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Government Arms

Government Arms image
Parent Issue
Day
2
Month
October
Year
1863
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

-A special to Times says: "The Government at present has on hand in tlio different areenals throughout the country 500,000 etfective stand of irías. The numher is rapidly increasing; the Springfield Arsenal aloue turning out 25,000 rifled muskets every nionth, Under the contract uiade by Seeretary Cameroa, nearly two years ago, with private parties for 200,000 rifled arms, ouly 25,000 have as yet been delivered to the Government. " No rogne e'er feit the halter draw, With good opinión of the law," Is the favorite quotation of t-hose who endorse in advaneo erery aet of the ad miniatration, and who brand as "secesh sympathisers " every man who chooses to doubt either the legality or eonstitutionality of the recent proclamation o] the President suSpeuding the privilege o] the writ of Uabttts Corpu. And Uien they amphfy their " clincher " by prntesting that the President " ier as honegt a man aserer' lived," that he seeks only the best nterests of the country, anc that no honest man or true patriot ncec havo any fear of " arbitrary arrests,' &c, &c, &c. This may be true ; the President may be honest ; he may be even incapable of error; every officer undei him may be like Csesar's wife, above suspicion ; and in their hands the liberties and rigiits of erery individual American may bo safe; but, then, we, foolishly perhaps, prefer to enjoy our political and personal rights uuder the constitution j and laws of the land, to holding them at the will of even " honeat Oíd Abe," and bis huudred thouaand subordínate officers in the military and naval service, each one of whom, with the writ of Ilabeas Corput suspended, is spy, eomplainant, constable, judgo, and jury, and above the highest courts of the country. A nation without a written constitution and written laws is not regarded with mueh favor in modern time?, aud we may as well hare no such constitution and laws if the Executive and his subordiuates is not to be held responsibio to them. We find fault with the " last proclamation " not becnuse it is aimed at the rebellion - God kuows the sooner that is "proclaimed " down or fought down the better we shall be gratified - but because it places every loyal citizen of the country at the mercy of unscrupulous aud partisan officers. Honest men are required to swear allegiauce to the constitution and laws before they can euter upon the discharge of the duties of the smallest office; and even an honest President should not be tolerated in nullifying conatitution aud laws. We lack that confidence in the judgraent of any raau living - if not in his iutegrity - to induce u to mak him supreme dictator, and place the liberties of this great people in his keeping. The law is the safeguard, let it be rigidly adhered to. SSST "They (the democratie papers) inatinctively find lauft with evervthing that is designed, and will havo the effect to crush out the rebellion." - State News. The proclamation suspending the priviloge of the writ of habeas corpus may have been "designed " to "crush out the rebellion," but its "effects" will be- if any it have - to "crush out" the liberties of the loyal. It will have no more effect upon the rebellion than had the emancipation proclamation, and in that direction 'is only another "Pope's buil against the cornet." The "war power." must be more elastic than india rubber to warrant the issue - even as a "war measure - of a document 80 utterly subversive of the constitutioo and the laws. But without furtber comment we invite the reader to peruse carefully an article on the first pago of thia issue copied from that able journal, the Na tlonal Intüligenccr, entitled "The Last Proclamation."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus