True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-07-30

The United States, for words spoken il
debate in either House. such person shall
upon conviction, thereof, be imprisoned as
felOn in the penitentiary. Let him bt
cut Of, like other criminals, from the fel
lowship of freemen +; let the arathema o.
Of an offended and outraged people fal
upon him let him be shut out from the
comforts of home, from the sweet protec.
tiOn Of the laws, and from that light in
which we live. - ar'
| Sir, l desire not so much that the men,
Der from South Carolina should suffer, as
that others may learn obedience to the
laws by bis example. Let US in this
emers sency lift ourselves above all local
prejudice, or mere personal considerations,
and embrace within our vision our whole
country. That country, sir, is something
more than the narrow spot which imme-
diately surrounds us; it is something
more than that tnoble Commonwealth in
which it pleased God to pour the first
beam Of light upon my understanding
where are the graves Of my kindred and
the home Of my childhood. Our country
embraces these, and more it includes
the East and the West, the North and
the South, OF this great Republic-this
entire sisterhood of States-with the
homes Of all their living, and the graves,
the sacred homes. Of all their dead.
These. these, make up our country--that
brilliant heritage which God in his infinite
goodness gave to our fathers, has trans
mitted to US, and will, we trust, transmit
to our children-that land consecrate to
Freedom and humanity-rich in a fertile
soil, yielding in great abundance the pro-
ductions of every zone, abounding in all
useful and precious deposits, iuterspersed
with mighty rivers, adorned with grand
and lofty mountains, and washed by the
waters Of two great oceans. What would
this vast heritage be, without free repre-
sentative government, free speech, and
free men A world without a sun--a
land of darkness, as darkness itself,
whose very light would be darkness.
1t is to our free Constitution that we
are indebted. under God, for all that we
are anditis upon that, with His blessing,
that we rely for all that we hope to be.
Let US not forget the words Of its immor-
tai author, who now looks down upon US
from these walls. "THE CONSTITUTION,
says Washington, "Is sAcREDLY oBLIe.
AToRY UPON ALI" and his other words
of equal significance and import, +" IT IS
INDEED LITTLE ELSE THAN a NAME WHERE
THE GOVERNMENT Is TOO FEEBLE.
"TO MAINTAIN ALL IN THE Sc
CURE AND TRANQUIL ENJOYMENT OF THE
RIGHTS OF PERSON." ..
The Constitution has guaranteed these
rights of person; it provides that the
freedom Of speech and the security of per-
son shall be established. This great sen-
Iiment, dear to freemsn, and formidable
10 tyrants ouly--LIBERTY TO ALL AND
JUSTICE TO ALL--is the spirit which in.
forms The Constitution and makes up its
life. Let the Constitution he held invlo
late, and let its great purpo be realized.
That sacred ins rument was formed and
fashioned hv those men of old. whom God
taught to build for glcry and for beauty;
at their word. it sprang like new Gre
alton from the night of the Revolution,
and the shattered fragments of the Coz
federation they have finished their work,
and gone down to their rest, one by one,
as stars 60 down in the quiet sky! For
their sake, let the Constitution stand the
monument of their wisdom, and the
crowning, glory Of their lives /; let the
Constitution stand for the sake Of the mil
lions who enjoy its blessings. and are
sheltered by its power; lei The Cons.itu-
lion stand for the sake Of the sons of
Liberty in all lands, who II ter prayers
daily for its preservation, and flee 10 il for
protection and, oh /! let the Consti ution
stand lor the sake Of those who are to
come after us-for tile sake of our chill
dren, and our children's children.
II the greatest Of all earthly calamities
must come upon US if that Constitution
which our fathers gave us must perish;,
and be forever lost 10 human vision. amid
the thick darkness which broods over the
awful gulf of national disunion and ma.
tional death, God grant that lhis sacred
charter of Freedom may fall at last. if fall.
it must. amid the wild baltle-cry in which
it had lis 6rigin-LrBERTy AND JUSTICE,
THE NoBLEsT RIGHT, THE sTERNEsT DUTY.
OF MEN AND NATIONS. ,"''.