, 1862-07-23
AUST VIEW OF TIE STRUGGLE.
The Power and Limitation OF the
Constitution.
THE U.H.TDN FIRST.


Fourth:of. July oratioRs are usually high |
sounding but puerile performances. Not Of !
ten will a man who has dug his way down |
deeply into the foundations oi our national
history and pouty, consentto make his views |
matter for the criticism Of the trjwds who
usually gather about the platforms from which |
our annual g1orffc fcations are pronounced; but !
the peculiarly OF :he situation Of the Repub-
lie, on the Fourth last passed, called ont more
than the ordinary number Of thinkers, whose
words are now printed for the Instruction and
guidance Of their countrymeu in this time of
national and individual peril. Among these
we notice an Grafton delivered at Coldwater,
Michigan, by b. C. GILBERT, Esq, Of that
place, which has great merit-not1e5s fir the
strong and simple language in which it is clad,
than for the business ard comprehensivaness
oi It's views. We regret that We have not
rccm for more than the following, extract,
Mr.. Gilbert is, If We are correctly informed, =
Demccrat--one Of the straitest Of his sect:
We are fighting to preserve the Union Of
these S1ates. I affirm that no other question
but union or disuriou is in issue-or a. least,
that around this main question of union or
disunion all Other questions centre and are
colia1t rat or subordinate to it. Is the Union
worth the cost? For we are paying . fearful
price, and It becomes ue, as free aud Inte1li-
gent leop1e, to i1mly consider the extent and
importance Of the Interests tnvolved-is the
Union worth what we are suffering for its
preservation? Let NE answer The question
in tie language OF true patriot:
Without Union. our independence and liberty
neve- would have Eeeu asAiered-Hithout Union
they never can be u,ain,ained-dfrided into
q ~ rs+fa
communities. .we shall gre our internal Hade bur
Gtncd With uunherless restraints ard c1actfons;
communications between distant points md sec
tions cut of; our sons i1ado soldiers to delIge
With tlo.d the fields they DOW It'll In peace: the
u1css Of our people bcrue down md Impoverished
BY taxes te support armies snd nasiee; Ard mill
tary leaders Et shs head Of their victorious
The loss Of liberty. Of all gond government, II
peace plenty ard huppireas, mus. inevftah!y f11-
low dts solution Of the UDien In supporting it,
therefore, We snptort ~ that is dear 10 the fee
nah aud the phiisn.hTopist."
Such is tie 1lDgaage. Of Andrew Jackson,
tie soldier and st1.esmaD, WHO kne r ho : to
ct.pe with di>ioyal:y and rebellion. and the
truth Of whrsc unconditional ceclaration-
e. The Union, it must md shall be preserved" "
it is cur bu!i.css to demonstrate.
In the light Of this answer, we do well, then,
to carry on thia war. No price is too great
! when eucl. stupeudous interests IRE involved: ::
10 amount of individual, social or national
sacrifice is too onerous to be endured, for suctl
apfize as that for which We contend. We are
+: fighting for all that Is dear to us and to our
! children.
I AL history proves to us that this doctrine
Of the ndiEisibllity Of territory lies at the very
| basis OF national existence. Admi: disuuion
| and We become st once the seOrn and Con
| tempt Of, the world and an easy prey to the
| ropacity Of every petty power in Christendom,
TIE heritage that our fathers bequeated to us
waa not merely Independence Of the mothsl
| coK<try. Freedom from the domination o.
the British crown was then with Us, as it j:
with the Canadas nova mere question
Of time We achieved our independence
and today We celebrate the event, bu'
and greatness. Broken up into thfr
tcen independent sovere5gnties, we wer
as nation devoid Of po~er at home or re
tpect abroad. We had sort Of Union or Con
federation, totally inadequate to take the plac
ard Perform the functions OF government
and the ship Of state came nigh being wreeke'
In the very outset Of It's voyage. Il was thel
that the great men Of that day aud generation
exhibited to the world an intelligence aud So
gati'y, in the national councils, parAleled opl
had shown upon the battle feld. IN place 9
apoWerleEs confederation of states they CAV
us 10 more perfect union Of the people.
