The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-11-19

IuE
/ nrc now passing through some Of the phl'es
OF change which have signa,el thr nl'cont
! condition of the ancient empires, such a.
! Greece, Romc Car hlg,, Gernl1y, France,
/ and Great Britain, we are consequently retro
] pressing. These yicissitrdasarc inctdautt TO
Ell forms Of growth aud development, both in
tbc physical and moral world. They arc only
the vibrations which denote the fac. Of pro-
grcss just as the growing pains" az they are
iauiliarly called TO which the child Is slhj,'t,
and about which he 30 isuorIuily ami bitterly
complains to hi- mosher. And Go take stil
higher Illustration, We would ask tho stul2nt
Of history to point us to -iasla clst o"
national prcalass that has not Dxpcrianc'
temporary drawback. and rrcnsiors which
have been pt the time, Interpreted a, igls Of
decay and dissolution, though they have after
wards proved TO have been bIt th' ultIru
throcs Of a steady, strong, and h,lthy
advance toward, another and better stag, Of
maturity.
We are told now that in the progress Of the
present civil war we are repeating history in
the overthrow Of the previously e5tabli1hei
order Of things. But is that Charge trie?
Is anything that should have be5n previously
established, and is really worth prestryug,
being ovcrthrownP As regards the in3ti5u-
ton of slavery, we all know that it was not,
originally, planted ON these shores By The
colon5ts. English Cupidty Inflicted the curse
upon US In the beginning, and we have ever
since shielded ourselves behind that fact
whenever we were reproachad with the
glaring Inconsistency of founding govern
mcnt on the doctrine that "ail men arc cr5-
ated equal - and yet holding in bondage mil
lions Of men OF a different race.
We know, moreover, that there were great
differences OF opinion in the Convention that
framed the Constitution of the United States
rs to the provisions Of that instrument, anl
chat those differences were so powerfully
operative at the period, that several Of the
original thirteen states long hesitated before
they ratified the Constitution. The whole
thirteen States came into the Union at last in
spite OF their dlscordance as 20 particular con-
diiOns OF the compact and it was understood
and expressed, at the time, in the preamble of
the Constitution ITSELF that the connection
should bc indissOuble, save by the vote OF
majority, not of the States, but of the whole
people OF all the United States.
Wen, that condition of the compact holds
good to-day, notwithstanding the political
changes which majority of the people of the
Confederation are now resolved upon. Their
will in the matter is the supreme law. The
Southern States are legally concluded ag inst
protest by the solemn engagement OF their
own pgogcaitors ald founders, lud tL,y cll-
not rightlu.ly go back on that engaSem anC.
But if this were not based on sound prln-
Ciple of social and civil law, the Southern
Stltes, or their people, as minority in the
controversy, should go down, for the simple
reason that they have, in kng war on the
National Government. not only forfeited their
legal rights, but substituted by that act the
law OF war in the place Of the law Of peace.
II, then, they go down, they must blame
themselves.
In short, there is q Law Of progress in this
world which no human complcts aud covenants
can oppose or defeat. That law is the law OF
God. lie has ordained that this New World
shall be the theatre on which lie means to
develop the highest state Of social happiness
to which man can attain in this sphere Of
being, and He intends that one Of the con Ii
tons Of that problem shall be personal tree
| dom to AL men Of all races.