The Portland daily press., 1866-03-09
Gen. Chamberlain in Philadelphia. -.

0OAts OueskupOI.dil Al LAuhoSiPkAihssF
Washington's birthday was celebrated in
Philadelphia in ar imposing manner by the
military order of the Loyal Legion. Major
General J. L. Chamberlain of Brunswick pro-
nounced an qelouent Grafton on the life and
character of the illustrious first President,
after which Col. Charles G. Halpine miles
O'Reilly) read an appropriate poem. From the
full re port in the Philadelphia Press of the
address of General Chamberlain we make a
few extracts, regretting that we have not
space for more: lis I2CI ,2fngW
------ PRINCIPLES AND LAWS
Laws. at the best, are neither force nor a
bond. They are only ways, and their authori-
ty delegated or conventional The greatest
and the least of them are things that are seen
and are made. But these are things that
make forces unseen, and eluding the sharpest
scrutiny; which quicken existence and deter
mine action; principles whose track is law;
beginnings which look to ends; germinai
truths, in themselves potential and prophetic
of destiny. These are not the offspring Of hul-
man wit, nor the axioms of worldly wisdom.
They are not the systems made by men to
which we are summoned to conform, and
which make our motives conflicting the sue
cessive epochs OF our lives contradictory, and
character inconsistent. We are, indeed. en-
veloped by laws as by an an atmosphere. ne
cessary to reiract and soften the beams of
truth, whose direct and piercing blaze we
could not bear, fluctuating at an atmosphere
tempering its times and seasons to human vi
cissltude. But principles are the pure founts
of light, a glimpse of which through rifted
clouds lifts man to a height like that from
which lie fell Law is the realm of aspira-
tioa; principle, the realm of inspiration In
the shadow Of law we are servants; in the
light OF principles we are soyereigns. Laws,
then, are Gods ways to men by which they
work out to the boundaries of their freedom:
principles, Gods ways to Himself as He ap
points the endslpf history and determines the
destinies of worlds, fr0y g9, i.r.flo , /
= THE BASIS OF GOVERNMENTS. p
If have succeeded in enforcing with any
degree of distinctness the, discrimination be-
tween principles and laws, shall be under
stood when L say that it is not upon constitu-
lions alone that governments rest There are
Inspiring and informing principles. Not that
we reduce governments to an abstraction. or
claim that the principles on which they are
founded have all the fixedness and formality
of those axioms of philosophy which are cali
ed first principles of necessary truths.
But history is not without conspicuous yex-
amples OF the power of abstract ideas on the
hearts of men, and of the fervor and devotion
with which even, and pc haps most. the com
mon mind will seize high and far principle
and giving it outward form and expression,
sacrifice every personal and selfish interest in
its worship. So our Government is built up-
on declaration of principles which pro-
claim tho inspiring thought of the fathers;
principles SO high that human hearts the
world over could look up and, see them
in their heaven, SO near that life and
fortune and honor were not more dear. These
truths thus declared derive their authority
from nature and from God. Derive, do I saw?
They are authority, IMMORTAL ideas, which L
have said were Gods way to himself as he
launched the universe into being, which men.
through their God-like nature may aspire to
apprehend, and by which he permits us men
to conceive and Judge of him. q q y
This being their, authority and sanction, L
am prepared to say that it is to those great
principles that our allegiance and loyalty are
due. Not to our laws, merely in themselves
considered, inasmlch as these are OF the fluc-
tuating, and though claiming our obedience
while in force, do not command implicit and
unchanging confidence, liable as they are to be
shaped by evil minds, as we are told Hthe
throne of inquiry frameth mischief by law"
MOI, is t even to the Constitution alone, as a
perfection and finality, that this duty is owed.
That is but the exposition, the instrument.
perhaps imperfect, of the principles avouched
in the Declaration. The articles of confeder
alton were the first embodiment, the present
Constitution was the next, and hitherto the
best, each of binding force until duly amend
ed, and of sacred authority, SO far asst is the
interpretation and application of those truths.
The law of Moses, though with sanction of
The Highest, is not binding in all its details
through all the ages, but the principles it il !
illustrates and enfOrces are of changeless power.
Nor Is our allegiance due to every theory
which claims principle as its origin. Not
to the sharp demonstrations from axioms of
the pure reason, like the social contract of
Rousseau, which drives France to discord and
distraction; not to the warm and high telci-
ties OF Sir Thomas More's Utopian dream;
nor even to the great ideal of a Republic ma
jestic with Platos amplitude and splendor of
imagination. =
Biitit is to the principles of the great De-
ciaration, and to the Constitution, SO far as
these are reasserted and enforced therein
that we owe this debt OF loyalty; those prin-
clples which were at once the Inspiration of
the Fathers and the potential spirit that was
to assimilate the various material to unity OF
form and life; where the same hand shat
made of one blood all nations OF men" was to
confirm and consummate that truth by the COM
pleting Illustration, of every blood one nation.
And so well was the genius ofour country UNI
derstood, SO incorporate were those principles
into our Constitution, that in the practical
assertion OF them all was summed up the idea
of nationality. ~ .,....s PEI. az -
BAD ss 80 THE aoHIvALRY."
Dyvirtue of the maxim that constarlcv and
of assertion has on some minds
the effect of eyidence, the gentlemen of that
faction succeeded in establishing in their own
belief AMI elsewhere certain vague reputa-
ton of possessing in a miraculous degree the
chivalry OF the country and of modern times.
But it was not, alas! the chivalry which has
lent a dignity to romance and grace to his
tory. Not the chivalry of Arthur, the mag
unanimous; or Sir Galahad, the pure !, of Louis,
called the Saint; of Alfred, the truth-teler; of
Bayard, without reproach; the chiyalrY too
proud to take advantage, scorning to do dis |
honor no less than to suffer it, whose sword |
flashes from its scabbard for the vindication of
the defense OF weakness and the re-
lress of wrong. Not the chivalry of which |
Burke so eloquently laments the decline,
which he calls the unbought grace of life, the 1
,ensibiity of principle, the chastity Of honor. |
But there is another spirit which, in these
ater times, it seems, has put on the mask of |
shipalry It is the sanctity of self, the SEN
iitivene of vanity. that bols at an easy tenn
)erature, and the vessel not being deep, boils |
over. 1t is the want OF selfcontrol, Impotence
If will, that submits its points of honor to the
chance Of a street recontre, and makes the |
,lutlgeori its exponent in the great deliberatiye
assemblies OF the country; and this not to |
wen &c an insult brave spirit cannot brook, |
,ut to silence an argument shallow brain |
,annOt answer. -' A''a-'
. &3ft8 THE NEW o0NFLICT. az 2 Il
But though armies are no longer in the field |
he conflict is not over. Mnch OF the question |
S still pending. There is peril in councils as
veil as in campaigns, without an equal chance
# recovering false step. So neither our
hangers nor our duties are at an end. Hence,
deem it, you have formed your order of the
loyal Legion to perpetuate the memory ofour
acriices; to yenerate and preserve the princi- |
lie in whose name those offerings were made: |
indeed, to bring the spirit Of the field into the
~