The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1852-01-27

il with US from far Asia thousand years ago,
and we conserved J, throughout the yicissitudes
often centuries. No nation has, perhaps, SO
much Struggled and suffered irolu civilized
Christian world as we. We do not complain Of
this lot Ii may be heavy, but il Is not inglo-
rious. Where The cradle OF our Savior Stood
and where The divine doctrine was founded.
there now another faith rules; and whole Eu-
ropes armed pilgiimaee could not avert his fate
from that sacred spot, nor stop the rushing wa
yes ofIslamism absorbing the Christian empire
Of Constantine. We stopped those rushing
| waves. The breast of my nation proved a
breskw water TO them. We guarded Christen-
dom that Luthers aud Calvins might reform t..
| lt was dangerous time. and the dangers oil he
time often placed the confidence Of all my ma
ton into one mans hand; and that confidence
| gave power into his hands 10 become ambitious.
But there was not a single instance iu our his
tory where a man. honored by his peoples COZ
fdence, had deceived his people by becoming
ambitious. The man out Of whom Russian di
| plomacy succeeded 10 make the murderer OF
his nations conference.-the never had u, hut
was rather regarded always with dstrus. Bot
he gained some victories when victories were
;he moments chief necessity. As tho head Of
an army. circumstances placed him in The ca
pacity to ruin his lcnuntiy. Bat he never had
the peoples confidence. So even he Is no
|
| HOnearan whom his nation honored with lis
confidence was ever seduced by ambitan to be-
come dangerous to his country's liberty.
That is a remarkable fact, and vet it is not ac-
ciden a.; IL is the logical consequence Of tbeln-
| fluence Of Institutions upou the national chsr-
acer. Our nation, through all its history. was
educated in such country, ambition having 20
field. has also no place in mans characlsr.
The truth OF this doctrine becomes yet more
illustrated by quito contrary historical fact IN
France. Whatever have been the changes o.
Government in that great coun,ry-and macy
they have been. to be sure--we have seen
convention. directorate, consuls, and one con-
sui and an emperor, and The restoration, aad
the citizen kirg and tho republic Through
all these different experiments. centralz liion
was The Fundamental tone of the instiIutions of
France power always centralized ,omnipatence
] always vested somewhere. And remarkablyin in
deed, France has never ye; raised one slngle
man 10 the seat Of power who has not sacrlhc
ed his coGntry's freedom to his personal am
| bitIon!
| II is sor,owfu indeed, bur il is natural. Il
is 10 The garden OF Capitalization where the
venomous plant OF ambition thrives. dare
confidently affirm, that in your great country
| there exists not single nan through whose
brains has ever passed the thought that be
would wish TO raise the seat or his ambition up
on the ruins OF your counlry'sliberry il he could
I Such wish is impossible in the United States.
Institutions react npop the character OF nations
lie who sows wind will reap storm. History
is the revelation Of Providence. The Almigh
" rules by eternal laws. not only Tie material
hui the moral world; and every law is p'lnci
| pie, AMI svery principal is a law. Men, as well
| as nations are endowo cd with free will To chouse
principle; but that once chosen, the eonse-
| quences must be sbided.
i With self government is freedom. and with
freedom is Justice and patriotism. With cen
traliz l,ion is ambition, and with ambition dwetls
despo;ism. Happy your great country, sir, for
! being 50 warmly addicted 10 that great piinei
pie self government. Upon This ioandaion
your fathers ssed home Of freedom more
glorious than the werld has ever seen. Upon
this foundation YOU have developed il TO a 'iv-
ing wonder Of the world. Happy your great
country. SIR. that is was selected by the bless
ing Of the Lord to prove the glorious prscabl
ity of federa,ive union Of many sovereign
States, all conserving their State rights and
their self government. and yet united 10 one
evy star beamng with its own iustre. but all
toetber one constellation on mankind's canopy
Upon this f,sndhtioD your fee country has
giown 10 4 prodigiors power IN E surprieingly
bief period-atraciing power in that your fun
dsmental principle. You have conquered by it
more 10 seventy I've years than Rome BY sfns
in centuries. Your principles will conquer he
world. BY the glorious example Of your tree-
dom, welfare, sud security, mankind is about
TO become conscious of its aim. The lesson
you give to humanity will not be lost.
The respect for State rights in the Federal
Government ofAmerica, and in its several States
will become an instructive example for unver-
sal toeration, forbearance. and Justice to the
future States and Republics of Europe. Upon
this basis will 90 got rid Of the mischievous
question of language nationaties, raised by
cunning despotism in Europe to muIder liberty
with. Smaller States will ind security in the
principle Of fe6erativo union, while they will
conserve their national freedom by the princi-
pie of sovereign self government; aud while lar
ger States, abdioating the principle of centrali-
zatioIi. viii cease to be blood field to sangui-
nary usurpation, and a tool to the ambition Of
wicked men, municipal institutions will ensure
the development of local particular elements;
freedom, formerly an abstract political theory,
will become the household benefit to unmunic-
ipaties and, out of the welfare and centent-
ment of all parts, will flow happinss, peace, and
security for the whole.
q That is my confident hope. These will once
, subside the fluctuations of Germany's fate. 1t
will become the heart Of Europe, not by melting
north Germany iuto a Southern fame, or the
south into northern; not by absorbing histori-
; cal peculiarities by centralized omnipotence;
} not by mixing in one State, but by federatng
several sovereign States into union like yours.
Upon a similar basis will take place the ma
! tional regeneration of Slavonic Statos. and not
: upon the sacrilcgious idea of Panslavism, equi-
valent to the omnipotence Of the Czar. Upon
similar basis will We see fair Italy indopen.
, dent and free. Not unity, but union will and
must become the watchword of national bodies
I severed into dssocted limbs by provincial rival
res, out of which flock of despots and com
J mon servitude arose. To be sure, it will be .
noble joy to this great Republic to feel that tho
coral influence of yonr glorious example has
|, operated his happy development in mankind
destiny; and have not the slightest doubt o.
3 the efficacy of your examples Influence.
-. IL. III. Ia a