Winchester journal. [volume] (Winchester, Indiana) 1862-1863, 1863-09-25
WINCHESTER, INDIANA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3d. lsea

in 17T6. In the lieht of these facts.
/ would have the history Of the
United States carefully studied by
our Young men; and having given
them q tolerable idea of the charters,
constitutional history, and anti
revolutionary Jurisprudence Of the
colonies. they should be thoroughly
iadoctriuated IN the great truths OF
our declaration Of independence. -
Oar fathers declared them 70 be self
evident. in support OF them they
plighted t. each other their proper
Is, their honor, and their lives. They
appealed to the Supreme Judge OF
the world for the rectitude of their
intentions. II, in the LIGHT Of these
facts. and OF the Gntecedeut and sub
seQuent history Of our country, there
IS doubt SIS TO what they intended by
their plain Saxon words, that doubt
should be removed Did they. for
example, in declaring that al men
are created equal, mean TO say that
they arc physically, Intellectually or
morally equal: or equal only in their
inalienable rightsY Did they mean
to apply this truth only to British
born subjects at that day, or contem
plate lis complete ultimate applica-
tion to al races and conditions Of
men,. and the consequent overthrow
OF every despotism Oh earth? Js this
truth, expressly named self evident,
y mere rhetorical flourish, q mystical
postulate, on unmeaning abstraction,
= bald sophism, n self-evident false
hood, or is it the great, central, life
giving truth Of our politics, to be
guarded as the nation 5 life. aud hon
ored as VIC honor our fathers? OF
course / am not here TO answer these
questions. and | only mention them
rs belonging to political history, and
because, to our shame, they are OF
late regarded rs open questions, and
ought to have been answered in the
common schools OF the State.
The political history of the States
during tie Revolution, should IN like
manner be studied, including the
rise, progress, decline and fall of the
Articles Of Confederation, prepara-
tory to the formation of the Consti-
tuition OF the United States. This,
of course, ought TO be carefully stud
led, and fully explained, rs the
crowning fact CT American politics
Nor Is the task 1T ell difficult Con
stitutions,' says Judge Story, "are
not designed for metaphysical or le
gal subleties. for niceties OF express
sion, for critical propriety, for elab-
crate shades OF meaning, or for the
exercise Of philosophical acuteness,
or judicial research. They are in
struments of a practical nature,
founded on the common business OF
human life, adopted TO common wants
designed for common use, and fitted
for common understandings. The
people made them, the people adopt
e taem, the people must be supPcs
cd 70 read them, by the help Of com
mon sense, and caa not le presumed
4 admit in them any recond.te mean
ing or any extraordinary gloss. II
this be true, the Constitution may be
understood and certainly ought to
be under, ood by The people, who
FL, directly or indirectly, all the Off
ccs OF the COY ernnent. and are the
appointed guardians to watch over
the conduct Of their public servants.
And yet how many among the mass
OF or citizens can say they under
stand IL How many could pass even
q tolerahle examination. If question
cd Us TO the grants OF power COLI
tanned in it; the distribution OF this
power into separate departments,
with the duties cnd responsibilities
OF each, the various offices Of the
government, how created, their ten
ure, power. and dutiesf How many
could define the boundary line OF
power between the National end
State Governments? We have Tor
years been in the midst of an ab-
sorting excitement about the ques-
ton OF slavery. How many OF our
people could clearly explain the re-
lations which we, IS citizens OF the
free States, sustain under the Constl-
tuition towards the institution OF
slavery ia the slave States: and the
duties resulting from those relations:
How many OF those who annually
pass upon the gravest questions Il
the laiiot-lox. have even patiently
read the Constitution from tie begin
ming to the end! / am persuaded
that. could we accurately weigh or
measure the real knowledge OF the
people OF the United States in these
particulars, aad publish the result TO
the world, it would rejoice the heart
OF every absolutist in CAristendom,
and call forth prophecies oI the
speedy overthrow Of our Institutions.
Should we not count it public re-
proach. tAat, in a nation known Is
the frecst OH earth, with a Constit0-
ton easily understood, and covering
only q few printed pages, such wide
spread ignorance Of it should abound
among the people: Can We, as Re
honestly hold up our heads
and justify II:
The remedy IS within our reach,
and the duty to apply 1t IS impera
tive. In Massachusetts the law
requires that the Federal constitu-
tion shall be taught in her higher