Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-10-31

disinterested than that body OF great and
good men who, seeing the end from the
beginning, as with the clear vision OF in
splration, established civil liberty on
is continent. and framed constitu.
tion which marks an era In the progress
OF civilization?
No--the reasons which Influenced the
trainers Of the constitution TO specify,
and limit, the authority and powers OF
the United States, and TO reserve TO the
states, and tho people, the powers not del
esaled TO the general government, have
lost mono Of their force during the ccn.
fury of our existence; but on the con.
trary, current political events demon.
II ate the almost super.buman wisdom
OF the founders of tho government who
seem 10 have been raised up by Prov-
dence, 10 establish constitutional liberty
on these shores, so wisely and firmly
that neither The infuriated passions Of
rebellion, nor the dangerous ambitions
Of INSCRIPTIONS party leaders couls
shake The pillars of its temple.
The republic has, since its establish.
menl, passed through one fearful ordeal
that tested all its powers-thc people Of
tho southern states arrayed themselves In
open, armed rebellion against the gov
ornment. and The conilict which onsuee
has taken its place In history rs the
greatest civil war OF all times.
But out OF that conflict thanks to the
nnbeEding patriotism and valor Of
our people, the grand old ship Of
state came, bood.stained and battle
SCARED, IL is true, but with every timber
sound as tho oak of the forest, and the
warworn stars and stripes floating from
tho top most mast, the emblem Of
powerful government triumphing over
lis rcbellious citizens, and crushing out
forever tho heresy OF secession.
Tho war OF the rebellion thus success.
fully ended has enlailed upon the coun-
try greater peril to good government
horde OF Adventures and INSCRIPTIONS
ofllce.seekers who, putting on the livery
vt Heaven ~ serve tho devil In, flaunt thu
bloody shirt In our faces, and cry out,
with stentorian voice, that the lawful OPP
position OF a Tree people to the rule Of
tho bnyonct, vt the ballot boz, Is the pre-
cllssor of treason and rebellion
II we successfully defend the govern
mcnt against tins peril VIC shall indeed
deserve well of our country.
bOWH w hDOut Inv tlHlt VI lho WI NV
government had been administered, by
both parties, in tho interest Of the people;
the constitution had been regarded as the
charter of our liberties and tho source OF
all governmental powers and authority,
and Inscriptions parlisanshlp and venal
craftsmanship were either unknown or
unsparipgly denounced by all decent
men, rs scandalous and disgraccful. But
the teachings of the war, like the teaching
Of war In all times, wero anti-rcpublican
Tho government of tho army is neces
sarlly tyrannical tho rule OF that gov.
eminent Is absolute, unquestioning obe.
dlencc, and the power TO enforce obedi
ence IL vested In one man.
Tho patriotic men who left their shops
heir counting. rooms and their farms, at
Tho call of their country, and took up
arms In It's defence, full OF tho spirit OF
liberty, ready to lay down their lives for
FREQ government resting in the affections
of the people, for tho rights of citizen.
ship guaranteed by tho constitution, for
tho ballot, which Is rs potent in the
hands of tho humblest man in tho land
~ In those OF tho most influential and
powerful; these noble patriots, leaving
families, friends and homes behind them,
marched To tho front and wagcd deadly
war against tho enemies of tho country,
and through four long years Of civil war
which drenchcd tho land In blood, and
afflicted all our people, rs no people on
earth were ever before afflicted, cheerful.
ly submitted 10 tho absolute government
Of the army.
In camp and on the battle Acid, these
liberty-loving men became accustomed
10 tho rule of force, and tho subordlna.
ton of the rights oil tho citizen to the nc.
cessitics Of tho government, and learned
that the efficiency of tho army depended
on discipline, and that there could be no
discipline without unqucstlonng obe
dience. They learned To recognize the
relation o. officer and soldier superior
and inferior, and TO exalt force above
law, and bullets above ballots; and re.
turning to their homes thoroughly in.
doclrinatcd in the maxim of internation-
al law inter dfma ieques stlcnt-lheY
brought with them habits of thought nc.
quired in army lie, nm undue respect
Tor absolute, irresponsible authority, and
for force rather than for law; and those
of them who nspired to official positions
and entered public life, carried with
the efforts OF adventurous politicians to
reyolutionize tho government and cen.
trnlizc its powers, arc the legitimate
fruits.
What wa' regular and right, In tho OK.
crcise of authority according TO tue laws
of war, is in time of peace positive vice,
which Is oven moro dangerous to consti-
mtlonal liberly than civil war itself, DO.
cause more insidious In its mode OF attack
Before the war, respect for the consti'
tatiou and laws characterized the people;
the cour were reyercd and their author
ity respected; the ballot was symbol of
n sacred right, with which no man was
bold enough to interfere, and tho Amcri'
can axiom that maloritics rule was uni
vcrsally accepted
The packing of courts, In the interest
of party; the bayonot over the ballot.
box; tho making and unmaking of state
governments by means of the army; the
reversal of the verdict of tho people NJ
the polls, through tho infamous ch cane.
~ of returning boards manipulated by
INSCRIPTIONS oillco.holders; these were
things unheard OF before the war, and
they are tho pcrils which beset the gov
ernmeni to-day.
make no partizqn appeal to your pas