The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1863-11-13
THE RESTORATION OF THE UNION.
BY SECRETARY sTAgeoN

BY SECRETARY STANTON.
alt, the side of our country. Let us
revsysn Il VI thank lin tina: be has favored
the general march of our arms ioafo 'no
sacred end of our exertions--the deitssat OF the
daring attempt against the unity of our ma
tional power and the integrity of our free in
situations. Not always in human affairs has
the cause of right and freedom prevailed. In
the gradual development of human society,
as unfolded in the lapse of long ages, the OPP
pressor has generally triumphed, and history
has full often been compelled torecord the fail
ure of the noblest efforts, and the downfall of
the most righteous designs conceived for the
benefit of man. Such has been the experience
of the race in those parts of the world which
have longest been the theatre of humanenter-
prize and of established government But
the American continent seemsta-, present an
exception to this uniformity of.sinister events;
it is destined to be the seat Of civil liberty.
The success of our institutions in withstand
ing the awful trial to which they have just
been subjected, indicates the existence of
providential designs toward our favored coun-
try, not to be thwarted by any mortal agency
at home OF aboard. Such a combination of
hostile elements, so powerful and determined,
has never before assailed any political struc-
ture without overthrowing it, The failure in
the present instance shows that our great
destiny will be accomplished in the face of
all obstacles, however unsurmountable they
may appear to be-
Providence always accomplishes its ends
by appropriate instrumentalities and in our
case there are natural causes adequate to the
great result which seems to be inevitable.
In North America the prinlipai of equal
rights and OF unobstucted indiytdual progress
has become the fundamental law of society.
1t is needless to trace origin and growth of
this principle; but its operation has been SO
powerful and productive, SO fully imbued
with moral and Intellectual power, SO solid
and safe as basis of national organizations
as shown in the marvellous history of the
United states, that no uncdngenial principle
is capable of resisting it, Or even of main
tanning an existence by it's side. This is
true not only with regard to that antagonistic
principle which is now desperately but hope
lessly waging suicidal war within the bosom
of the great republic; but ID is equally true
with regard to that insidious germ of despo-
tism, which threatens topush its way through
the soil of neighboring country, displacing
the free institutions which have long and
sadly languished amid the civil wars of
most unhappy people. The same vigorous
vitality which will renew the growth of our
national authority and maintain it in the
Union, will, at the same time, establish its
predominant influence on the continent.
Having overborne and rooted out every OPP
posing principle within the boundaries ofour
own imperial domain, its growth will be SO
majestic that every unfriendly influence which
may possible have secured foothold in its
vicinity during its perilous struggle, will soon
wither in the shadow of its greatness and dis
appear from around it. Foreign nations may |
exert their sinister authority in the Old World
and plant their peculiar institutions in that
congenial soil, with their accustomed success
but no amount of skilful manipulation will
preserve these exotics when trasplanted in
the American soil. The prevailing elements
are not suited to their organization; they
cannot be naturalized and acelimated. This
continent with its peculiar population and |
antecedents, has its own political fauna and
fora fixed by nature and destiny, which can
not be utterly changed at the will of any hui
man authority.
The most wicked and disastrous experiment
of the age has been tried upon the grandest
scale. 1t was a bold undertaking to break
up the American Union, and to arrest the
progress of its benign principles. To the
great relief and joy of almost universal hui
manity, the monstrous attempt is about to re-
suit in disgraceful failure. Yet this pro-
digious enterprise of destruction was the most
suspicious promise for its fatal success. The
malignant envy of all the instruments of
despotism throughout the whole civilized
world were brought to bear, against us for
the accomplishment of a work of stupendous
ruin-the annihilation of American nation
atty American power, and American freedom.
All the bad, restless retrogressiye elements of
our own population sought alliance with the
foreign enemies of human liberty and, for
the most selfish and detestable of all social
and political schemes, attempted to PROSTATE
the paternal government of their country, be-
fore the expiration of the first country of
its unexampled career. Vast armies of de-
luded citizens, led by degenerate sons of the
republic-ingrates, educated at her own mill
tary schools-have impiously dcfed her law
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