The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1865-07-25

: had turned harmony into dlscords.
: had ongulfed fraternitics into seas O
; fierce and endless agitation. It hat
, pitted two great divisions of the coun
) try against. each other in q struggl,
: embittered with every element of strife
: In the halls of Congress, in ecclesiasti
cal assemblies, at the meeting Of benev
olent and educational societies, even il
! the social circle at private houses, thi.
: devil Of discord was ever present tc
stir up angry dissensions. nfI
Under the awakening conscience o.
the surrounding world, it seemed rs il
there could be no peace within our Dor
ders until this great evil should be ex,
tinguished. Numerous States passed
ordinances of secession, and seized the
federal property within their reach
| They repudiated the Government, dis.
owned its authority, assaulted its flag,
and deiied its power. They not only
I directed their weapons against its phys.
ical constitution, but at lis inner life
at the very soul of the Union. They
sought to extinguish this confedcracy,
leaving the framework of thirty y-four
great States as lifcless on the site OF
their structure, as thirty-four chain
links coiled on the frozen earth. a
The doctrine of secession cannot be
maintained by the most flimsy argu-
mcnt. The right of revolution, for
good and sufficient causes, without a
reasonable hope of obtaining redress of
grievances, should be admitted, but
revolution without cause is treason, the
greatest of crimes. It's the equivalent
of murder, robbery, arson, larceny,
and Decentralization in all its varied
forms.
The rebellion of the Southern states
was without the slightest provocation.
No right had ever been denied them.
They had never been taxed withoutrep-
rescntation. They had never been de-
prived of a fair and just proportion of
the Offices in the gift of the people.
The Government which they sought to
destroy had never in any way disturb
cd them in the enjoyment of life, libor-
ty, character, honor, or property. 1t
had committed no oppression, broken
no contract, exercised no unholy power
1t had always Acknowledged tire sover-
eighty of the people and of the States
within the rifles of the Constitution.
The leaders in the great crime had
for many long years held under their
sway every department of the Govern
meat. In the Judiciary, in the cabinet,
the army and the navy, they had more
than a just representation, But the
great doctrines embodied in the Dec
laration of independence had become
distasteful to them, and they sought to
destroy this great Republic, and erect
upon its ruins military despotism,
that should eventually swallow up
Central America, Mexico and the
South American States, and thereby
create an empire for slave labor. But
God reigned, and under his wondrous
providence the nation was ordained to
live on, and perform its great mission.
Under the reign of long continued
peace and prosperity, the whole coun-
try had become thoroughly unpreparcd
for was; but war came, and summoned
al the vast resources of the nation to
its stern and awful sway.
AS that flag went down upon the
broken and dismantled walls of Fort
Sumpter, the nation seemed started as
if by great earthquake, that threat
ened to engulf it in one common ruin.
In patriotic devotion to the Union all
party ties were Immediately submerged.
The unanimity with which twenty
millions of people came up to the great
work of saving the Union proves how
deeply the love Of that Union was en-
bodied in the American heart.
The very industry of the country
seemed to have been touched with some
Internal wand, and with a single mo-
tion changed its front from peace to
war, and there was such storm Of war
as blacksned the whole horizon. All
the nation, rs if they had been n trained
army, lying upon their arms awaiting a
signal, rose up and began q war, which
for awiulness and spblimity, rises into
the first rank of eminencc. A's
Dark and gloomy clouds, with fiery
bolts, full of death and dcsolation, en-
yeloped half hemisphere. The front
of battle, extending from the capital of
the nation to our extreme western front
ier, WAS more than twelve hundred
miles long, and extended squthward
along the coast more than thousand
miles. In this vast arena, two millions
Of men, within the last four years hgye
met in skirmish, fight and battle in
more than o thousand conflicts. At
times it has seemed doubtful whether
the nation could live through the torri-
bic ordeal. How nobly and grandly
have our army and navy performed
their part in the work Of crushing out
the rebellion. -Four years of fratricid-
al, internccine war, the most exhaust
ing and destructive of all ware, and yet
the constant valor of our brave heroes
has sustained the cause of our country,
of civilization and liberty wherever our
flag has been unfurled, and to-day their
bones lie bleaching on numerous battle
fields extending from Bulls Run to tho
Rio grande. On the ocean, on the riv-
ers, on the land, they have engraven
with their swords a record imperisha-
BILE.
But all how many brave men have
fallen! A half million Of precious
lives have been sacrificed upon tho al
of our country, besides the vast
numbers that are disabled for life. How
freely have they poured out their hearts
blood for you, for me, and those that
shall come after. f1
IInuu aInl1 no.,nunan,nrnio than,