Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1863-12-12

self directed action Of the people, whose legal
" expressed will is the supreme law OF the
land 1t provides the several departments oi
Government, making them directly, or indirect.
y dependant upon the people; thus giving free
scope to the principle Of popular represen ia.
tion. 1t invests the national will with the pre-.
negatives Of sovereignty, so limiting and qualify
ing what are called State Rights as TO preserve
the nationality OF the whole people, considered
as one and hut one political society, existing
under common Government.
Too much cannot be said in praise OF this
Constitution. It has fewer faults aud more ex.
cellencieS than any other instrument oft he
kind ever produced by human wisdom. The
Union under it has been prolific OF countless
benefits. The foul pretense OF Southern poll
ticians that it has proved system OF aggres-
sion upon Southern rights, is libel. True. the
Northern States have advanced much more rap.
| idly thnn that Southern, outgrowing them in pop
lation and wealth; but this is the natural con-
sequence Of the two different forms of society.
All the New Eng and States put together are
but a tri6e larger than the State OF Virginia.
| The latter was first settled; her climate is most
| inviting, md her natural elements OF wealth =,
almost bound!eSs Her position too is central.
Yet on account OF her free institutions, New
England has left Virginia far in the rear, we'd
ded to her 'pucuiiar institution" and IFS count
less evils, proving by the laws political econ
omy, that while Righteousness cxalteih o na.
tion, sin is repronch to any people.
If then we must fight for oul Constitution,
let us thank God TO day, that we ore fighting
on the side Of liberty. This great nation, in
famously attacked by on unprovoked treason, is
striving, not only to preserve its flag and its
unity, but TO preserve also the interests of lib
erty and justice. We are solving, not only for
ourselves, but also for the whole world, the
problem OF representative selfgovernment; and
whether we consider the principle of natonali.
ty, or the qualities of that nationality provi.
dentially committed 10 our care, we should be
an ignohle people, unworthy of our Inheritance,
and unfaithrul to God and man. If we consent
cd to the demands of this outrageous treason.
Those who want peace, as they say, upon al
most any terms, and even pray God to give us
peace, without reference to the principles in
volved, or who wonld be willing to settle this
controversy by a miserable compromise, that
would only transfer tee difficulty to future
age, seem to me to be very deficient in their
Of ho r;efa 7
such compromise. ! am satisfied with the Con-
stitutiou. 1t is Il e charter of liberty. AS the
bond Of union, 1t is the central orb Of our po-
litical 3! stem, and go for supporting it, cost
what it may. If this orb of day sink in dark
ness, to give place to most unrghieous des.
potsm, know not where, or when freedom
can ever again in safety erect her alters 1t
seems to me the last hope of free institutions
would perish from the world if we should fail
in this struggle.
We have good cause, let us thank God
that he has granted TO Us the honor of its dc.
fence, take courage and struggle on to the glo-
rious end.
IL. Another great thing the Lord has done
for u.s. is found in our national preservation and
success thus far in this contest.
Glory to God! We still have q country and
government, the purchase of the blood of our
sires. We are not dead though no monarchy
in Earope could for three months have survived
such tremendous rebellion as we have encoun-
tered.
In the commencem ment, all the advantages were
on the side Of the insurgents. For many years
they had been preparing for the struggle, while
the North, dreaming of DO such crisis felt quite
secure.
Lock at the facts See the late President
surrounde,! by cabnet, onc-haf at least, OF
whoa were traitors and PEI jured Williams, plot
ting 10 destroy the Government they were
sworn 20 support. See the Natioaal Congress
swarmiug with traitors, helehing out tie angry
fires of treason in the nations face. See how
traitors had p!undered the National treasury.
scattered the navy to the four quarters of the
globe, organized, and even drilled many of their
regiments, aud distributed the public arms in
the South See the Gsuerals and under OFF,
cer5 Of the Government marching by scores in-
10 the ranks Of teason. See tue almost total
want of an army to be called into the public
service. See the wide extent OF this foul con-
spiyacy reaching all over the Slave States, and
patronjzcd by the officers of State Govern
ments. See, also, the strange attitude of the
n orthern mind, just passing out of severe po.
ltical struggle, with portion Of the secular
press shouting in triumph over the secession OF
States. Patriots and honest men, for the mo
ment paralyzed, hoping and fearing, looking
around for compromises, not seeing the tremen.
dous magnitude of the rebellion, and having
no great leader like Jefferson, a Jackson, o
Webster, or Clay, with mighty thoughts and
words of FIRE 10 move the great American
heart and swell its pulsataliOns. say, look a,
these facts as they rolled along; aud really it
would seem as if all were lost, and the death
knell of our Nationality sounding, Tell me
what other Government on earth, under like
Disadvantages would have escaped total
wreck2 II is wonder that we are saved al