Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-04-28

sequences, and the issue Of free govern
mtnf, thus made up, must 60 10 the p2o
pie for final arbitrament
The war for the Union was not Il war foI
the preservation of the government, but Il
war for a chance to test the quality of free
sgovernment upon the field OF revolution
Inow presented to the people.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer
THE SWORD HAS DEADENED THE SPIRIT OF
LIBERTY.
It would app ear from TIE Washington
| kilograms that Senator Sherman, Of Ohio,
| became wonderfully aroused over the
| Force Bill He declared, says the tele-
| gram, "that if it became neces any That
War must come, let it come right speedily /;
and be rejoiced that the bin empowert d
the President to protect the loyal people
of the South from scourge ard murder"
Rest easy and gniet, Mr.. Sherman
There wili be no war. The people have
got far teyond that point. Were yOn and
your Republican colleagues in Congress to
proclaim an Empire to-day, and declare
General Grant Emperor. with succession in
his family, there would be no war. The
people would accept the situation as one
of the fruits of the late fraternel strife,
just as readily as they will be quiesc INT
under the Force Bill you have just passed.
We're it otherwise, did the American
tutional liberty. ard the danger Of the
centralized power, and wcIe fired by the
came spirit that animated them on these
and like subjects twenty years ago, aye,
twelve Years ago, they would, ere this,
have had the watchfires If liberty lighted
on every hill top and ia every valley of
the land, aud ii one of you escaped unhung
for thirty days, it would be owing to your
facility for leaving the country, or 10 their
remarkable fOrbearancp.
. By the bill you were so excited over, and
which yOu have just passed, you have
virtually prcc aimed that popular govern
ment, as tried here in America, Is a fail
ure, and acting under that conviction, YOU
have substituted military force for the
civil law. You have authorized one man,
he who Yields the sword and controls the
purse, to suspend the writ of hQ5eas corpus
when and where he pleases proclaim mar-
tial law when and where it is agreeable to
his will. and TO employ the whole military
power OF the country. 10 carry iLto force
his orders. Despo!ism needs no greater
authority than that. Desp 1t SIN never
had any greater pOAer. And not public
meeting has been called TO protest, to re-
monstrate, 10 d. noance. The indifference
OF the people is too profound for any thing
OF even SO mild a nature Gs protest, remon-
strance, deLunciation. Why, then. talk
OF war
From the New Yo K Jolynal OF Commerce.
Bat during the session party necessity
has arisen, or at lea + has taken definite
shape, Il has become important to refute
the general belief that the dominant party
was at war with itself aud had lost conf
denco in lis elder. And for this end, these
loyal gentlemen, though no public danger
demanded such measures, but, on the con-
trary, ae they themselves admit, the public
Interest olbadc them, have abolished
large proportion Of the criminal iurisdic-
ton of the State Courts. and have given
away, IL the very emergency III which they
were designed 10 serve, the hard won SC
curity for person liberty, and the right Of
trial by jury. And, having thus. without
the slightest authority, substituted for our
system OF local liberties Il centralized DOM
nation, and for our government Of laws an !
uncontrolled dictatorship, they have utterly |
Jailed TO secure even the petty end for
which oil this has been Gone. They are |
quite right to deplore the holding of |
his session for its record of them is a |
.ecord Of intidality and disgrace.