Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-11-20
Tno ssmoro PERFECT union. ),
Il Is 40 srlor5 fraught with great mischief, 70

II Is 40 error fraughtNilh great mischief, tol
auppose that our fathers aimed to establish q
sjs.bm Of goyernmentA ntAbsolately rerfscs. Their
ntst aim was 70 Secure certain rights, which
they claimed Aa British subjects Failing In
this, they aimed at one single Object-lhe inde.
psndence Of the colonies. = Having achieved
thishy.msans Of Confsderationro Of the colo.
eniesor States, they nexttOOk measures for ac-
complaining another great object, which was TO
a. form, NOT an absolutely perfect, but "a more
perfect Unlon" than they had enjoyed before.
True, they used the word "perfect," but as
admitting Of degrees, as more or less. Conae-
!. quenty, the perfection they expected % reach
- was an acknowledged imperfectIon. They said
their object was toestAblIsh amore perfect"
not the most perfect Union. G.ir
Whatever may be said ofs,he perfection of
q nature,s works as whole, il cannot be denied
chat, to human view at least, they appear full
Of imperfection in the detail. All things and
all creatures seem In this world to be In pro-
cess Of deVelopment-to be on the road to per.
fec.ion rather than to have attained it. This
ls admitted on all HANDS 10 be the case with
human beings No man, community or people
can claim absolute perfection; their works,
therefore, must par,ake of the immatuslty and
.yl imperfection Of their ninds.o as8es i'
Our fathers had to form such Union or Fed
eral Government as the people OF oil and Of
@ the several States we're prepared to SANCTION
Each member Of the Convention that framed
the Constitution, had In his mind the ideal of a
perfect Governments but II was found that no
one of these was sdapted to the condition of the
country, and the Consultation was framed and
the Union finally consolidated by fusion, a
blending and . compromise of the views, senti
a ments, schemes and plans of different individ-
uAls and sets of individuals. FhgJ noi,
It may be -pardoned, perhaps, IT, in our over
flowing patriotism, we talk on the Fourth-of-
July about our perfect system of Government.
But I'M sober earnest, we must admit that IL is
perfect In no other sense than 10 it, adaptation
TO the wants of the people. The CLAW given
by MOsEs, !" though having the Divine sanction,
-, vas far from insitutipg perfect government
--IecordiDg to modern notions of justice and
right. It's perfection consisted in Its adaptation
to the needs Of the people for whose guidance
and Instruction Il was Instituted.
az As our fathers were united in one object in
the Revolutionary War, namely, to gain their
national Independence; as they united in one
object in forming the Federal Constitution,
namely to establish, not perfect. but ga more
perfect Union;" so we must nov, in this pres.
eut momentous struggle, unite in one great oh.
iect-no. to make the Union our fathers formed
the mos. perfect that can be conceived Of, but
TO preserve and maintain that "more perfect
Union" they established. Their work is doubt
less capable of Improvement; they admitted it
themselves; but now is not the time to make
Improvements unless SUCH if any, as may be
absolutely necessary for its preservation.