Year: 1863

r.r NJ ff-rl &
charter by which it holds its power has
ceased to have a virtue that can protect
a citizen in his rights.


Suppose We accept this doctrine, what
viii be the consequences to this Govern
ment, To-day the great masses Of COM
seryativss who still battle for time hon
ored prinfiIles--for chartered principles
of government amid. denunciation and
c9ntumely, and abuse, are the only bar
riers that stand between this Government
and its own destruction. IF we accept
Tomorrow this teaching-if weto-morrow
should acquiesce in the doctrine that in
time Of war Constitutions are suspended,
apd laws have lost their force, then we
should accept a doctrine thai the very
right BY which this Government admins
ters its power, has lost its virtue, and we
would be brought down to the level Of
rebellion itself, having, an existence only
by virtue of material power. Would not
a vital blow be struck to liberty? five
should accept this doctrine, what would
be the consequence When men accept
despotism, they may have a choice as to
who the despot will be. The struggle
then viii not be. Shall we have eonsti-
tutional liberty.


But having accepted the doctrine that
the Constitution has lost It's force, every
instinct Of personal ambition, every in
stinct Of personal security, will lead men
to put themselves under the protection Of
that power which they supposed most
competent to protect their persons And
then this Administration would find that,
in putting military rules over US they
had made military masters for themsel-
YES; for this war teaches us that General
who will betray the liberties Of the, pee-
pie for the purpose of gaining the favor
Of power, viii, when opportunity occurs,
seize power itself. EAPplause. came
here to-day to appeal to you, who may be
politically opposed to US, Don't do your
selves a wrong. Don't do your Admin


istratiOn a wrong, and push US from that
position which we are trying to hold. Do


not use abuse and eontumely against our
/ persons, and threats against our proper
7 ty, because We stand up to say that you,


and we, and all shall have our rights; be-
cause We stand up to say, your houses


shall be sacred; because We stand up to
say, the family circle shall not be enter
I ed, and, in English parlance, every man S


home shall be his castle, within which he
Is safe from intrusion. Applause


Why, what is the glory Of a people and


the glory Of nation? It is not the mag
nitude of its power it is not the extent
Of its donfinions. It is the fact that the
humblest home is safe under its protee-
ton. The prOudest boast ever uttered


by Britain's proudest statesman was this
not of martial achievements-not of
the trtumphs upon tile fgld-not Of that


wonderful dominion upon which the sun
never scts-no, it was this: that the Brit
ish monarch could never enter without


permission the humblest home in the
land, although its broken ceilings might
give but scanty shelter to its humble in


mates [Groat applause.] For what are
governments constituted but for this not


for dominion not for grandeur, but in or


der that these great ends might be reach
ed; that every man should enjoy the
rights of person and security of home,
and freedom of conscience and the enjoy
ment of his property, subject to the laws.
These are the great objects of government; !;
and any government, and any system that
comes short of this, fails in its objects :;
and any declaration that assails or endan-
gers these great objects is treason against
human rights. [Applauss.
But, it is said there is law Of neces-
sity that in times like these suspends our


Constitution-that war Is unfavorable to


liberty It is not true. Liberty was born


in war; it docs nOt'die in war. TGrolt


applause.1 Liberty was wrought out in
the battlefield The wonderful people
who founded this great State-tho HoI-
landers-wbo for eighty years battled
against the martial laws and martial pow


ers of Spain, made it a principle which


sustained them during that long contest,


and enabled them to render their histo-
| tory glorious in the annals of mankind.


We're personal rights and personal liber-


ties suspended by our own forefathers


during our Revolutionary contest? You
heard the words of that Declaration of
Independence, which said that men had
a right to trial by jury; that the militia
Try authority should never be exalted
above the civil Jurisdiction; that men
should not be transported abroad for trial
.-[rcmendous applause] - that they
should have an the rights and privileges





known to English Jurisprudence and En-
gli8h law; and yet to-day We are told that
the men who put forth that declaration
| Of RIGHTS and Of independence amid the