The weekly union record., 1865-07-22


hands. The men called upon - furnish q Con-
stitution for the infant Republic, were men
who had not only made themselves acquainted
with the requirements Of free people and the
evils TO be guarded against, ba, who thorough
ly understood the theory upon which our In
I dependence had been gained. ard the funda-
mental principles which must underlie this uew
governmental fabric. Neither were their de
iiberations warped by sel6shness or the love OF
power, or their action Influenced hy that sin
by which the angels fell. They had ability to
devise, aud integrity TO execute.
am pot here 10 say. that in their treatment
of the Question which since imperiiied the
structure they built and endangered the loss oil
the liberty they hoped was forever secure.
policy with her syren tongue did drown the
sterner counsel OF justice. and in the dread Of
internal strife following the glorious but bloody
struggle which had passed, they as II were
temporized with The very evil 10 avoid which
their lives had been devoted. Bat ] do say
that the Federal Constitution, for its equity to
mankind. for lis consistency and strength. and
for the great purpose for which it was devised,
was the grandest noblest and most perfect 10
sirument that had ever been given TO the world.
Ii was the result Of deep reflection ; 1t flowed
from virtues that had stood the fiery ies; Of
life long persecution. II was snblimated ln
the cruclble OF mighty thoughts and it came
forth the great charter OF Human Liberty
alike worthy Of its authors and the end al
which they aimed.
To Us and our fathers we know al least il
has been fruitful source Of peace, prosperity
and happiness. Beneath the salu.arv lutiu
+ ence Of benignant provisions, We have grown
! from little handful Of colonies, respected only
! for our hardihood and bravery, and sympa
thized with for our poverty, and become a
great, powerful aud wealthy people. receiving
( the respectful and almost trembling homage OF
mankind. Our commerce decks every sea aud
our starry banner which thea tioaied, not less
proudly though solely. upon little sea giri
belt OF desolate. unhroken wilderness, now un-
folds lis sacred stripes in every cline, aud is
kissed by the wandering sunbeam iu every por
tion of the earth.
Where the smoke arose from The wigwam
fire of the savage race. now almost extinct,
and who have wandered westward ever west
ward il search of their far off spirit hunting
ground, until their wearied and impatient souls
have, with what was left of life, followed the
golden track of the sun behind the western sky
where he does nightly sink to rest. now
points to heaven the gilded spre OF the Chris
3 tidu ltlllpit. SuuMIH9 tbiutliOid SUIS diS W.
taries of that blessed religion which redeemed
our race. Where the thick forest furnished
lair for the wild beast, to day stand fields of
waving grain, cities of marvellous beauty, and
every evidence of progress and prosperity.
Our boundaries, then defined by creeks and
bogs, and ranges of small hills and blazed trees,
have extended until on either side an ocean
marks our limits Thus, sir. stood America
/ in 1860. made under that constitution in a
/ period of less than eighty years, the grandest,
I prondest Daticn of the earth.
/ Then, sir. the mutterings that had for time
been heard floating upon the political breeze.
began TO grow louder and fercer, and the little
/ cloud not larger than mans hand extended
until it encompassed our whole Southern sky :;
and its black and frowning front proclaimed
! the passionate hatred with which it was sur
charged. 10 1861 The shock came-and how
bitter was the contest, ask of the plains
strewn with the bones Of freedoms latest mar
tyrs. How sad ask of the thousands of wild
/ ows and orphans who gaze 10 day with fearful
eyes upon that flag and feel their interest there
/ in was purchased with the blood Of husbands.
fathers and sons. 1t has swept over US. sir,
( like mighty cyclone aud although we have
come forth triumphant, we have not come forth
unscathed.
! The history Of this war shall be written in
tears. The sacrifices to that Constitution
enumerated upon the monuments and tomb
stones whose white heads poiut toward that
heaven where the sous Of those whose resting
place they mark have gone.
But why was this attack upon that Cons,i
tuition? aud why this war OF kind against
kind Was it because Of any imperfectlon in
the Constitution | answer, partially. yes.
Partially, because OF an imperfection IN our
form of government. While the mission of
our fathers was to found government upon
The basis of universal freedom and such were
the professions they held out 10 the world in
that particular, their work was not an entire
success. They erected their structure leaving
Que stone 10 The foundation that was not sound
that was not connected with the remainder Of
The building. They had erected temple to
freedom, and bound imprisoned slaves upon its
altar.
Our Government presented the spectacle OF
house divided against itself-a body polite
containing two fatus Of different nature, char
acter and organization, and requiring different
nutrition for their development and suSteuance.
Hence it could not thus stand. The one must
die and the other live. or both must die. Their
joint existence and development in the same
body was an imposslbility.
The development of slavery must be at the
expense of the development of freedom, or rice
tersa. The free part Of the foundation must
be torn out, or the slave part; the structure
/ must become all slave or all free, or totter aud
fall Of its own weakness.
The slave oligarcby at the South tired Of
system of government which, while it secured
| 10 them whatever of greatness they possessed
and whatever Of prosperity they eajoyed. still
in the uame Of freedom interposed some re
straints. Knowing their inability to tear out
the free part of the foundation and substitute
another therefor, they conceived the idea of
destroying the whole fabric aud erecting an
other for themselves, to suit themselves
Oh, how lily they had studied The character
of the Northern man. True, be bad hitherto
submitted to every aggression True, be had in
the tolerance of freedom of speech. let the
abuse of the Constitution become q crime.
True, while be boasied of this land of freedom