Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-11-25
A DANGEROUS ASSUMPTION OF
POWER.

physical forces of the country by any one
man has been regarded rs the most dan
gcrous exercise of power imaginable. The
denial OF all such powers to any one man
is the great and Indispensable safeguard
OF the people against anarchy on the one
hand and absolute monarchy on the
other TIL, neceSs tv OF I'D hcrence to
this safeguard is of very ancient origin.
To the Ampctyonic council the Grecian
Republics secured general and exclusive
authority to declare and carry on war,
and this principle has always been vindi-
Gated. maintained and held sacred except
"As those that are inspired with martial
rage" have broken down those barriers
and, ike some Napoleon, played some
mighty personal game which ended IN
the ruin OF the government and the peo-
pie, as always happens when their safety
rests on an individual and not on the
Fundamental principles of government.
The time was when William the Con
aueror could personally lead men to take
possession OF a whole country and then
own and maintain a title to it in fec,
leasing it to his Barons, and they sub
letting it ia inferior holdings thus fixing
A feudai system on the country which
soutiBaed a most burdensome oppression
on even bold and chivalrous people for
q long time, and until it was modified
and the peope were relieved at Runny-
mede; but heaven grant that no such
fearful features of antiquity be given to
our republic as will startle us with the
with the false notion that we were so
strongly entrenched III the fundamental
principles of government that no one
man could use the military power OF the
government except by invoking that SOW
crci Lnty which has been retained by the
people for their safety, aud applying that
force through those observation-disclosures
provided in the organization OF our gov
eminent Among even the ancient Ger
mans the power to use the military force
ot the country in any manner was secured
20 their popular assemblies. 1t is true
that in some limited monarchies the
king has power to declare war but he is
controlled lay parliaments, The terrible
wars of Charles XII led the people OF Swe-
den to reserve to themselves the right to
declare war Even Bonaparte on his re-
accession to the throne of France pro
posed constitution providing that the
means of war should be provided only by
law to be proposed by the House OF
Representatives of the people and be as,
scented to by them. And 50 our law
writers say with one voice: In this
country the power OF declaring war as
we'll as of raising The supplies is wisely
confded to the legislature OF the Union.
And the presumption is that nothing
short of strong case, deeply affecting
our essential rights, and which cannot
receive pacific adjustment after all rea-
sonable efforts shall have been exhausted
will ever prevail upon Congress to dc
clare war"
Now in the light of history and ia the
face Of constitution which declares that
Congress shall have the power to declare
war what startling events are occurring
A barbarous Queen, mastered and over
whelmed by all the abuses which car
afflict government totally incapable to
rule, had become the hgurehead OF al
that was superstittous and lawless III
her realm. At last the will of the people
asserted itself Tfeir right 10 the aggre
gate to redress wrongs and secure th'
safety of themselves and their property
had required. The strength and senti
ment Of the people demanded a chang.
and the Queen Was dethroned. The gov
eminent was established in the nature o
a republc. Justice and security were re
stored.
Now, the President has by a clandes
tine inquisition discovered that the dc
position of the Queen was wrong. or II
regular, or unjust. Just how, he will tel
the country when he thinks best for it tt
know. And so he goes about re-eStabllSli
ing Il barbarous monarchy! A Presiden
of the representative republic of the worlc
substituting monarchy for republican
ism! barbarism for civilization! heath
enism for christianity! genutiections t.
and inyocatious Of some heather goddess
Pele for law and order! savage caste 10
republican principles! and the gratitca
ton or personal interests o: some Lii
uokalani for the safety and security o
the whole people! and all in the vail
hope that this may be accomplished be
fore the country and the world awake
to the reality! 1t is a small subjec
among the powers Of the earth. but tn
weakest people in the world in this ag
cannot be outraged without calling dow'
higher power than even Bonaparte
He could not do it and President Clevc
land must remember that he is not
Bonaparte,
Is Congress abolished? The Presiden
can call it to his aid in domestic matters
What is the wisdom or policy whic
would ignore 1t in the matter of Hawaii
Is that a matter, as all the law writer
express it, "decplv affecting our essentia
rights2" What rights or interests hay
this country there except in seeing tha
it's own citizens there and their interest
are justly dealt with. 1t is true tina
there arc a line fcases in which the ST
preme court of our country announce tn
doctrine that the President of the Unite