Connecticut western news., 1881-08-10
Have we Civil Liberty T


 us to freedom from all fetters, free to think and act, politically, morally, civilly and in all ways, lowing our wills in obedience only to great and moral principles and laws, and under the guidance and authority only ofour na- tional constitution. Are we to-day as nation, and as citizens of this republican America, in the fullest enjoyment of our constitutional lib- ertiesP My own observations impress me with the conviction, that by political toleration, @ moral, intellectual, christian and law-abiding blight has settled down upon our nation, crush ing sll our liberties under manufactured ma jority-majorities created by money and posi- tlon majorities created by disregarding and repudiating all constitutional and moral re- strictions-and we are powerless against these | crimes because We have permitted them, and they are now the merchandise of the powers that be, and liberty is among the things of the past. Is it not a fact, that leading politicians 1 control us, sparing no pains to induce, or even to force men to out loose from the guidance | of those great and obvious moral laws whose | authority our national constitution and our civil government so plainly acknowledge obe- dienoe to2 Is it not fact, that politicians and party exercise the direction and restraint over the actions of men in the administration of our public affairs, according to our estab- lished constitution and laws, while all just power should be derived from the governed l Is it not a fact, that every branch of our civil polty supports and is supported, regulates and ! is regulated, by political party interests, ir- | respective of principle and the good of the
 
 l tionf These things cannot be pushed home too close to every citizen of the United States ; and let us remember that the inherent rights | of individuals, and the justice done to them, | are as dear and precious as those of political party, and more so, for political party has no rights whatever. But for all that, political parties have got fast hold of us, and we are | fast wrecking our government. When gov ernment fails to restrain lawlessness, when its example is on the side of lawlessness and dis | obedience (as our elections, etc., prove that ours is,) it is, to say the least, in danger and | then, looking for moment to our civil liberty ; Is it possible that government of the people, over which the people have ao control, can long exist? Gan such polity be government ? To entertain such an idea as that is an abom- inable outrage upon free people, and is as | barefaced 8 contradiction of all republican principles as was ever known. Be not dsceiv- ed in this matter all administration of free government that does not give civil liberty, equal rights to all, is false to our constitution, and all parties that in any way buy maj jorities, | are false to our constitution, and ought to die, | and must, sooner or later, go down. This na- 1 tion has conquered it's foreign and domestic enemies, but can it subdue its worst foes The most important battles are yet to be l fought in the heart of our free government. Our danger now is not rebels in arms, but | rebels that sway our government by controlling | our politics, rebels that sway the scepter of caucus, convention and party. over the peo- | pie o& this free nation. say rebels, because
 
 l free government, and demand of us all com- plete surrender to them, of all that we have | and are. The civil service, or spells system, the caucus, the convention and party adher- ence, are the altars set up by politicians, and they spare no pains, use every device to bring every free citizen, and bind them to these vile and unconstitutional altars, and the crowning culmlnation of these ungodly altars is death to all christian liberty and free government | They obliterate the essential distinctions be- l UOV ment. Their liberty is license, and its outcome l is anarchy, and they have no right to masquer- ade in the guise of liberty" They are law less, and there is no such a thing as lawless liberty. Their lawlessness is supported by su- preme selfshness, sheltered behind 8 corrupt political party, and all such altars, and party power, are wholesale violation of our nation al constitution, and cannot stand. If we hdUe liberty, ere long judgment ,tS mnst overtake tion. Such is the will of God. Our civil gov. ernment really has all, and the only power ot authority over the people, and that gives ut perfect freedom of conscience. But the politics of to-day, the political authority which has in
 vaded our civil rights, trampling on divine el- : ements, limits every mans conscience to the imperfect views of selfish political party lead ers and all who follow them are no longer free } but under bondage, and they cannot hell
 themselves so long as they follow, because al
 that makes us free is now controlled by these political party leaders. There is no man fret nowadays except he has cut loose from the DO
 litical parties of to-day but for all that, w E free. It is 6 truth that does not practically , penetrate the public mind, that our free gov , ernment, our commonwealth, was not created for political parties, nor for politicians, ant does not belong to them, but does belong , equally to every citizen of the United States 7 Even though political parties may control thu , government bestowed upon the United States f By the constitution of the United States, yet for all that, our civil government with all it , benefits, belongs to the whole people. and no , to the party controlling it. Real civil hbert. actually restraints every man or party from in 3 turing or controlling another, so if we are il 3 bondage to party or politician, it is because , we consent to be, for we are constitutional, : free. We are a republic. but if we choose t; , sell our franchise, or allow politicians to con trol us, then we are not only in bondage, bu guilty of abjectly surrendering our free gov ernment to party preferences, to satisfy cage while working these evil influences, is incapa , ble to administer christian free government
 and it is the peoples business to spot him, an( see that we have the right man in the righ place.
 have said that there were altarsSset ul against our christian government, and hav' endeavored to tell what those altars are Nov
 to the question, tak King it for granted that yor admit what have said to be true, as to tht
 altars; Is it not about time that every chris I and made so1ae little effort towards christian } ising eur politics. Thdt fs optr o9ly saluation ->~''s s'1.s FeF every pelIHelan ,san and md every g ar political party to feel .na., \. -.
 not a standing rebuke to rascality. fraud and falsehood, and if they have no antiseptic qual ities, then they are not the right man or right party in the right place? They must come to that, or we fail as 8 nation. George Washington, the father of our country, said in his farewell address, "Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious prlnci
 ples Of all the dispositions and hab
 it's which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. Ir vain would that man claim the tribute O.
 patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firm
 est props of the duties of men and citizens l* x volume could not trace all their con. nections with private and public felicity. And let us with caution indulge the supposi
 tion, that morality odn be maintained without religion" Now, as we respect and cherish the and instruction. do we equally respect and cherish his instruction These are the prin. ciples upon which the fabric of our free government was based. We cannot but see and acknowledge that in the politics or oul nation, all these christian elements are left out, We seem to have forgotten that in the exclusion of religious principles our free gov ernment has no force or power, Christianity is the elemental part of our national coustitu- tion. It's whole spirit implies an underlying christian civilization. But what of our pol itics Are they christianp There is not in all the world more thoroughly organized christian government than ours The Bible is the recognized basis of our government oatbs on it are administered as the most sacred obligations in connection with all that affects the public veal, from the taking of testimony in courts to the inauguration of president But what of our politics2 Are they christian It is an admitted fact that we have no purity in politics, no free government, no free elec- tions, no national party, no constitutional gov ernment or politics. These things ought not so to be- Chrstianization is the only saliva ton. It may be though, that because we have