The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1864-08-11
Gsac Cies Union.

The memory of four years ago is as de
IlciCus in these times Of war and turmoil
is a cool breeze in the heat Of the summer.
The comparison Is feeble. No words can
lc=cri'.c the longing of Tie patriots heart
fora return to The blessed times 81 oli. the
lays oi $50. AMI the years all along before
that to the earliest memory OF living men.
w hat ,-says tie last @! the radicals.
who still holds on to his idols. and dreams
Of Il radical paradi.c--'what would YOU
20 back to the oil Union tho old Consti-
tuition, that league with death and couvc.
nart with hell"
Yes. We would return to just exactly
that old Constitution and thank God
humbly and heartily it we might but get
back to that old Union Of peace aud pros
pcrity. But, adds the unrcpentant radical
sinner, quoting the words Of his fayortc
journal. the Evening Post, 'would you
really be villine to so back to the Union
n which slavery dcfled every scat OF
Authority dcbauched al legislation. defcd
ali law it did Itself enact scJfed at human
rights, elevated to ihc dignity of virtues
crimes that B@mba never cqualcd.' and all
that sort Of things?
Nonsensc-oh radical cnthusiast-these
words were written i0r political effect, and
We have driftcd away beyond al that
There Is scarcely newspaper left in the
land that would risk its reputation to day
by refusing to accept the old Union. pure
and simple, for settlement OF this war. or
by daring to attempt the plan of making
It's readers hate the memory Of that glorious
time. The hearts of all the people are
ycarning for the good days of old. Men
remember the old Union with proioundcst
love, with desiring affection. 1t was the
best the purest, the most bcnciccnt Gov
crnmcnt the world ever saw 1t was Ike
the sun among the planets, shedding light
and lie among the nations. The eyes of
the poor, the suffering, the oppressed in all
countries, turned to it with ieryent hope,
with aspiring faith. The people of the
land that it governed were happy, and
prosperous. Justice rcigncd. Liberty was
preserved as it must always bc, by law.
and law was not Calling on the meek. was
easy and pleasant to be borne, because of
| liberty. No military fort received the
citizen, dragged at midnight from his bed
as in Poland and Russia and other coun-
tries that might be named. No fugitive
from the clutch oi slave trading officials
in the land Of the inquisition was seized by
armed men in secret and sent back to damn
dungeons under the flow Of tropical tides.
| All the land was peaceful, every hom2
was full Of JOY. except only for those sor-
rows that gre the lot of man. a gospel ol
peace was preached in the Sunday morning
pulpits Of ail the churches, and nowhere
on the earth were there so many houses in
which the inhabitants were contented, il
which men lived and died so calmly anC
hopefully as in the old Union of the Amer
lean States.
But slavery" says our radical friend
Young man. in what manner did SLAYER,
affect you? What was its effect on tn,
sum of human happiness in America
What was its influence in determining
the prosperity Of the country? 1t is =;
good time for you to think of these oues
tons. Divide them, and ask first wha
was the effect Of slavery on the black man
and second what was its effect on the whit,
man. We shall rot undertake just now t,
guide your reflections Think for your
self, aud compare the condition of til,
slaves before the war with the condition
of the frecmen row, and with the prospec
tive condition OF the free colorcd race aftc
the abolition of slavery, if it should per
chance be accomplished by the war
as not necessary to be pro-slavery MAJ
because you decide that instantaneous abo
lltion would be a curse to the black an,