Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1861-07-12


test. but tits so much the better reason
why the Government which has conferred
such benefits on both them and us should
not be brokehup. Whoever il any section
proposes TO abandon such a Government
would do we'll 10 consider 10 Difference to
what principle it is that he does il; whelh-
er the substitute will be TO give, or be
intended to give, so much good 10 the
people. There is some foreshadowiDg on
this subject.
Our adyersaries have adopted some de-
olarations Of Independence 10 which, un-
like the good old one penned by Thomas
Jefferson, they omit lhe words "are Gre
ated equal" They have adopted tenn.
porary national constitution, in the pre-
amble Of which, unlike our good old one,
signed by Washington, they omit 1--WE,
the people," and substitute 1--WE, the de-
puties Of the sovereign and Independent
States" Why this deliberate pressing
out OF view the rights OF men and the
authority OF the people? This is essenti.
ally peoples contest on the side OF the
Union. II is a struggle for maintaining
in the world that form and substance OF
Government whose leading object is to
elevate the condition Of men, to lift arti6.
oial weights from all shoulders. TO clear
the paths TO laudable pursuits, and to al
ford all an unfettered start and fair
chance in the race Of life, yielding to
partial and temporary departures from ne
cessity. This is the leading object Of the
Government for whose existence we con
tend.
am most happy to believe that the
plain people understand and appreciate
this. It 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 Offices, have
resigned and proved false to the hand that
pampered them, not one common soldier
or common sailor is known 10 have de.
serted his flag. Great honor is due to
those officers who remained true despite
the example of their treacherous associ-
ates. But the greatest honor and most
emphatic part of all is the unanimous
frmness Of the common soldiers and com
mon sailors; the last man, so far as known,
they successfully resisted the trailorous
efforts Of those whose commands within
an hour before they obeyed as absolute
law. This is patriotic instinct of plain
men. They understand without an argu-
ment that the destroying Of the Govern
ment which was made by Washington
means no good for them. Our popular
Government has often been called an ex-
pertinent. Two points in it our people
hosf - III
ing and the successful administering Of it.
One still remains. It's successful main
tenance against the formidable internal at
tempt 10 overthrow it. cit is now for
them TO demonstrate to the world that
those who can fairly carry an election,
can also suppress rebellion. That bal.
lots are the rightful and peaceful sue
cessors of bullets, and that when ballots
are fairly and constitutionally decided,
there can be no successful appeal back to
bullets; that there can be no successful ap.
peal except back to ballots themselves-at
a succeed election. Such will be great
lesson of peace, teaching men that what
they cannot take by On election, neither
can they take it by war; teaching all the
folly Of being the beginners Of war Lest
there be some uneasiness in the minds Of
candid men, as TO what is to be the course
of the Government towards the Southern
States, after the rebellion shall have been
suppressed, the Executive deems it pro-
per 10 say it shall be his purpose then as
ever to be guided by the constitution and
the laws, and that he will probably have
no different understanding of the powers
and duty of tho Federal Government rela.
tive to the rights of the States and the
people under the Constitution than that
expressed in the Inaugural Address. He
desires TO preserve the Government that it
may be administered for all as it was ad-
ministered by The men who made it.-l
Loyal citizens everywhere have the right
to claim this Of their Government. The
Government has no right 10 withhold or
neglect it. and It's not perceived in giving
it, that there is any coercion, any con-
quest, or any subjugatiou in any Just
sense ofthese terms. The Constitution pro-
vided. and all the States accepted its pro.
vision, that the United States shall guar
antee TO every State in this Union re.
publican form OF Government If a State
may lawfully 60 out OF the Union, hav-
ing done so it may also discard the Re-
publican form Of government, so that to
prevent its going out is an Indispensable |
means 70 obtaining the guarantee men
toned, and when an end is lawful and
obligatory. the indispensable means to i'll
are also lawful aud obliging. Itwas with
the deepest regret that the Executive as
sumed the duty Of employing the war
power in defence Of the Government
forced upon him. He conld but perform
this duty OF surrender the existence Of
the Government. No compromise by
public servants could in this be cure.
Not that compromises are not often pro-
per, but that no popular government can
long survive a marked precedent that
those who carry an election can only save
the Government from immediate destruc-
ton BY giving up the main point upon
which the people gave the election. The
people themselves, and not their servants,
can safely reverse their own deliberate
decision. lHc fnr at
As 3 private citizen the Executive
could not have consented that these 10
shtuiions shall perish, much less could he !
in betrayal Of 50 vast and so sacred trust
as these free people had eonfided 10 him.
He felt that he had no moral right to |
shrink or even count the chances Of his
own life ia what may follow. Ia full view
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