The weekly union record., 1864-07-09

national peace. prosperity and happiness, ere
ated solely By the natural Influences of equal
rights. equal laws, and equal justice snd pro
lection. The spirit Of the nation was perfectly
free. freedom was the rule in all their political
institutions, With bot one exception, and that
exception, il was believed woud be gradually
oblifersted by the operation Of that overshsd
owing rule and sway OF those free Institutions
And here We wish 10 Illustrate the distinction
between the natural and the conventional en-
dowmeDts of freedom. IN state Of perfect
natural freedom, each person is free and inde
peojent OF others, and has by nature The right
/ TO govern himself. These natural endowmenis
OF freedom belong TO each and every human
being. But there are other endowments of
/ freedom, which do not exist BY suy natural Law
or right. which grow ont of social condition, or
from the organization Of free and independent
persons into political system aud order, for the
necessary security. happiness and very existence
of the inhabitants. where the population of q
country is considerably numerous; and these
We call CONVENTIONAL endowments. As By the
natural law, no one has any right 10 govern or
restrain another so where such control by one
person over others exists, it is presumed TO flow
/ from a political agreement or convention,
whereby and wherein the political right to
=
convention mos, fit and proper 10 administer
| the government.
( In cur system Of government. those who vote
and hold office constitute the governing portion
of the American family; but the right TO vote
and 10 hold Office are not the neutral endcw-
ments of freedom; they are its conventional
eDdowments. There can be no good government
where these conventional eu1OwmeutS are not
somewhat restricted for, all are not competent
nor fit 10 participate in governing others those
especially who from want of intelligence, can
not govern themselves. But the best govern
ment is that where these conventional endow-
ments, or franchises, are cooferred upon all who,
By intelligence, virtue and capacity, are best
qualified TO exercise them for the common good
Now, d perfect freedom Of natural rights is not
Incompatible with Ibe absence of the franchises
of voting and holding office. No class of society
is more free than the women of the country ;
yet from the Inconsistency existing between
their refined timid and pure nature, and all
public emplnyments Dot from any want Of
intelligence, they have not been endowed in our
system with these franchises OF freedom. Yet
they are none the less free, and they exercise
none he less influence IN the direction OF our
social and political system. Minors are not
permitted the exercise of these franchises, on
account of their incompetency as a class, al
though many minors OF twenty years are far
better qualified 10 vote and hold Office than
many persons who enjoy this political dignity
These conventional endowments arc of the inner
working OF our political system-aud We cannot
see how or in what manner II can be improved
But because the President of the United States
A abraham Liucoln-God bless him and those
who support tie Government, have resolved as
a necessary incident to the war, as Just punish
meut of treason. as of right, to exercise the
virtue of humanity in extending the blessings
of freedom, with all its natural immunities and
natural endowments, to every human being
living ard breathing the air OF heaven in this
great republic, be and they are falsely accused
of wishing TO bestow upon The Africans as
class all those conventional endowments, fran
chises and privileges of freedom belonging to
the governing class. The friends of the Gov
ernment are determined TO strike down every
power brought 10 bear against the permanency
of the Union. They have resolved that this
nation shall live, aud that justice and humanity
shall be exercised throughout the land.
From the termination of the American revo-
luton to the election of Abraham Lincoln,
period Illustrated by the silent operation of the
most liberal Institutions and freest government
ever conshtuted-with scarcely ripple on the
sea of cur national tranquility during the inter
vening space, showing results of unequslled
moral and material graudeur-this, to the lover
of the philosophy of peace, is the most interest
ing span in the architecture of our national
glory. This period is filled up with the con
quests of the most superior civilization such as
the founding of colleges the adoption Of sys
tens of popular education the culture of
-. II o. boa of -, -.
pies; the building of towns and cities; the
organization of new States the extension of
commerce and agriculture; inventions and dis
coveries in the arts and sciences vast systems
Of internal improvements executed all dis
playing the native intelligence, activity and
energy of the American mind with its unrival-
led and lnexhaustable resources in the creation
and extension of the empire Of civilization. But,
although this period affords the most interesting
subjects for our contemplation, we cannot dwell
in these bright fields of thought. For. there is
a storm that darkens our national skies II
sweeps onward 10 its hurricane OF wrath. 1t
shakes the earth like the shocks of an earth
quake as it meets a resisting mountain. It's
lurid glare casts gleam OF pallor over every
countenance. 1t Is the unnatural travail, in our
political existence, of The GREAT REBELLION.
THE REBELLION.
This hideous political monstrosity. this un-
holy, causeless rebellion, that has deluged the
land with blood, and carried anguish, unutter
able woe and desolation into nearly every fam,
lily in the free States. is the work of slavery
the practical result of the terrible spirit inst-
led into the minds OF its votares. 1t is the
offspring of unwilling uuptials between Amer
icau liberty and African bondage. 1t Is the
struggle resulting from the logic Of connections
and relations between the rule and the ercsp-
ton, which we have mentioned as having been
retained in the organization Of our political
system. That the refsssive antagonism. thus
left 10 the body polite, would sooner or later
break out into bloody conflict. could only oe
a question OF the growth of The two principles.
side by side, in the same National family.
Our fathers thought that slavery, the excep-
iion. could not increase that the growth of
freedom, under our genial system. would be so
rapid as to overshsdow the little exception Of
negro bondage: as some mighty oak draws
the nutriment Of the soil from every shrub be-
ueaih it. leaving bnt sickiy ex xstence 10 every