The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-07-11

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All that large class who are at once tor
the Union and against coercion would
be coerced to vote against the Union.
1t even may be affirmed without eA-
trayaganee that the free institutions
which we enjoy have developed the
mowers and improved the condition OF
our whole people beyond any example
in the world. Of this we now have a
striking and impressive illustration.
So large an army as the Government
has now on foot was never before
known, without soldier in it but who
has taken his place there of his own
free choice. But more than this, there
are many single regiments whose mem
bers, one and another, possess full prac-
teal knowledge of the arts and scien-
ces and professions, and whatever else,
whether useful or elegant, is known TO
the whole world and there is scarcely
one from which there could not be Sc
lected President, a Cabinet, Con-
gress, and perhaps Court abundantly
competent to administer the Govern
ment. Nor do / say this is not true OF
our late friends-now enemies in this
contest but it is 80 much the better
reason why the Government which has
conferred such benefits on both them
and on us should not be broken up
Whoever in any section proposes to
abandon such a Government would do
well to consider in Difference to what
principle it is that he does it; whether
the substitute will give or be intended
to give so much good to the people.
There is some foreshadowing on this
subject. Our adversaries have adopt
ed some declaration of independence,
in which, unlike the good old one pen
ned by Jefferson, they omit the words
are created equal" Why? They
have adopted temporary national
constitution, in the preamble of which,
unlike our good old one signed by
Washington, they omit We. the peo-
ple," and substitute, We, the deputies
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 es-
sentially a peoples contest on the side
of the Union. 1t is a struggle for
maintaining in the world that form and
substance of the Government, whose
leading object is to elevate the condi-
ton of men, to lift artificial weights
from all shoulders, to clear the paths
of laudable pursuits, and to afford all
an unfettered start and fair chance
in the race of life, yielding to partial
and temporary departments from neces-
sity. This is the leading object of that
form of government for whose exis-
tence we contend. l am most happy
to believe that the plain people under
stand and appreciate this. 1t is worthy
of note that while in this the Govern
ment's hour of trial, large numbers of
those in the army and navy who have
been favored with the offices have re-
signed and proved false to the hand
that pampered them, not one common
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
treacherous associates. But the great
est honor and most emphatic fact of
all is the unanimous firmness of the
common soldiers and common suilors.
To the last man, so far as known, they
successfully resisted the traitorous eff
fects of those whose command within
an hour before they obeyed as absolute
law. This is a patriotic instinct of
plain men. They understand without
an argument that the destroying of the
Government which was made by
Washington means no good for them.
Our popular Government has often
been called an experiment. Two
points III it, however, our people have
settled, viz: The successful establish
ing and successful administering of it.
One still remains its successful main
tenance against the formidable internal
attempt to overthrow it. 1t is now for
them to demonstrate to the world that
those who can fairly carry an election
can also suppress a rebellion that bal
lots are the rightfnl and peaceful sue
cessors Of bullets and that when ballots
are fairly and constitutionally decided
] there can be no successful appeal ex-
cept back to ballots themselves at a
succeeding election. Such will be a
great lesson of peace, teaching men
that what they cannot take by an cleo
ton neither can they take it by war
teaching all the folly of being the be-
ginners Of war. SOD eia.t.
Lest there be some uneasiness in the
minds of candid men as to what is to
be the course of the Government to-
ward the Southern States after the re-
bellion shall have been suppressed, the
Executive deems it proper to say it
shall be his purpose then, as ever, TO be
guided by the Constitution and the
laws, and that he probably will have
no different understanding of the pow
ers and duty of the Federal Govern
ment relatively to the rights of the
States and the people under the Consti-
tuition than that expressed in the Inau-
gural Address. He desires to preserve
the Government, that it may be ad-
Hinistered for all as it was administered
by the men who made it. Loyal citi-
zens everywhere have the right to
claim this of their Government. The
Government has not the right to with
hold or neglect it and it is not perceived
in giving it that there is any coercion.