Holly Springs gazette., 1843-07-14

the advantage OF DeIng descended from the
freest and most enlightened nation then upon
earth, and during the time that elapsed from
the first distur bance of amicable relations
between the colonies and the parent coun-
try 10 the adoption of our Federal Constltu-
tion in 1877 embracing period ofupwards
of thirty years, every source ofpower, every
form and principle of government, every
element of rational liberty, had been over
and over again discussed, scrutinised. and
elucidated. The most powerful writers, the
most brilliant orators the most profound
statesmen had combined to pour a food of
light upon the great subject of human rights
and human duties. The grand object of all
their efforts was to frame a government
which should secure to each individual the
greatest reservation Of his natural liberty
compatible with the good of society rs q
whole and in that instrument, our Fedora.
Constitution, this cardinal feature. the only
legitimate aim, the beginning and end ofali
good government will be found embodied
in more full and perfect development than 1t
has ever before been presented to the admi-
ration Of mankind And whether we choose
to live under and live up to that constitution
or not whether we preserve 1t sacred and
invIoAte or in our depravity and our mad
ness tear it into fragments and trample 1t
in the dust, we cannot rob it ofits immortal
ity. We may desecrate but cannot destroy
it. It's mighty spirit will survive the shock
as ineXtingulsnable and as pure as the sacred
fire ofthe Grecian Temples and will descend
from generation to generation. the Pole Star
ofposterity, the redeeming spirit OF aitertimes.
But this Constitution is unable of itselfto
secure to US the blessings which it promises
Well said the sententious and bitter Ran
dolph-"You may entTench yourself in
parchment to the teeth:-the sword will find
It's way to the vitals of the Constitutional
haveno faith in parchmeng-I have no faith
in the abracadabra OF the Constitution. Our
Constitution may be the best-our laws the
wisest that were ever devised for the govern
ment of man, but they will avail US nothing
if we are wanting in the virtue to enforce
them. Other nations once free, sunk into.
abject slavery, not because they wanted the
bravery to achieve their freedom but because
they had not the integrity and intelligence to
appreciate and preserve IT, Like some of
the pestllent pedlars of politics Of our day,
they seem to have believed that all that was
necessary was only to set the machinery of
government rightly a-going at first, and it
would thenceforth 90 alone. Forgetting
that it is the nature of man to clutch at DOW
er, 10 betray confidence, to trample upon law;
forgetting the great maxim that 'the price of
liberty is ETERNAL VIGILANCE" they were
lulled into false security, and awoke from
their dream of freedom to fnd themselves the
slaves of some bloody and ambitious tyrant
Relying upon Constitutional forms for their
protection their sturdy spirit of freedom be-
came enervated by luxury, corrupted by
sIoth and by passion for gaudy and osten
tatious display, or debas9d by licentiousness
and crime, until the very forms upon which
they relied were prostituted to the purposes
of tyranny by some bold and artful adVentu-
rer
Let these lessons from the past De as
admonitory as they are melancholy. This
| liberty wherewth God has blessed US" is a
fearful as we'll as a lovely thing. The flame
in the fielceness of its unrestrained fury. the
| flood that bids defiance to control, are not so
terrible in their might as man in the abuse
of liberty. Our peculiar privileges leave
us no eouivocal stand to occupy among The
family ofnations no middle ground to choose
between national prosperity and happiness
and national nfamy and ruin. Our COVER
ment must from its nature be either bless
ING O. a curse to the world, to the present
and to future generations As we are the
freest, so unless we are the wisest and the
| best. we will soon sink TO be the very basest
nation upon which the sun has ever shone.
Never before was there so vast responsl-
bility resting upon any people, because nev-
er before has the great question Of mans
capacity for self government, and conse-
auenlIy whether be deSeroeS to be free, been
subjected to the test Of SO full and fair an ex-
pertinent.
Ever since the institution of society a.
moncst men, the mass of the people, having
of necessity all physical power in them
selves, have vet been the mere organized
machines of their rulers, who have worked
and plundered them at home or driven them
together ia masses to butcher each other
under the name of war, and for a phantom
whicE they called glory. Whatever man
NAV be aolo, we know that al no former pc
riod of his history has he been. capable OF
governing himself We would argue this
from what we know of his previous mental
and moral condition, and altogether irrespec
tive of the repeated and melancholy failures
he has made 10 assert the democratic princi-
pie of government And we know further
tha, unless we be an exception, there is not
now people under heaven whose civil and
sociaI inStifutioos whose general enliphten-