, 1873-01-07

WHO has not l,ocn present at tho trlnl..
@..----c-------.--~~.--
GOVERNOR PALMER.
With tho prosollt week will cloHo tho adn1inis
tration Of John II. Palmer Us Governor Of lho
| State OF Illinois. There has been no like period
| Of four years whom tho peoplo Of Illinois hayo
fc1ta greattr confidence in tho ability, integrity,
! and industry Of tho Clliof Executive tlan tloy
have had during Governor Palmor'a torn. The
| official career Of Governor palnor Inns beeu o
consistent ono, md yot the common accusation
| againat him by hia porsona1 md political oppo-
nonta is. that ho Is inconsistent. Tho fact IL.
! Governor Palmer does not beliovo in the infalli-
bility Of parties and hence 1t is that parti-
nnnH havo chosen to regard him ns dangerous
! and uuaafo man. Ho was q 1nombor OF tho
Democratic party up to 1864. Ho lived in
Democratic section Of tho State, md yot lie WAS
| known there as n man Of independent thought
| end action, ind ono whoao ability made him
dangerous to tito party. Ho rofusod then, as
oyor since to accept anything Which did not
commend itself to his Judgment and conscience
As d lawyer, and q thinker, and an outspoken
|
who could not tolora!o lis Independence. III
1861 at tho Presidential election Of that yoar, ho
waH ro-oloctol 10 the State Senate at tho sossion
Of tho Logslaturo IN Jat,1ary, 1850 11o voted
with tho Democratic raembors to re-clect Stephen
| 4. Douglas to tho United States Senate. In
1866 he WIS ono Of tho Senators elected nj
Democrats who refused to support tho Caucus
nominoo Of eitlor party for tho 6onato, and who
supported Judge Tr1mbuli until tho latter was
elected. In uniting with tho Republican party,
ho did not surrender his freedom Of thought and
Of action. IN fact, thegrest attraction which tho
organization Of that party oored to men OF intel-
loot vas, TINT they would bo FREQ OF tint party
despotisa Which had suppressed free speoch,
which tolerated no difference Of opinion, and
prescribed every man WHO did not accept M
gospel truth tho oracles Of tho Democratic
CAUCUS. This was tho object sought by tho
great body Of Wings and Democrats, who abau-
tlonea their party organizations to unito
in tho now party, representing wider constit-
uoncy una lcaB arbitrary and slarish policies.
It is not to bo presumed that when men left
the Democratic party OF the Whig party, because
Of tho monial submission Of those parties to tho
institution Of Slavery, they at tho ea,no time
| anjured nil tloir convictions upon ali othor
questions. Apart from the institution Of Slavery,
and tho horosies TINT wolo incorporated in M
tional politics to sustain that inBtitution, tho
cardinal principles and policies Of tho Demo-
cratic party wcro mainly right, and were MP
proved by nearly tho whole people. Tie last
md strongest opposing doctrine was that Of tho
"Amcrican syatena," or protective taxation, and
thia was formally disposed Of by all over
whel1ning majority of tho people aa long ago
as ls4G. N. ?. Banks md Henry Wilson
wero Hont to Congress-, aud, in behalf Of
Massachusetts, demanded FREQ iron and wool,
md general reduction Of all tariff taxation not
needed for rovenue. Tho great question Of local
aolf-goyornmont was ono which had baen set
tied by tho wisost statesmen Of the country, We
do not mean tho doctrine Of nullincation, rebel
lion, or revolution, nor tho sanctity which Was
cluimod for the riglta Of property in slayos. But
wo do mean that the right Of tho poopo Of eaol.
State to tho election OF their Own officers, to tho
making Of all laws for their local government +;
to regulate tho mode Of assessing ana collecting
taxes for local purpoaoa, and tho exercise Of the
general andapecial police powers within their own
municipalities, had been determined, and dotot-
mined rightly, III favor OF tho freedom Of tho
Stnto from National control aud Interference.
Governor palmor, and Thousands OF othors who
participated with hin, in the war to preserve the
| Ir.io a. ~ I, nj
more firmly impressed than ever with the nocos-
atty of maintaining ut all timos tho llne Which
separates State and Nationalpo powers, 80 strongly
aud plainly doAned thas tho.o ought to ho no
cncroaclmonts, Intentional or otherwise, by
State or National authority. During lila
it to DO hiB duty upon all occasions,
m Governor OF this State, to aBBert what he
understood to bo its juBt authority, and to pro.
test against any illegal interference, no matter
, how technical 1t may lave beon While we felt
TINT his controversy with tho President relative
to General shoridnn's temporary employment Of
troops III this city, after tho fire, was unneces.
sary, no can understand, in tho light Of what Ii
now trauBpiring III Louisiana, that no was jus.
titled in at least filing Ills protest against such
precedent. And NO Bi1nli oyor remember TINT
to !,is prompt action in convouing tho Legisls-
turo and using his influence in our behalf, We
owe tho rescue OF Chicago from bankruptcy. and
enormous auiroriug after that distressing oyont
Among all tho benofaotors of this city after the
fro, Governor pa1n,er waa surely tho most
efficient. Perhaps any other Governor would
haYe dono as much. Mono could have done
moro
Az State Executive, lie hau rosolutoly op
posed all measures Of II special character thai
impaired or oncroacled upon the rights Of the
} public. Ho has not hestatcd to intorpoHo his
veto, sometimes unayaillngly, to dcfond tht
: Btato, to defend tho Constitution, nnd tho com