Year: 1863




and even the temper Of the people Many mon
arch has lost his crown and his head by threatening
his subjects with halters and dungeons, when they
hsked for indulgence, or for what they considered
Justice 1t is the part of wise legislators, in
Free government such as ours to listen with respect
ana yield as far as possible to the wishes Of any con-
siderable portion of the people" This IS the doc
trine we have uniformly held and uttered, and we
are lad to find the Sentinel subscribing to it. If
the people of this State had received the indul-
gence," or even the "jus:ice" accorded to other
States, the seventy or eighty public meetings whose
proceedings We have recently published, would pro-
bably not have been held. But the wishes" of
our people were disregarded, and their temper
excited. We told the Sentinel so about the time
Gov. Vance visited Richmond by invitation of Pres,
ident. Davis; but suggestions had no weight
with the administration, and when the obnoxious
Tithngman was removed, and one of our own citl-
zens appointed in his stead the Sentinel attri6u ted
the remOval-not to the true source, to wit the
public meetings referred to-but to the advice of
discreet friends" of the administration in this
State .... .t...-..:


The people of this State, and of all the States,





lie men and measures-to form and express their
opinions in relation to them-and to instruct their
representatives; and the press has right and it
is its sacred duty to give publicity to these pro-
ceedings Of the people. Public servants, from the
President to the humblest subordinate are the en-
Ployoes of the people, and are responsible to them
for their conduct. The people have a right to pass
upon their conduct; and in doing so they consti-
tute the only really dsinterested tribunal before
which public servants can be heard Every inter.
est of the people is the side of an honest, up
right, Constitutional administration of affairs.


The people of this State do not think that our
common government has been wisely administered
They do not think that sufficient foresight has been
exhibited or that the has been prosecuted with
rs much energy as it should have been. They be-
leVe that the partyism and favortsm of the admin
Stratlon, as shown in nearly all its appointments,
have deadened the enthusiasm Of many in the COM
inon cause and injured the country in the eyes of
Eoreign powers. They believe that several members
sf the Cabinet are totally unsuted fEe places they
csupy, and they would gladly see change in this
espect. They regard Congress as wanting in the
ssential characteristics of coordinate branch of
; he government Thus far it has seemed in many
espects to act as the register of the Executive
Sishes and will and this too for the most part in
ccret session, so that the people have really had
zone of the usual opportunities of knowing what
5her representatives have said and done Conceding
IL that may be justly claimed for the administra-
zion and its Congress- it must nevertheless be ad-
ntted that the Confederate cause owes but little of
success to them. Blu: for the unexampled cour-


sc and deV otion of our soldiers and the patient and
+atriOtc endurance of our people, our enemies would
ing since have triumphed over us and waved their
:ag in the capital of every State.


What is the remedy for these and other evils that
night be mentioned? 1t is to be found in the bal.
OtbOx, and in appeals to the President and his sub
erdinates to change their policy, and thus really
espect the wishes" " and temper" of the peo-
pie. Let the people vote for no man to represent
hem in Congress who will not pledge himself to
'emedy the evils referred to as far as he can. Let
them vote for no man who will not pledge himself
to strict construction of the Constitution, and to
maintain the civil law at all times and in all places,
'gainst the usurpationS of the military power and
set them vote for no one who will not pledge him
elf 10 open sessions, that the people may see and
ddge for themselves Of the acts of their representa-
ives. Those politicians who preferred to dissolve
the old government and who were instrumental in
plunging the people into this awful war; have shown
themselves unequal to the crisis If they love their
country better than they do themselves, let them
retire and girs place to iser and better men They
promised US peace when they broke up the old gov.
ernment, but they have given US war. They are
impotent to arrest the on honorable terms, and
restore peace and it is but just to expect that they
will get out of the way, and longer distress and
ruin the country by their short sighted selfish
sells. The people want peace on just and fair terms
but many of them fear they will never get long
as the original secessiOnists remain in power.