The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-07-19
THE UNION:
1T MUST AND SHALL BE PRESERVED.
An Address delivered by DANIEL S. Dickinson,
before the Literary Societies Of Amherst College,
Massachusetts,, July 10th 1861.

An Address delivered by DANIEL S. DICKINSON,
before the Literary Societies Of Amherst College,
Massachusetts,, July 10th 1861.
We are admonishcd by "thc Divinity that
stirs within us" as well us by all history and
experience in human affairs, that there are
principles which can never be subvcrted,
truths which never die. The religion Of a
Saviour, who at his nativity was Graded on
the straw pallet of destitutlon, who in de-
claring and enforcing his divine mission was
sustained by obscure fishermen, who was
spit upon by the rabble, prosecuted by pow
er, and betrayed by treachery to envy, has
by its inherent forces subdued, civilized, and
conquered world; not by the tramp Of hos
tile armies, the roar Of artillery, or the stir
ring airs of martial music, but by the swell
OF the same heavenly harmonics which arous-
ed the drowsy shepherds at the.rock-founded
city of Bethlehem, proclaiming in their du'-
Get warblings, peace on earth and good will
toward men not by flashes Of contcndng
steel, amidst the bad passions Of the battle
field, the shricks of the dying, and the flames
Of subjugatcd cities, butt by the glowing light
which shot athwart the armament and illu-
mined tho whole heavens at his advent
Thus was ushered in that memorable epoch
in the worlds eventiul history, the Christian
era-an era which closed one volume in the
record of man and opened another-which
drew aside the dark curtain of death and
degradation, exhibiting to liie's worn and
weary pilgrim along the wastes of ignorance
and barbarism, new domains of hopo and
happiness for exploration and improvement,
new fields for him to subdue and fcrtiize and
reap, and new triumphs for him to achieve
in the cause Of human regeneration. And
let him who fails to estimate the priceless
value Of this divine reformation in tempo
ral sense alone, contrast the condition ol
man wherever Christian civilization has tray-
eled, with a people cropping amidst the dc.
grading darkness Of idolatry, or bowling be-
meath some imposture still more heayen.dal-
Ing and impious.
Second only in interest and importance to
the religion Of Hin who spakc as never man
spakc, is that system Of political truth which
proclaims the doctrine of mans equality
and olevatcs him in the scale of being, to
that dignity of station which Heaven des-
tined him to fill. For untold centuries, dcs.
potism and kingscrait had asserted dominion
over the worlds masses. Every attempt to
break the letters which held q people in vas
saage had resulted in rivcting them more
securely upon the limbs OF scryitudc. Labor
had groancd under the cxactions, and the
spirit had prayed long and fcrvently for de-
lvcnnce, but in vain. The failure of every
eiTrrt to correct an organization 50 false and
vicious, and to restore the power swaycd by
the tyrannc few to the plundercd many, had
been written in human blood, until
"IIopc, for q season, babe the world farewell" :"
But our fathers, imbucd with the spirit Of
liberty. which frcs respiration OF the air
Of the new world inspired, and goaded to
desperation by the cxactions of oppression
rolled the stone from the door of the scpul.
chre, where crucilied and entombed liberty
was slumbcring, and l. arose to light and
life, to cheer, and bless, and give hope to
the down.troddcn humanity of earth; to
emancipate the immortal mind from the
slavery by which it was degraded. They rs.
serted the simples: yet sublimest Of political
truths, that all men were created cqual.-
They arrigned at the bar Of a Christian
world. trembling, tyrannous, stultifcd lesit-
imacy. while asserting its impious dogmas OF
lleavcn.desccndcd rulers, and they rcpudiat.
ed and laughed to scorn the fraudulent theo
ries, base prctensions and vain Ger, monials
of its political hierarchy. They de, Jared In
the broadcast sense the right Of mans self
government, and his capacity for its exer-
else, and sought release from q proud and
naughty monarchy. that they might enjoy
upon this continent nations independence,
and found system which recognized the
equality of men, in which their theories
were established. They trusted the future
of their ELVES, their fortunes and their sa-
cred honor to the chances OF great e1per-
iment, and while the timid faltered, the
treacherous betrayed, the mercenary moaned,
and the unbelieying derided. far-seeing pa.
triotism pressed forward with an eye of faith,
upon its mission Of p:ogrcss, until hone gave
place to fruition; until expectation became
success, until the most formidable power Of
earth learned the salutary lesson, that a
proud nation. mighty in armed men, and
strong in the terrible material Of war by
sea and by land, could not conquer the ever
lasting truth. The experiment so full OF
promise and yet 10 threatened with dangers,
became an accomplished fact. Like grain
of mustard seed, sown in q subdued faith, 1t
shot upward, and became an overhidowing
tree, 50 widespread and luxuriant, that the
birds Of the air could rest in its branches
Would that none Of the evil omen had ever
taken refuge there? Thus was planted the
germ Of liberty in this holy land Of freedom.
It was nurterod in the warm hearts blood
ofpaGios, and watcrcd BY the tears Of