Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1861-07-10

ed President, CaDlnet, congress,
and perhaps Court abundantly compe--
tent to administer the Government. Nor
do say this is not true of our late friends
now enemies in the contest but it is
SO much the better reason why the Gov
ernmelt which has conferred such benefits
on both them and on us should not be
broken up? Whoever in any section pro-
poses to abandon such Government
woull do well to consider in Difference
to what principle it is that he does it,
whether the substitute will give or be
to give SO much good to the peo-
pie. There is some foreshadowing on
this subject Our adsersaries have adopt
ed,some declarations of independence, in
which, unlike the good old one penned
by Jefferson, they omit the words care
created equal" Why! They have adopt
ed temporary national constitution, in
the preamble of which, unlike our good
old one signed by Washington, they
omit. ave the people," and substitute,
We, the deputies of the Sovereign and
Independent States. Why this de-
iberate pressing out of view the rights of
men and the authority of the people -
This is essentially peoples contest OIL
the side of the Union. 1t is struggle
for maintaining in the world that form
and substance of Government, whose lead
ing object is to ele, ate the condition 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 depart
ures from necessity. This is the leading
object of that form Of government for
whose existence we contend. | am most
happy to believe that the plain people
understand and appreciate this. 1t is
worthy of note that while in this the gov
ernment's hour Of trial, large numbers of
those in the army and navy who have
been favored with the offices have resign
ed, and proved false to the hand that
pampered them, not one common soldier
or common sailor is known to have de-
serted bis flag. Great honor is due those
officers who remained true despite the ex-
ample of their treacherous associates
But the greatest honor and most emphat-
ic fact of all is the unanimous firmness Of
the common soldiers and common sailors.
To the last man, so far AS known, they
successfully resisted the traitorous effects
of those whose command within an hour
before they oteyed as absolute law. This
is 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 ben called an experiment. Two
points in it, however, our people have
settled, viz: The successful establishing
and the successful administering of it
One still remains; its successful mainte-
nance against the formidable internal at
tempt to overthrow it. 1t is now for
them to demonstrate to the world that
those who can fairly carry an election can
also suppress rebellion; that ballots are
the rightful and peaceful successors of
bullets, and that when ballots are fairly
and constitutionly decided there can be
no successful appeal except back to ballots
themselves at a succeeding election. Such
will be great lesson Of peace, teaching
men that what they cannot take by an
election neither can they take by war
teaching all the folly of being the be-
ginners of war
Least 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 proper to say it shall be his pur-
pose then, as ever, to be guided by the
Constitution and the laws, and that he
probably will hive no different under
standing of the powers and duty of the
Federal Government relatively to the
rights of the States and the people under
the Constitution than that expressed in
the Inaugural Address. He desires 10
preserve the Government, that it may be
administered for all as it was administer
ed by the men who made it. Loyal cit
liens everywhere have the right to claim
this of their Government. The Govern
ment has not the right to withhold or
neglect it, and it is not perceived in CIV
ing it that there is any coercion. any con
quest, or any subjugation, 10 any just
sense of these terms. The Constitution
provided, and all tho States accepted its
provision, that the United States shall
guarantee to every State in this Union a
republican form of government: but if a
State may lawfully go out of the Union,
having done so, it may also discard the
republican form of government; SO that
to prevent its going out is an indispensi-
bic means to obtain the guarantee men
toned. When an end is lawful and OBJ
lgatory, the indispensable means to attain
it are also lawful and obligatory. Itwas
with the deepest regret that the Executive
assumed the duty Of employing the war
power in defence of tue government
! Forced upon him, he could but per-
form this duty or surrender the existence
of the Government. No compromise by
public servants could in this be cure
not that compromises are not often prop
er, but that no popular Govt can long
survive a marked precedent that those
who carry mn. elactian can only save the