounds Of four years war.
They have prevented the return Of
peace aud the restoration of the Un-
ION in every way, rendered delusive
the purposes, promises aud pledges
by which the army was marshaled
treason rebukod aud rebellion crush
ed, aud made tho liberties of the
people and the rights aud powers Of
tho President his Constitutional pow
or of supreme command Of the army
and navy. They have destroyed the
strength Of tho officers independent
of and able to defy their Chief Mag.
istrate. They have attempted to
place the President under the power
of bold, de6cnt and treacherous
Cabinet officer. They have robbed
tho Executive of the perogotiye of
pardon. Rendered nun aud void
acts of clumeucy granted to thou. e.
sands Of persons uuder the provis>
ions Of the Constitution, and com
mitted gross usurpation by legisla-
tive attempts to exercise this power
In favor of party adhereuts. They
have conspired to change the system
Of our Government by preferring
charges against the President 10 the
form Of articles Of impeachment, and
contemplating, before hearing or
tral, that he should be placed under
arrest, held in durapcc, and, when
il become their pleasure to pronounce
his sentence, driven from place and
power iu disgrace. Thew have, in
time of peace, increased the national
debt by reckless expenditure of
public moneys, and thus added to
the burdens which already weigh up
on the people they have permitted
the nation TO suffer the evils of
derangod currency and the enhance.
ment in price of all the nccessaries
of liIej they have maintained a
large standing army for tho euforce.
ment Of their measures og oppressiou;
they have oagaged In class legisla-
tion, and built and encouraged mon
opolies that the few might be eurieh>
ed at the cxpeu of the many: they
have failed to act upon important
treaties eudangering our peaceful re-
latious with foreign powers,
Their course Of usurpation has
not been limited TO inroads upon
the Executive Department by un-
constitutional and oppressive en-
actments. The people often States
Of the Union have been reduced to
a condition moro intolerable than
that from which the patriots of the
rebelled. Millions of
American citizens can now cay to
their oppressors, with moro truth
than our forefathers did of British
tyrants, that they have forbidden
the governments to. pass laws Of
immediate and pressing Importance,
until their assent should be obtain
cd that they have refused to pass
other laws for the accommodation
70 large districts of people unless
these people would relinquish the
right of representation in the Leg
islature-a right inestimable to
them and formidable to tyrants on
ly; 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 a null
titude Of new Offices, and sent hith-
er swarms ofofiiccFs to harrass our
people and exc out their subsist-
enco; that they have affected to
render the military independent and
superior to The civil power, com
bined with others to subject us to a
t,,.,adfrkfn., copos0n 10 onr Gonafi.