The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1861-07-23

mole aHG diverse from i}lQee we NAY EAth-
lr from the lives Of men.
10 sec how the progress of mankind lns
accorded with these principles, We must
go iar back towards the beginning, and in
an address like this il is Of course impossi-
Ga 10 give mere than the most cursory
Glance ID tie evidence which the pages Of
history ofur. But even this glance viii
show L. that while government was known
ouly as unmitigated despotism in the East
EN- aud ancient world, it received import
ant notifications rs il passed through
Greece and that the dcspoiism Of the ecn-
irai ;,ower Of the vast Empire Of Rome
was accompanied with a singular amount
Of freedom and seIf-goyernment IN the cit
les and borough and lesser provinces into
which the Roman Empire was divided
In this way some preparation was made
for tile feudal system, which was. IN iheo.
rs, government of laws and not Of men,
for il assigned his own place and his own
rights TO every man. And SO the possi-
bility of deliverance from wholly exter.
nal control, from power which was over
him and against him, instead of within him
aud his own, grew from age to age. At
length this new world was discovered -
Near enough TO the old world to receive
eolonisis with no more lindranee and DIFF
iiculty than were needed to sitt out the
weak from the strong, that the seed of a
new nation might have due vitality. Far
enough from the old world TO prevent an
immediate and controlling influence from
stretching across the waters and causing
the future 10 be but REPETITION Of the past
far enough 10 prevent the germs of nations
planted here to grow up into the great
possibility which awaited them. And then
| the hour came and the last word Of Gods
Iproyiden in human government was ut
/ tered when he said to a great nation, "Go
forth, be free, and GOVERN YOURSELVES.
The last word Yes. ] so believe, il
we are not deaf to il. In the infinite iu'
turc there may be and will be vast change:
and infinite improvements. These will
lessen, or remedy, or prevent many evils
which We already discern, and many more
which we do not yet discern, IN our repub
/. ican institutions, and whatever good has
yet come, Or may now be hoped for from
Iour institutions, will be increased thous
and fold. MS these institutions are changed
Tor the better. But the nations will neye
again regard, as the only possible or desl
rable government that Of Il power distnc
from ihe people, and deriyingn no force an'
no life from their consent and voluntary
recognition. The work we have begun
will not be suppressed and eXtingulshed
II will ike, and il will grow into the full
mess of its stature and that il may liy
and GROW, the wants, the deficiencies, AM
the errors Of any age, will be disclosed b.
whatever lessons may be necessary to teac
them, and will be remedied by whatevc
Imcans are then found best for that purpose
4 Govern yourselves But how? Thi
great work may be done well or ill.
may be so done that the influences OF evl
which mar il may gradually be discovered
resisted and suppressed. And then tn
future Of this country will be one gradua
improvement, which will be on the Who'll
constant, although subject TO alterations
TO periods when evil will seem TO be in tn
, descendant the night so long and so dar
that for the time they extinguish the hop
That day can come again. And yet ne
day will dawn, the brighter for the prC
ceding darkness. Or this work ny be S
done that these influences of evil will MOI
than mar it, will prevail against it, and
will be taken from our hands, and those {
our children, and given TO others who wi
profit by our example and by its fearl'
consequences.
OF the perils which beset US in this poii
, Of view, would speak Of one only, for th'
seems near to US, already obvious, and po
sibly growing Its that which comes frol
the enormous fallacy that the will OF II
| people constitutes and determines right an
originates the authority Of law. But VIII;
. is law if it be not truth in its applicatio
. and its power; and how else can the rigl
be determined but by the truth ! Can an
, man, can any men, make truth
What then is left for US? TO rcjoi,
{ that il Is given TO US, to search in freedoI
4 for the truth, and for the right which Il
{ truth teaches, 10 find it, to make it our las
| to reverence it and to obey it, Preciscl
. that form and system Of political gover
/ mcnt i then the best which is best adap
: ed to guide and facilitate the inquiry aft
: the right, to ensure, with perfect freedo
! Of inquiry, sufficient deiiberation and Il
{ absence Of obscuring passion and person
! fantasy, and all the advantage Of mutu
q counsel, and all the security we can ha,
n that the law, when il is duly made, sha
c express tie common Judgment Of the pc
b pie, and promote their common interest
and deserve tbeir respect and win tile
4 love,
/ This Is tile great end Of republican j
L ituiions. And | have now 10 say to yo
i not as the expression Of an opinion call,
: for BY tie day, but, again as deiibera
4 and profound belief, that the peculiar CO.
slitution Of this country, in It's essential fe
+ ture in the fact that il is sovereign
II formed rf sr,y-ara, ertlfias 4 a frame ot GO