The Grand Haven news., 1862-03-12

Persia ceased TO be regarded, and their
decisions TO bo respected, The sceptre de-
parted from the race. When "the Orien-
tai Magi" lost the Monarch's ear in Bah
ylon, and ceased to dispense justice at
her gates, the throne toppled to its fall,
and the Assyrian government passed
away. When the counsels OF Longinus
were overruled, and his laws no longer
needed by the naughty lords of Palmyra,
that monstrous city, whose gilded temple
of the sun rivaled the noontide effulgence
of that grand luminary, fell beneath the
fierce assault of Roman legions, and her
captive Queen, Zenobia, was led in chains
to grace the conqueror's triumph. When
the laws of Lycurgus were lost to Spar
Ia, she lost herself. When the turbulent
Jewish factions refused to have their San
hedrim expound the books Of the Hebrew
law, Jerusalem was sacked and the nation
perished. When the Areopagus Of Ath-
ems, abdicated their high judicial func-
tions aud allowed the mob to adjudge her
philosophers worthy of death, Athens her
self perished, and Greece passed into his
tory. And when the populace trampled
upon the law of the twelve tables, and
the decrces of the Roman Senate were
powerless against mob violence on the
Quriual, the glory of the land of Cicero,
Marcellus and Cato suffered total eclipse,
and the tesselated pavements of the Eter-
nal City resounded to the tumultuous
tramp of her Vandal conquerors.
Shall the admonitions of the past still
fall upon the unheeding American cars !
Shall our misguided footsteps continue TO
stake hold" on national death? Has
not the time now fully como when we, MS
a people, will listen to the expostulations,
the prophetic teachings of Washington
Is there nothing in the deep tolling, the
startling peals of Jefferson's fire-bell by
night" to arouse us to new energy, and
united eflori9 Let us retrace our steps,
and regain the road which alone leads
"to Union, liberty and peacep Let us
revisit the ancient ways our fathers trav-
ersed. Let us re-adopt their creed Of
governmental faith, and at least initiate,
if we can not equal, their exalted patriot
ism. Let us again act upon their quaint
but expressive motto, Este Sacri leges,
ct stare deciSiS," let the laws be held in
reverence, and the dccilj,ns Of our courts
stand firm!
Questions of paramount Importance
are now being thrust upon us at every
turn, and by every movement of our ar
my. Their practical and satisfactory so
luton can only be found in resort 10
the principles underlying the whole struc-
ture of our government, if the policy to
be iuaugurated contemplates the mainten-
ance of the old system, the old constitu-
ton and Union.
The evidences are overwhelming that
the northern public will divide, as hereto.
fore, and that, too, upon the very test oi
the government rs now administered. To
q considerable section of the republican
party, and especially TO those who assume
to champion its principles, the policy Of
President Lincoln, in his close adhesion
to the constitution, in his unshaken fidel-
ity to the Union, in his expressed anxiety
to act under law, and in his conduct Of
the war, with sole reference to its only
legitimate object, has been highly dis
pleasing.
And now that question is made, rs tC
what shall be the status of the Unior
when peace is restored, many of those
same leaders, and the radical abolition
press, with Greeleys Tribune at the head
boldly ignore the old constitution, and re-
pudiated the old Union. This question
must be referred to and settled by the
people. II is evident, then, that resort
to the ballot-box must be had.
Party organization must be renewed
and party platforms adopted, at least SC
far as to test the fealty of voters TO tho
time-honorcd work of our fathers. There
can be no neutral, no middle ground or
this issue. Men must now range them
selves politically either for against the old
Union. The new government flag is al
| Icauy uuluTlcu Will It's ulSuHlOu uiId tIS"
sonable motto, "No ulion NTH slave
holders." It's adherents are, therefore
not only hostile 10 the old constitution
and Union, but are and have been all
along hostile to the President and his adj
herring Cabinet-bostile to the policy Of
the war-hostile to the retention of the
border States in the Union, and hostile TO
all our conservative Generals and troops
-exulting in none of our battles fought
since Bull Run and Bulls Bluff, and sore
ly chagrined at our splendid victories re-
Gently achieved, since their evident tenden-
cy is to bring peace to our borders by the
restoration of the Union rs il was.
AS this same radical class have hither-
to manifested an equal repugnance TO any
peaceable separation between the free and
the slave States, it is evident that THEN
desire and design from the start has been
to force the war into one of conquest and
sublugation-to drive out the adherine
border Slates-thcn to declare n forfeit
ure, by fifteen States of this Union, ot
all their rights of equality, sovereignty
| and indonandannn. IN wipa ont all ihpii