They put 10 thsir great work, the tnishin
stroke, without which, all that they had Pr
Zious!y done would have proved oflit:le woItt
/ AAuNA lAAo ~ A4tA VI AAS PGOt'AS nv tl1
children, have grosn and prospered to sue
J al unparalleled extent that the world he
1ookeu on with amazement, and kings an
= princes, autocrats and tyrants eVerywher'
have tren,bled at the leeeon taught BY our c:
! ptrlfnce. Uuion aud Independence are tt
l Ir:ce1ess gifts that bave come down to Us fro
, our tatht1s, and they must stand or fall togetl
t cr. If we lose the Union, we lose all, and
scerd into a political condition more destru
| tive to our liberties aud degrading to our hon,
l than tho Vas6alage from which our fnther8 re
5 i cued us.
i The preservation Of opr terri! orial and D,
/ litical Union is. then, the substance Of VII
E We are tiehting for, aud If, as one great unite
: ard powerful people, the loyal men Of the
States would unite together as one mau, al
! forego, for a brief time, all partis III discu
e s1oD :; if We would persistently ignore all CT
e lateral issues and bend all our energies to u
+ ACCOMPLISHMENT of this one purpose, we shou
e end this war trinmphantiy in period Of tin
. much shorter than that which 1t has alrea
d occupied. I affirm that 1t is our duty, as log
!. men, to sacrifice everything to accompll
e this result. Give us one government, O
g people, and all other considerations arisi
II out of and apparently connected with tt
g conflict, become mere circumstances to
Z se1r1ed at our convenience institutions a
e constitutions are mere creatures; they f1a
d been made, and can be urmade and again
created and sanctioned Or abolished by t
g will Of tie people-tbe authority to viii
/ they owe their existence. For a great ma
4, years we have succeeded :, IN ma
u tanning and preserving the Uni
ID BY compromises OF political questions.
.e have saved the Union by suEing somethi
10 else, by yielding something that was {
lie right, or torbea1ing to Insist upon 6omcthi
y. that we might rightfully have claimed.
I'd have given up point atter poiut-yieldcd pr
IT ciple after principle, until, With many OF Us
ut had come to be 8 rule Of action that We Wot
el give " ~ha1ev.r WAS demanded for the SAKE
is That Union which was SO dear to us. But
le | the day for compromises has past. We
IS not, will not treat with rebels and traltG
i'll No question In clifton to this or that int
cs est, or this or that political principle, sho
i'd intervene between rs aad the grand objat
have in view. III 1hls connection much
r. been said about the constitution. I rev
ut and respect that instrument Ii has, til
tt many Years, served as 3 Fudder to the shiI
OF State, and it has never failed to guide t
lat noble Z. sse1 sattly into the ports OF pros{
ity and peace. firmly belieee that
ch is within our power to maintains
,st and there could be no greater trium
lat than to impose it again with its consecra
ng provisions and eacrrd guarantees Of right a
or those, who, with suicidal madness, have "
be- drawn from its protection aud sought
sin trample it in the dust. But the constitui
to never Was intended to be in the way of
an preservation OF the Union It's very pTeau
der !; recite6 that it is made in order q to ens
ut. more perfect Union" The great and &
ith men whose wisdom it embodieB, never an
tile ! patsd crisis like the present. They &C
nto ! not have foreseeu that rebels and tru
der would band together to destroy the best
JUG trpnlent that ever existed on the face OF
ady ear1h, or that the provisions Of that ga
lud instrument would be invoked to paralyZs
}er, ann OF the very authority it creates, AMI
rel shield from mtrited punishment the aut
red OF rebellion. It Is too monstrou5 FIR be
,an- that true Interpretation Of the constilu1
stands In the way OF infaictiug most con
,me punishment upon traitors, or that it can
,ner be made an instrument OF oppression agt
lore loyal citizens. There is some strange
md. rstanding or Infatuation in regard 70
. Of question. a class Of political abstraction
den set up this great constitutional idol for
eral people to worship, as something higher
ad- more sacred than the principles which II
rris. It's foundation, the rights it was de5Igne
riag securp, or the will Of the people to VIII,
n a owes Its existence. Treason and rebe
ina Lift their bloody hands and aim parri
t to blows at the Union, which is the great I
and diunl Of all our liberties. When loyal
'vey fnaugutate stern severe measures to s&a
) he ruin which threatens 70 over ehelm US, #
high brought ehort up, and our labors and el
>veY t rendered unavailable and useless, by
rus splitting theories in regard to the com
aner tlon. When 1t Is sought to relieve loyal Il
Mug the farmers and mechanics and NO,
IS OF men OF the North from the taxation
med | distress, inevitably consequent upon
7hen | present struggle for national existence
bat to Impose the burden or at least share {
with |. burden mon the Traitors who have brl