Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1861-07-20

forts Every nation is obliged to sup
mort a standing army. Look at France
with her half million paid men. Look
at Prussia with her hundreds Of thou
sand paid men. Look at Austria brok-
ell down by the waste Of the ulcer of
an army. Look at italy that is obli-
ged to expend her nascent energy in
the maintenance Of ? gigantic standing
armg. While twenty Eve thousand
troops have answered for the last fifty
years all the exigencies Of our Govern
ment.
Besides, VIC have not the right to
countenance secession, if we had the
desire. This nation is not a mere
clearinghouse, from which any dis
satisfied boarder can go at option. Is
there no sanctity Of the National Gov
errment? DO the States owe no dn-
ties and obligations to the National
Government Is there no National
Law ? if so, we must yield them willing
obedience, if so they require IF US, to
preserve this Union i'll all Of its orig
inal purity, without one state being
severed, or one law being trodden I'M
der foot. Said Douglas, that powerful
and much lamented statesman in his
last speech at Columbus, "All party
cries should be hushed in silence while
we rally as one common brotherhood
to the preservation Of this glorious I'm
ion"
As to what will be the adjustment
of the future it will not be profitable to
stop to inquire. 1t is not wise to for
bear a present and manifest duty be-
cause we cannot see what contingent
cies and circumstances will arise. We
stand Just on the edge Of very i'm
portant conflict. 1t Is new thing for
us; but | know not why we should not
have an occasional experience Of this
kind. What nation on the Globe has
been exempt Us we from civil WARP
Since England had . history, how
many times has she been delu9ed in all
her fields with civil war; And is there
Nation known that is more harmoni-
Gus Within than England? England
and Scotland were always fighting each
other; and they are now joined tirner
than two hands clasped. You can not
make civil war between them. And
do you say that if this present conflict
in this country continues, there must be
everlasting diSsension between the
North and South. How many times
has France been against France, and
when was France more united than
now. How many times has Italy been
against Italy; how, many times has
misguided, ambitious men risen up to
subvert her interests {; how many times
has her separate states been arrayed
in war. And now Italy has asserted
her power, and there is but one glori-
Gus opinion, and her people love as if
the sword of brother had never struck
brother - thin hnr -bordora- It iS aed
thing to have q civil war. Said Henry
Clay, "Avoid it as you would avoid an
epidemic. For when it once breaks
out It's end is indefinite it unhinges
society, and many times disquallties
those who engage in it for the arduous
duties of life" But let no man
say that we can have no peace nor
harmony between the two sec
tons of this country after the pres
ent and unavoidable conflict shall
have ended. The history OF every
nation on earth proves to the contrary.
But, fellow citizens, such crisis as
that through which we are passing
rarely comes in the history Of q nation.
The question is now to be tried wheth-
er We love our country we'll enough to
make such sacrifices for it rs our faith
ers made-whether the heroic blood
which we inherit has lost its quality
whether we are ready to part with our
presentprosperity, our wealth, and our
lives, for our country, and liberty to the
generations yet to come. Whether
mothers will send forth their sons,
wives give up their husbands, sisters
the brothers Of their pride and hope,
and maidens their lovers to the hard
ships and perils of the march and the
waste of the battle, for the safety Of
the commonwealth, and the welfare Of
those who are to inherit this fair land
when we shall be in our graves.
The principle, is to be establish
ed forever that arbitrary and armed
secession sis neither a constitutions
nj proceeding nor q peaceful one ;
that the obligations of the Union
and of the Constitution by which it
was compacted and defined, are not to
be thrown off at pleasure; that the vi
client subverslon Of q peaceful and
righteous Government is game too
costly for ordinary demagogues to play
ut. That the luxury of treason must
be dearly paid for; that the lawful
property of our Government, wherever
situated, is as sacred as any other prop
erty-and that the men who seize it by
stealth or by force, under whatever
,arotnnnn ~. ont n,:iL v f,.an, ro,.oI,tion-