The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1861-07-11


ope1 the powers and improved the condition
of orr whole people beyond any example in
the world. OF this we now have q striking
and impressive Illustration. So large an army
as the Government has now on foot was never
before known, without a soldier IN it bGtwho
has taken his place there of his own free choice.
But more than this, there are many single
regiments whose members, one and another,
possess full practical knowledge of all the
arts, sciences, professions and whatever else,
whether useful or elegant, IS known in the
whole world, and there IS scarcely one from
which there could not be selected q President,
& Cabinet Congress, and perhaps & Court,
abundantly competent to administer the Gov
ernment itself. Nor do I say this is not trde
also il the army Of our late friends, now ad-
Yergaries, in this contest. But it is SO much
better the reason why the Government which
has conferred such benefits on both them and
us should not be broken up. Whoever in any
section proposes to abandon such 4 Govern
ment would do well to consider in Difference
to what principle it is that he does it, what
better lie is likely to Get in its stead, whether
the substitute viii give, as he intended to
give, so much Of good to the people. There
are some foreshadowings on this subject.
Our advcrsaries have adopted some declar
ations cf independence, IL which, unlike the
good old one penned by JEFFERSON, they omit
the words, ;tall men are created equal" Why?
They have adopted a temporary national Con-
stitution in the preamble of which, unlike our
good old one signed by WASHINGTON, they
omit, " we, the people, and substitute, we,
the Deputies Of the sovereign and indepen-
dent States"
Why? why this deliberate pressing out of
view the rights of men, and tire authority
of the people? This is essentially q peoples
contest On the side of the Union it is a
struggle formaintainiag in the world that form
and substance Of government whose leading
object is to elevate the condition Of men, to
lift artificial weights from his shoulders to
clear the paths OF laudable pursuit for all to
afford to all an unfattcred start and fair
chance in the race Of life yielding to partial
and temporary departures from necessity.
This is the leading object Of the Govern.
mcnt for WhO-e existence we contend. l am
most happy TO believe that the plain people
understand and appreciate this. 1t is worthy
Of note that while in this, the Governments
hour Of trial. large numbers Of those in the
Army and Navy who have been favored with
the Offices, have resigned and proved false to
the hand which pampered them, not one COM
nor soldier or common sailor, is known to
have deserted his flag. Great honor is due
TO those officers who remained true despite
the example Of their trcachcr0us associates, .
but The creates. honor and the most import
ant fact of ell, is the unanimous frmnes of
the common soldiers and common sailors. /
To the last man, so far as known. they have.
successfully resisted the traitcrous efforts Of.
those whose commands but an hour before, |.
they obcycd as absolute law.
This is The patriotic instinct Of plain people. |.
They understand without al argument that
the destroying the Government, which was
made by WAsHHGToN, means no good 10 them. /
Our popular Government has often been call |
ed an experiment. Two points in it our peo- !
pie have settled: the successful establishing
and the successful administering OF it. OHe
still remaius-its successful maiItaiuancc |
against a formidable internal attempt to over /
throw It.
It is row for them to demonstrate to the |
world that those who can fairly carry an cleo /
ton can also suppress q rebellion; that bal |
lots are the rightiul and peaceful successors |
of bullets, and that when ballots have fairly /
and coustituionly decided, there can be no
successful appeal back to bullets; that there
can be no successful appeal except to ballots
At succeeding elections such
viii be q great lesson Of peace, teaching men |
that what they ca onot take by an election
neither can they take it by a war; teaching
all the folly of being the beginners Of a war. |
Lest there be some uncasines in the minds /
Of candid men as to what is to be the course /
or the Government towards the Southern !
States, after the rebellion shall have been /
suppressed, the Executive deems it proper to I
- h.,
guided by the Constitution and the laws, and .
Chat he probably viii have no different I'M
dcrstanding Of the powers and duties of the .
Federal Government, relatively to the rights |
Of the States and the people under the Con- /
stitution than that expressed in the Inaugural .
Address.
He. desires to preserve the Government, that
it may be administered fer all as it was ad- /
by the men who made it. Loyal |
citizens everywhere have the right to claim /
this Of their Government, and the Government
has no right to withhold or neglect it. It is /
not perceived that in giving it there is any
coercion, or any conquest, or any subjugation
IL any just sense Of these terms.
The Constitution provided and all the |
States have accepted the provision, That
the United States shall guarantee to every
ctdle IL lBlS Union Il IGDUD!ICdI iOtIl OI gov |
arnment; but If q State may lawfully go out
Of the Union, having done so, it may also-dis-
card the republican form Of government; so !
that to prevent It's going out is an indispens- |
able means to the erd of maintaining tne
guarantee mentioned, and when an end is
lawful and obligatory, the indispensable
means to it are also lawful and obligatory.
It was with the deepest regret that the Ex-
ecutive found the duty of employing the war
power, in defence OF the Government forced /
upon him. lie could but perform this duty
or surrender he existence Of the Government. /
No compromise by public servants, could, in
this case, be cure; not that compromises
are not often proper, bat that no popular Gov
ernment can long survive a marked precedent
that these who carry an election can only I
save the Government from immediate destruc- |
ton by giving up the main point upon which