Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-02-12

have a right demand of them that their
conduct shall be such as shall be approved
by the judgment of enlightened history,
and the conscience Of .he civilized world.
we demand this not for ourselves alone
This country, with its free air and free
institutions was bequeathed to us as well
Tor our posterity as an asylum for the on
pressed OF all nations. The down trodden
oi the earth have a right to look here for
a refuge. How hopeless would the world
be to the child of toll and oppression, every
where, II the eye of hope could never reach
out beyond the stormy ocean to a resting
place IN the western hemisphere. Bio; out
this prosperous Republic, tear her nation
al emblem In tatters, turn your pruning
hooks into bayoneis and your agriculture
into 5loodshed. make your country 1esolate,
send the lovely zephyrs across these prai-
ries laden with the signs and groans Of
widows and orphans who are the victims
OF fratricidal war, and where could the
lowly OF the earth look for the FINAL home
Of their children.
A question has been attempted 10 be given
the gravity of a constitutional question.
whether state can cOnstitutioually secede
from the Union. Little as my judgment
may be worth, | have no hesitaucv in the
opinion that such right does not constitu-
tionally exist. Mr. Madison speaking of
the effect of adopting the constitution in
his emphatic lang nage says: " The con
stl.ution requires an adoption in toto and
forever" Gen. Jackson clearly disproved
this right in his proclamation in 1882 -
Mr. Cobb, of Georgia, now in the ranks of
the seceders Of his state a few years ago
said when the right to secede from the
Union at will is conceded we have put the
existence of the government at the DISPOSAL
OF each state in the Union. lie eloduentIy
adds do not so understand our govern
ment. l feel that | owe my allegiance to
government possessed of more vitality
and strength than that which is drawn
from voluntary obedience to its laws. |
hold that no government is entitled 10 any
allegiance that does not PASS wise and lust
laws and does not possess the mower to
enforce and execute them" Although Mr..
Cobb is now a citizen of a seeding state
and has taken rank ground with those of
his state who favor secession, have never
heard that he has changed his views upon
the constitutional right. | understand
they generally cleim the right ofsecession
to exist in those ultimate powers reserved
to the people not founded in any constitu-
ton nor system of government. but only
taught in the law of nature, and depend-
ent for their enforcement upon the strong
right arm of the people This is in a sin
gle word revolution. Our fathers. when
they broke loose from the legal obligations
OF an onerous government did not find the
foundation of their right to do 50 in any
enactment of that government, but they
appealed to Almighty God for the Justice
OF their cause and to carry out their great
determination they pledged to each other
their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred
honor. This right, when claimed, can on
ly be recognized by the moral Judgment of
the world, and is enforced Ly no law but
that of physical force. If our government
has become wholly subversive of the OBJ
jects of its institution, if it has failed to
give reasonable protection to its people, if
1t has lent its ear TO corruptiou-ifit prac
tlce9 tyranny and oppression instead Of
justice-if it produces human misery and
degradation instead of happiness and be.
nificence, then should all the states and all
the people rise up in their might for its
terrible overthrow. This question, when
ever the time shall come that it must be
seriously determined, may well be said in
the graphic language of Mr.. Cobb to be
1.-THE most fearful issue that ever The people
o. this country have been called on TO de-
eide since the days of the revolution. -
Our fathers met it then and met il brayeIy
-gloriOusly. The bravery-the wonder
full determination of that strucgIe-the
privatiOns endured-the reverses encoun.
tered undismayed-the sanguinary battles
field, all stand in history as beacons Of
awful warning to the government that shall
hereafter prove treacherous to the rights of
the people, or recreant to the great trusts
repOsed in them. But we have to recall
lect that in asserting these truths, we are
dealing only with momentucus questions.
applicable only TO great and crushing evils.
They arise in the moral world like earth
quakes in the physical, which rend mighty
mountains at a single paroxism and sub
side into quiet and repose. Does any ex-
isting evil now demand the application of
these ma estic principles to the government
under which we are living in the enjoy
ment of so many signal blessings? In all
sober seriousness | would ask our sister
states Of the South if they are enduring
any evils which can lay the foundation o!
such state paper as our immortal decla-
ration of Independence ? Evils undoubted
~ there are in our government No gov
eminent, while man is frail and e-ring can
produce perfect equalIty-perfect Justice
or perfect laws. Perfection is not aIonted
to our varied condition. Perhaps our gov.
eminent and our people NAV sometimes
have forgotten the entire performance of
duties from the great confidence our success
and prosperity have produced. Who does
not feel that but yesterday as it were, we
all believed the foundations of this
republic were laid deep as her ey-
erlasting bills and as abiding as her
rugged mountain crests. Perhaps in this
great confidence we lost sight of the fact
for moment that the true foundations of
this security were laid in the purity and
patriotism Of the integral masses, which
compose the whole. Yaulting ambition
taking advantage of this confidence NAV
have misused the political forces which
surrounded us for selfish and unwise pur
poses. Corruption may have crept in, and
restless fanaticism both in religion and
politics may have found busy corps of
sappers and miners aiming their destruc-
tive powers at the deep laid foundations
But notwithstanding all these, and in spite
! Of them our country has achieved pro-
gress and Advancement which think
may safely say has no parallel in the his
tory Of the world. How have the arts and
sciences prospered under our institutions.
How has civil and religious liberty become
indellibly stamped upor our very nature.
Where is the country to be found that dves
not respect our glourious stars and stripes +?
Can any one doubt the model republic that
cleaned in the eye and thought Of Cara
baldi as he marched his triumphant hosts
forward to insure the independence Of
down-trodden Italy. With all its faults.
how gladly would his burning genius have
accepted such a government as ours, a.
the greatest boon he could bestow upon
the people. How long would Kossuth
have waited to accept the boon if such a
government as ours had been offered to
his people in Hungary. How long would
Poland hesitate-and the Green Isle" OF