March 27, 1863, Peoria Morning Mail (Illinois)
The Democracy of Pekin Township assembled in large numbers at the Court House in the city of Pekin, on Saturday evening last; and organized by calling J. McDonald to the chair and appointing H. P. Finnigan Secretary.
After the nomination of a town ticket, and the transaction of other business the following Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted.
Whereas, the Union has no existence separate from the Federal Constitution, but being created solely by that instrument, it can only exist by virtue thereof; and when the provisions of that Constitution are suspended either in time of war or in peace, whether by the North or the South, it is alike disunion; Therefore
Resolved, That the acts of the federal administration in suspending the writ of habeas corpus; the arrest of citizens not subject to military law, without warrant or authority, transporting them to foreign States, incarcerating them without charge or accusation, denying them the right of trial by jury, prescribing, in many cases, arbitrary; illegal test oaths on their discharge, and finally attempting to indemnify those responsible for the same under the law; in abridging the freedom of speech and of the press; in suppressing newspapers; in establishing a secret police; in declaring martial law over States not in rebellion, where the courts are open to punish crime; in attempting to enforce a compensated emancipation; in proposing to tax white men to purchase and elevate the negro; in the dismemberment of the State of Virginia–are each and all subversive of the Federal and State Constitutions, and the reserved rights of the people, and tend to a consolidated military despotism. In deep reverence for our Constitution, which has been ruthlessly violated, we do hereby enter our most solemn protest against these usurpations of power.
Resolved, That while this war was conducted with the avowed purpose on the part of the administration and of congress to restore the constitution and the Union, and the constitutional authority of congress over the whole Union, we gave it our hearty support, and continued to do so until the administration made it a war for the liberation of the negro, and destructive of the constitutional rights of the States, and individuals; that we are and ever have been opposed to a war for the freedom of the negro, or the destruction of any right of any State or individual under the Constitution.
Resolved, That the conscription and indemnification bill recently passed by Congress are subversive of the sovereignty and rights of the States, and designed to make them mere dependencies upon the central Government, unconstitutional in their provisions, and dangerous to the liberties of the people.
Resolved, That the Government of the United States is vested with full power by the Federal Constitution to prosecute war; and that there is no “war power” outside the Constitution; that the President can execute the laws only by such means as the Constitution and the laws give him power to employ; and that the establishment of the doctrine that the President possesses, or that Congress can confer upon him, unlimited power over the land by a declaration of martial law, with immunity for wrongs and trespasses upon the rights of the people, is a calamity little, if any, less to be deplored than the success of the rebellion.
Resolved, That we will maintain our soldiers in the field, and at home, in all their social, political and military rights; and while we are proud of their capacity, and glory in their achievements, we deprecate their treatment by the Administration, and many of their officers; and we declare that they did not enter the military service to steal either negroes or cotton, nor to be treated like the serfs of a Czar, but as citizens, the equals in character, in spirit, in patriotism and in social relations, of any of their officers, or of the President of the nation; and we protest against their being compelled, in the ranks of the army, to become the associates of negroes, and the equals in degradation of the slaves in the South.
Resolved, That we condemn and oppose all secret political associations; they are the dens of demagogues, the enemies of the republic, and the assassins of liberty.
Resolved, That there can be no liberty where there is no freedom of the press; and that it is the ancient and constitutional right of the people to canvass public measures, and the merits of public men.
Resolved, That, under no circumstances are we willing to submit to the illegal and arbitrary arrests of our citizens; that the writ of habeas corpus must be restored, the rights of citizens respected, and civil, not military law be supreme, so long as civil law can be maintained; that we will protect and defend the constitution of the state of Illinois and the rights of her citizens against all and every violation, whether civil or military, from any quarter whatsoever.
Resolved, That the recent arrest of the Hon. Charles H. Constable for discharging his duty as an officer and a citizen, was an open attack by the military power upon the liberties of the people, and an attempt to destroy the judiciary of the State, whose duty it is by law to protect and preserve to the public their rights; and we call upon the governor of the state to demand his instant release, and the prosecution of the parties who were in complicity with the outrage.
Resolved, That we tender to Judge Constable the assurance of our heartfelt sympathy in this outrage upon his rights as an officer and a citizen; that we will not forsake him in any emergency, but will see that the majesty of the law is as amply vindicated as it has been grossly violated in his person.
Resolved, That at all times, and more especially the present, the people should keep themselves informed concerning the condition of State and National affairs, and to this end the circulation of good democratic newspapers should be encouraged; we therefore recommend the Tazewell Register, Illinois State Register, Chicago Times, and Peoria Morning Mail as reliable sources of information, and worthy of public patronage.
On motion the secretary was directed to forward a copy of the resolutions to Judge Constable, and also to Gov. Yates.
On motion the following gentlemen were appointed by the chair to act as the township committee for the ensuing year:
J. B. Cohrs, James Haines, B. S. Prettymen, C. A. Roberts and H. P. Finigan.
The chair announced that a meeting of the German Democrats will be held in the Court House next Wednesday evening, for the purpose of organization.
In response to the calls of the meeting, Mr. Prettyman took the stand, and in a speech of about an hour, ably and successfully vindicated the position of the Democracy as indicated in the resolutions. His speech was listened to with interest, and gave great satisfaction to the Democracy, who evinced their approbation by frequent applause.
Jonathan Haines, who had just returned from Washington, made some interesting remarks concerning matters and things in that locality.
On motion it was ordered that the proceedings of the meeting be published in the Tazewell Register, and that the Chicago Times, State Register, PEORIA MAIL, and other Democratic papers be requested to copy the same.