The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-10-08
gulitital address.
Address on the War Of Slavery upon
the Constitution.
BY CHARLES d. DRAKE.

delivered on the Anniversary of the Con-
sttutiOn, September Il, 1862, in the
City of st. Louis.
Thiee-qrarters of century ago. that noble
body of American statesmen and patriots, over
which the Father of his Country presided, com
ple,ed the formation OF the Constitution of the
Uni'ed States, aud presented it for adoption by
the American people, as Il torn of Government
and n bond of Union which they believed would
endure through all future time. IL was the
first written Constitution ever adopted by any
nation and il has in the worlds Judgment,
STOOD, from that day to this, as the uobest mon
ument ever reared by freemen to their own
wisdom and patriotism. 1t has shed upon our
country unnumhered blessings, and has afforded
"A light to other nations struggling into the ex.
e els, of self-government. Under its benign
sway every expectation Of its trainers for the
good of America aud of humanity has been fully
realized; and there is not hope thai "A patriot
could cherish for his country which would not
be more than fulfilled by its continued exis-
tcncc.
And yet, while there are those still living who
lived at the day OF its form ,tion, the nation for
which that Constitution was made is prec pita-
ted into II terrible struggle for ia preservation
from destruction bv its own children And il
is while the land tremble7 beneath the tread OF
armed legione, and the air is rent with the roar
Of battle for and against the Union il WAS de-
sienf d TO cement and perpetuate. that we meet
to observe as p,triot. the recurring anniyersarp
of the great s,ep which our fathers took to.
wards making the American Nation what il was
aud is yet capable of being the glory of free
dom and of the human race.
Under any other circumstances than such as
now fll our beloved land with grief and dread,
il would be a work of love TO ttnce the history
of our Constitution. and endeayor TO set forth
the great pripciples which peryade its entire
frame but how could this be done. with The
oppressed mind wandering every moment to the
6endish assault upop il now in progress and
swayed continually by alternate hot es aid fears.
As il follows the shifting scenes and changing
tides of the war which il TO end in its comnlete
and Anal yindic.tiop or its des,ructiopY IL is
impossible The theme most prominent under
such circumstances is. not the origin ard prin-
cipIes of the Constitution. hut against i, To
that let ma then direct our attention.
The American people have reached point
where an oyerpowering necessity is laid upon
them to reuo,s .yery film from Their eyea, and
look with y rt,c,ly clear saa steady vision at
what is around and before them. have pro-
found and paipful impression. that uo,witbstapd
ing all said and written and seen and heard
during the last twenty months, there are multi.
tudes everywhere. especially in the border slave
States who have no correct idea of what this
war really means or to what /, d;rec,lv tends.
God helm them. If this continues much longer
Light light upon the motives, aims. and
end. of the South in the beonning and the pros
ecu,ion Of ,his war, is whit the reoole wan.
w, m,y burI aarou,circ ,onsralI.ias at tta
rebeIlion fnrrysr and DO l,,Ie good the peo.
MI. raopire t.nyihls narrirulars Van copno,
tead st,rvinc man ON Tho fnmas of a KITCHEN
hc must have load or die Sunerr,tnraI elo.
nranne rc,a hnt as Inmas II he pnhIic mind
no rn, ,mb,sS 9Th knouledce of the trpe
nb.raot.r and actuaI iptert aT Gouthcrn tteason
H. nnnnIar No., answsrs truth vitb .,iybty
,hrohSi !, onsvers no,bng elsn an L. NAV
49," 81 ID trano;sn, stimulus
hu, IL 4. ,ha ,rsn,or Of waakpess Trn,b alone
-, :, - a. M, .n,ro,cb !, wi,b
anaht hnt ,rn, .i,h ,Iat dsra seak i,s inner.
n,nst reca.saS ;o,snJ ~ snsst ,h. trnth now
s.;I, susaI :, bora IN ,b;s cry face 70 f.ce Win
.h., s,iIa,t io,n,nt nt ,res:barv and ,,aoson
'ns;,p Isa. n. =, ,ho srs, noH,hs Of rho ra'
III 'sS, ,'a'i h;nh hoa5 and ,b;oL ca, nm.
W ue,",' "o'o ~ $50 L'"", -, ~ hr ~: o,'d
pi"5' ~ pi"6i, ehe Knshts of he unSeu
%;Ih, ~ -, -, L,,ili ~ E1,ni,a of SIavory
over our ooun,ry's grave!
Frequently as | have SPOKEN of Slavery as
conpee,e ed with this rebel o0. il is of that