Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-12-20
tbaItF bsa been Iggsss nlY'slixsd m te heart

that haa Been Iess Gr 6ily7s lixsd ii. tie heart
Of tie people at the inan guration of Ageaslii-
.ington the foreign relations '"of The country
were few, and. its, trade was repressed by
hostile regulations pow all the civilized ma
etions of the globe welcome. our commcrcc,
sand their Gorcrbmeats profess 5tqwarls3us
amity. TheS, our country felt its way hc>i
tatingly along an untried path, with States
so.little bound together by rapid mcans ct
communicating, as to, he hardly know,n,to. cue
another, and with tistoricftTadtioas extend
ing over very few years; roH, intercourse
between the, States is swift aud intimate; The
experience Of. centuries has. been crowded
into a few generations, and has created an
intense, ndestructbla nationality. Them
our Jurisdiction ditA not reach beyond tie
inconyehient;. bnundrrics Of tile territory
which had achieved Independence; now,
through cassioas1 Of Ind first cslo:tized by
|. 5 pain and France, tin country lIas oGQnircd
ra,re complex charac,er, aud has lor is
aa:ur.l limits ;ilcce.aS.i of Lakes, ihc Gaf
oil Mexic}; ~aisd Ulithc East aid West The
two great occals. Dthcr nations were. waslcd
i by civil wars f]l ages before toeS u!d cs-
tablsh for themselves the necessary degree
Of unity the latent conviction That oilr lerm
oil government is the best ever known 10 the
| world, hos enabled ~us, TO emerge from civil
'was within four yrarc, with q complete vim
| dication Of the constitutional au!horityof the
General, Government, and with our local'ib-
| critics and State institutions unimpsircd. The
idhrongs Of S,eigrants tl:st crowd to our shores
are witnesses of the cM6aencc Of all peoples
i in our perlRanence. Here is the great land
hot: Tree labor, where Industry is b!csscd With
un+x.mpled rewards, and the bread of:,thc
working man is swcc:cned " the conscious
iincss tLat the csasc ,f the country ais his
! own cause, his own safety, his own dignity
Here, every one enjoy the free use of his
faculties ami the choice Of activity as 3 not
ural right. Here, un,!er tic coG;bited infu,
f.ence OF q; fruitful soil, genial ciimes, and
happy institutions, Population. has increased
fl flc3nfoid withinta century, Here, through
the easy deselopniertof bound!esS resources
wealth has increased With. tYo fold greater
rapility than numbers SO that We have be
1 Come secure against the financial vicsi;udc:
1 Of other coyStries, and alikc in business and
in opinion, are self-ccatered and truly indie
pendent. Here, MOI and more caresis giFef
to provide education for every onp born CT
cur soil. Here, religion, released from politi
ca! connection wits the civil government, re-
fuses to subserye the ci'a'; of statesmen, anc
becomes, in is ;rdr pculepce, tie spiritta
5h(e Of the peop.a. Hero toleration'is extend
Jed to every opinion ir The qu;et certainty
that truth needs only q fair field to secure
the victory. Here, tue human mind gce,
forth unshsct!ed in the pursuit of science
TO collect >iorts. Of knowledge and acquire
al cverincrcasing mastery over the forces .
/. mature. Hec, the national .domainis ofere:
tha; our fellow-ritizaas, beyond the occupenti
of any ether part of .ahe2earth. constitute il
realt: ap o2le. Here, exists the demo ,rati'
firm of government and that form OF gov
crnment, by the confession .cf European
statesmen, "giyes power Of Which no othc
form is capable, because itincorperatcs evory
man with the State, and arouses every thing
that belongs toethe soul ~
I Where, in past history, does a parallel exis
to tie public happiness which is within th'
reach of the people Of the United States
Wherc, 10 any part OF the globe, caninsti
tuIons 5e'found so suited to their habits o.
IsSo Cllsiticd " tiElt lOfe Ao -tlCIi- Ohh iiS'
Constitution? Every one of them, then il
whatever part of tue land lie has bis home
must wish its pespctuity Who Of them viii
not now acknowledge, in the words of Wash
ington, thet every step by Which the pcop!'
of the United States have advanced to til
character of an Independent nation,, seems II
have been distinguished by some token o
Providental agency?" Who will not joii
with INC in the praye-, that the invisible
hand which has led Us through the cl:ud
that gloomed around our Path, will go guide
us onward to a perfect restoration Of frater
nal affection, that we of this day may be abl
to transmit our great Inheritance, of State
Governments in allithsir. rights, of the Gea
raj Government in its whole constitutions
..vigor, to our po.telity, and they to tEe;r
1 throughout countless generatious2
! ANDREW JOHNSON.
WAsHISuroS, December 4, 1868. 4
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