Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-06-18

Party AsPeFity..Pcace.
To THE Public
In q former article I suggested
reasons for a change in certain
provisions OF the State Constitu.
ton. These provisions, as ithey
now stand, enlarge Executive
power and patronage. This Il
dangerous to liberty. The eircl,
may be small now, but it will en-
large. No despotism is so abso
lutte and degrading as that exer.
cised by o party caucus and thC
Executive, backed by the comb
nations of party, will very soor
become irresistible. 1t is unreas
enable to expect any fair and
manly opposition to encroach.
ments, however dangerous, from
the favorites ofthe Executive, who
tatten on the spoils Of offices in
his gift. Ii may be equally I'm.
reasonable to look for q candid
and fair opposition from those
who do not enjoy the advantage Of
Executive favor. The one class is
subscrvient the other factious
one condemns nothing; the other
condemns everything. A fair,
manly and patriotic opposition is
the very life of the Republic.
Liberty trees Tor sound principle
do not flourish in the dead calm -;
this plant does not grow on stag.
nant water. I~nsolencc and tyranny
are necessarily the result of an
overwhelming and unopposed
majority. Strange doctrines be-
come engrafted by bad presidents
IN the Republican creed. Bad
actions result from bad teachings.
Already men begin to say, and
many who do not say it think, "the
constitution Of George Washing
ton is q failure, and not sufficient
to meet the cxigencies of national
life. In this age ofprogress we need
something more decisive than the
patriotic and temporal measures
of our fathers" This heresy is
gaining ground, and nothing is so
well calculated to spread it far and
wide, as the increase of Execu.
tive power. Time once was when
every patriot in the land was
awake and vigilant. Nothing was
thought better deserving the vigil
ance Of patriots, than the stealing
of power from the many to the
few, This jealousy of the one
man power, which is despotism,
whatever specious garb it may be
clothed in, distinguished the men
who founded this Government.
In the debates on the Constitu.
ton, it appears that a wise sug-
gestion was made to avoid the
great danger to be apprchended to
our liberties. 1t was proposed
that q Council Of State, composed
of five or more should, with the
President, possess the power Of
appointing to Office. by and with
the advise Of the Senate. This was
4 wise and Republican movement,
and would obyiate some of the
objections to the provision which
vests in the President, directly and
indirectly more power than ought
to be conflded, or than can safely
be conlidcd TO one man.
No slave is so ahject as he that
is co%tent to he 4 s.aye-to let
Others act and think for min
Apathy is at wal with duty. No
Rpathclic lu0a does his du'y: he
is not q good citizen -
such q citizen i, not alive: he
slccps!N the arms Of tyranny, AMI
rather than make a. excrt.oa to
I've free, cOEsi4ns himself and POS.
20 chains. which can only
te broken hy the storm O. reyolu. P
ton, Men who say they are cit.
izens) are content 70 do nothing.
TO say nothing, to hoat along, and
let others incur all the risk, enjoy
all the spells, and manage. public
affairs as they please. Let all
such men consider the parable Of
the one talent which the slothful
servant buried in the ground his
lord took the talent from him. and
did not invite him into the JOYS
his kingdom, Every man has
active duties to perform, and that
state IS most prosperous where all
are alive to the necessity and adj
vantage Of an hon Get nd Jealous
discharge of duty. l give no
returned rebel any credit for doing
nothing. If this is not his couh-. !
try let him leave IL for his eoun.
try's good. We need no droncs
in this hive. Such men are a dead
weight-dead branches which
ought to be topped Off and thrown
into the fire. They are barely
good fuel.
In direct opposition to the dis
charge Of duty, is the increase Of
Executive power. As the one
goes up, the other naturally goes
down. The calmness, the repose
of despotism, have charms for the
idle and the selfish. How sweet