Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1861-07-13

that form and substance Of government,
whose leading object is to elevate the
condition Of men, to lift artificial
weights from all shoulders, to clear the
paths of landable pursuit, AMI to afford
al! an unftttered start AMI a fair chance
IN he race of life, yielding to partial
and temporary departures from necess-
ity.
This is the primary object of the
government for whose existence we
contend. | am most happy to believe
that the plain people understand and
appreciate 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 IA
vored with the offices, have resigned
and proved false to the hand that PAM
pered them, not one common soldier
or common sailor is known to have de-
serted his flag.
10 the last man, SO far as is known.
they successfully resisted the traitor
Gus efforts of those whose commands
within an hour before they obeyed as
absolute law. This is a patriotic in
stlnct Of plain men. They understand
without an argument that the Destroy
ing Of the Government, which was
made by Washington means no good
for them.
Our popular Government has often
been called an experiment. Two points
on it our people have settled: The
successful establishing and the success
tu, admin stering of it. One still re-
mains--its successful maintenance
against the formidable internal 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 ballots
are the rightly and peaceful success
ors Of bullets, and that W hen ballots
are fairly and constitutionally needed
there can be no successful appeal TO
bullets; indeed, that there conld be no
successful appeal except back to bal
lots themselves.
At succ eedng election, such will
be great lesson of peace, teaching
men that what they cannot take by an
election, neither can they take it by q
war; teaching all the folly OF being the
beginners OF Il war.
Lest there be some uneasiness in the
minds OF candid men, as to what is to
be the course of the Government to-
wards the southern States after a re-
bellion shall have been suppressed, the
Executive deems it proper to say it
shall be in his purpose then as ever to
be guided by the Constitution and the
laws, and that he probably will have
no different understanding of the pow
ers and duty Of the Federal Govern
ment, relatively to the rights of the
States and the people under the Con
situation, than that expressed in the
Inaugural Address.
The desire to preserve the govern
ment, that it may be administered for
all it was intended, by the men who
made it, loyal citizens everywhere
have the right to claim this of their
government 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
suojngation, in any just sense Of these
terms. The Constitution provides,
that if all the States accept its provis-
ions, tina, the United States shall guar
antee to every State in this Union, a
Republican, form Of government.
| But If q State may lawfully 60 out
Of the Union, after having done so, it
may also discard the Republic an form
Of government; so that to prevent it's
going out is an indispensable means to
obtaining the guarantee mentioned,
and when an end is lawful and obliga-
tory the indispensable means to it are
also lawful and obligatory. 1t was
with the deepest regret that the Exc
cutive assumed the duty of employing
the war power in defence of the gov
eminent forced upon him, and he could
but perform this duty Or surrender the
existence of the government.
No compromise by public servants
could in this case be cure. Not that
compromises are not often proper but
that no popular Government can long
survive marked precedent that those
who carry an election, can Only save
the Government from immediate des-
truction by giving up the main point
upon which the people gave the cleo
ton. The people themselves, and not
their servants, can safely reverse their
own deliberate decision. AS a private
citizen, the Executive could not have
consented that these institutions shall
perish, much less could he in BETRAYAL
of so sacred a trust as these flee
people had confided to him. He felt
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
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