Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-07-11


Jarolina, in favor of disunion.
There is much reason to believe that the Union
men are in the majority in many IL not in all of the
eceded States The contrary has not been dem
,nstratad in any one Of them. IL Is ventur,d to
firm that those even IN Virginia and Tennessee
ear the result of ali election held in military
lamps where the bayone we're all one side OF
hc question voted upon can scarcely be consider
ID as demonstrating popular sentiment AT such
IN election all that large class who are at once
for the Union and against coercion, would be co
creed to vote against the Union. 1t may be affirm
ed without extravaganza that the free ins itutons
which we enjoy have developed the powers and
improved the condition of our whole people be.
yond 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, withouta soldierin itI
who has taken his place there except of his own
free choice. But more than this there are many
single regiments whose members one and anJth
er possess full practical knowledge of all the arts
and sciences, professions, and whatever else,
whether useful or elegant, Is known to the whole
world, and there is scarcely one from which there
could not he selected President, Cabinet a
Congress, and perhaps n court abundantly com.
petent to administer the Government, nor do say
this is not true also in the army Of our la friends
now adversaries, In this contest, but it is much
the better reason why the Government which has
conferred such benefits on both them and us
should not be broken up. Whoever in any sec
ton proposes to abandon such Government
would do well to consider in Difference to what
principle it Is that he does it; whether the substi
tutc will be to give, or be intended to give, so
much good to the people. There is some fore
shadowing on this subject.
Our adversarics have adopted some declarations
of independence in which. unlike the good old one
prnned by Thomas Jefferson, they omit the words
care created equal" They have adopted TEN.
porary national constitution, in the preamble of
which, unlike our good old one, signed by Wash.
ington, they omit "we, the people," and subst-
tute 1--WE, the the deputies Of the sovereign and
and independent States" Why this deliberate
pressing out of view the rights ofmen and the au-
thorty of the people This is essentially peo
pies contest the side of the Union. 1t is a
struggle for maintaining in the world that form
and substance ofGovcrnmcnt whose leading object
is to elevate the condition of men, to lift artf-
cal weights from al sholders, to clear the paths
to laudabc pursuits, and to afford all an unfetered
start and fair chance in the race oflle, yielding
to partial and temporary departures rom necessi-
ty. This is the leading object ol tho Government
for who, &c existence contend.
am most happy to believe that the plain peo
pie understand and appreci tic this 1t 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 Office, have re-
signed and proved false to the hand that panpered
t"em, 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 greatest honor and IN st emphatic part of all
is the unanimous firmncss of the common soldiers
and common Sailors the last man, SO far as
known, they successfully resisted tn tmitorous
efforts OF those whose commands within an hour
before they obeycd as absolute law. This is Il
patriotic instinct of plain men, They understand
without an argument tha the destroying OF the
Government which was made by Washington
means no good for them Our popular Govern
mcnt has often been called an experiment.
Two points in it our people have settled. The
successful establishing and the successful ad
administering of it. One still remains It's sue.
cesstul maintenance against the formidable in
tcrnnl 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 alIots are the rightfu! and
peaceful successors of bullets, and that when
ballots are fairly and costtutionay decided, there
can be no successful appeal back to bullets; that
there can be no successful appeal back to ballots
themsclves-at seeding election. Such will
be great lesson of peace, teaching men that
what they cannot take by an election, neither
can they take it by war; teaching all the folly
OF being the beginners of o war, lest there be
some uneasiness in the mind of candid men, a 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 prop
er to 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 understand
ing of the powers and duties of the Federal Gov.
cnment relative to the rights of the States and
the people under the Constitution than that ex.
pressed in the Inaugural Address. lie desires to
preserve the Government that it NAV be ad.
ministercd for all as it was administered by
the men who made it, Loyal citizens every.
where have the right to claim this of their
Governments. The Government has no right to
withhold or neglect it, and it is not perceived in
giving it, that there is any coercion, any conquest
or any su1uSaton in any just sense of these
terms the Constitution provided, and all the
States accepted its provisions; that the United
states shall guarantee to every State in this
Union republican form of government If II
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 indispensable means to obtaining the guar.
antcc mentioned and when an end is lawful and
obligatory, the indispensable means to it are a lso
lawful and oblieimg. 1t was with the deepest re-
gret that the Executive assumed the duty of en-.
p'o 7ing the war power in defence of the Govern
ment forced upon him. He could but perform
this duty or surrender the existence of the Gov.
crnment. No compromise by public servants
could in this be cure.
Not that the compromises are not often proper,
but that no popular government can long survive
n marked precedent that those who carry an elec.
ton can only save the government from immedi,
ate destruction by giving up the main point upon
which the people give the election. The people
themselves, and not their servants, can safely re-
verse their own delibeate decision.
AS a private citizen the Executive could not
have consented that these institutions shall perish
much less could he in betrayal of so vast and so
sacred trust rs these free people have conided to
him. lie felt that he had no moral right to
shrink or even count the chances of his own life
in what may follow. In full view of his great
responsibility. he has SO far done what he has
deemed his duty. VIII you not, according to your
own Judgment, performs yoursl
he sincerely hopes that your views and your
actions may so accord with his as to assure all
faithful citizens who have been disturbed in their
rights of certain and speedy restoration to them
under the Constitution aud he laws, and having
on his chosen our course without guilty, and with
pure pcrpose let lis renew our trust in God and go
forward without fear and with manly hearts.
Signed, -. ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
July ith, 1861.
The wheat crop OF X entucky is reported
to be unusually good. 1t is nearly all har'
vested.
Old Gid hat left his post in Canada, ant
come home to fix up matters for the fail cleo