"Order Raigas in Warsaw."
The natural consequences of the overthrow of State authority at the
North and the consolidation of all power in the
Federal Government, are rapidly manifesting themselves in the growth of a central army, in the supremacy of military rule, in the suppression of
habeas corpus, in the seizure of private arms, in midnight domiciliary visitations, in the muzzling of the press, and in the ostracism of free opinion and free speech.
The history of all empire and all human government proves that republican institutions cannot be maintained over a large extent of territory, except by the aid of local jurisdictions possessing most of the sovereign powers of Government.
In the light of recent events, it was political prophecy that was announced fifty years ago, by
John Taylor, of Caroline, in these words:
‘
"Most political writers have concluded that a Republican government, over a very large territory, cannot exist; and as this opinion is sustained by alarming proofs and weighty authorities, it is entitled to much respect and serious consideration.
All extensive territories in past times, and all in the present age, except those of the
United States, have been, or are, subject to monarchies.
As the
Roman territory increased, Republican principles were corrupted, and an absolute monarchy was established long before the
Republican phraseology was abolished.
The failure of consolidated.
Republican government.
In
France may movably have been accelerated or caused by extent of her territory, and the additions she made to it. Shall we profit by so many examples and authorities, or rashly reject them?
If they only furnish us with the probability that a consolidated Republic cannot long exist over a great territory, they forcibly federation of republics.
By this form of government, a remedy is provided to meet the cloud of facts which have convinced political writers that a consolidated republic over a vast territory was impracticable; by repeating an attempt hitherto unsuccessful, we defy their weight and deride their admonition.
I believe that a loss of in dependent internal power by our Confederated States, and an acquisition of supreme power by the Federal department, or by any branch of it, will substantially establish a consolidated republic over all the Territories of the United States, though a Federal phraseology might still remain; that this consolidation would introduce a monarchy, and that the monarchy.
however limited, checked or balanced, would finally become a complete tyranny."
At the
North all the checks and balances of power are gone; and with them, all the safeguards and bulwarks of freedom.
The prevalent idea there is that the States are nothing, the
Federal Government everything.
Congress votes, blindly, a sweeping law, making valid and binding a catalogue of confessedly illegal and unconstitutional acts of the
President.
The State Legislatures and Governors sanction without question a Presidential declaration of war, and comply with alacrity with repeated Presidential calls for troops.
The Judiciary interposes a feeble resistance to Executive usurpations, but resists only to be overborne by military power, and to be silenced by a law of the subservient Congress authorizing a suspension by the military of the writ of
habeas corpus. No check being thus interposed against the usurpations of the
Executive, either by Congress, by the States, or by any other power, and a subservient army standing ready at all times to execute all orders without question, of course the customary acts of tyranny follow in rapid succession, and follow with impunity.
The free exercise of opinion is suppressed by the mid-night arrest, the fort and the dungeon.
The freedom of the press is destroyed by Federal Marshals and lawless soldiers; and a genera reign of terror and of mob law brings about that sort of ‘"order"’ that ‘"reigned in
Warsaw"’ during the dark night of absolutism which the Czar established in
Poland.
A returned minister of the
United States, from the court of Prussia, (
Joseph A. Wright) --from one of those courts which took part in the partition and enslavement of
Poland, noterieasly the most despotic and barbarous act of modern times — comes home to assure his follow subjects of the
Lincoln Dynasty, that ‘"if they expect the sympathy of the
Government of Europe,"’ they must carry out the arbitrary measure instituted by the powered at
Washington, and to repeat to them the last words of the
Prussian King--‘"God grant that your people may be able to uphold the
supremacy of the laws." ’
’
There is no law at the
North but the
will of the
Federal Executive; and it is a notable circumstance in American history, that American ministers return home bearing prayers and congratulations from crowned heads for the success of the strong measures of the new-fledged American despot.
There is no hops for the restoration of constitutional freedom at the
North, except through the complete overthrow of the
Federal authority, the radical disintegration of what remains of the Federal Union, the re-establishment of the absolute independence of the
Northern States, and the reconstruction of a Federal Union of those States upon the wholesome principles which they have now utterly lost, of inalienable State sovereignty.
If all effective political authority in a large extent of populous country is consolidated in a central government, the preponderant strength of the central power becomes inconsistent with the independence of the States and the freedom of the individual citizen.
The doctrines of consolidation have been in supremacy at
Washington for only four months, and that short time has sufficed for the utter annihilation of State power and the overthrow of all the most sacred rights of free citizens.
