The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-28

among us arise from the differences az [
the best and surest means of securin
the great end which was the object 4
all. 1t was with this view and thi
purpose that secession was tried. Tha
has failed. Instead of lettering our con
dition, instead of establishing our libert,
upon surer foundation, we have, in TIN
war that ensued, come well nigh losins
the whole of the rich Inheritance will
which we set out. This is one of the sal
realizations of the present. In this, too
we are but illustrating the teachings o
history. Wars, and civil was especially
always menace liberty. They sci
dom advance it, while they usual
ly end in its entire overthrow
and destruction. Ours stopped jusI
short of such catastrophe. Our only
alternative now is either to give up al
hopes of constitutional liberty to retrace
our steps and to look for its vindcation
and maintenance in the forums of rea.
son and justice, instead of on the arena
of arms; in the courts and halls of lie.
gislation, instead of ON the fields of bat.
tie. am frank and candid in setting
you right here. Our surest hopes, III
my Judgment, of these ends are i'm the
restoration policy of the President OF
the United States. | have little hope
for liberty, little hope for the success of
the great American experiment of self
government, but in the success of the
present efforts for the restoration of the
states to their former practical relations
in common Government under the
Constitution of the United States. We
are without an encouraging smile on
this line in the history of the mother
country in the history of our ancestors;
from whom we derived in great meas
ure the principles to which we are so
much devoted. The truest friends of
liberty in England, once, in 1912, aban-
doned the forum of treason and ap-
pealed, as we. did, to the sword, as tile
surest means, in their Judgment, of adj
vancing their cause. This was after
they had made great progress under the
lead of Coke, Hampden, Falkland, aud
others, in the advancement of liberal
principles; many usurpations had been
checked; many of the prerogatives of
the Crown had been curtailed; the De.
tition of right had been sanctioned, shin
money had been abandoned; courts
martiaf had been done away with; ha-
be% corpus had been re-established !:
Ngh Courts of Commission and Star
Chamber had been abolished. Many
other great abuses of power had been
corrected and other reforms established.
But, not satisfied with these, and not
satisfied with the peaceful working of
reason to go on i'm its natural sphere, the
denial of the sovereignty of the Crown
was pressed by the too ardent retOrmer,
upon Charles |. A II else he had yielded
this he would not. The sword was ap-
pealed to to settle the question. A civil
war was the result. Great courage and
valor We're displayed on both sides.
Men of eminent virtue and patriotism
fell in the sanguinary and iratrici.
dial conflict. The King was deposed
and executed. A Commonwealth,
was proclaimed. But the end was
the reduction of the people of England
to worse state OF oppression than they
had been i'm four Centuries. They re-
traced their steps after nearly twenty
years on exhaustion and blood, and the
loss of the greater portion OF the liberties
enjoyed by them before. The restora-
ton came. Charles III. assembled the
throne, AS unlimited q monarch as ever
ruled the empire. Not a pledge was
asked or guantee given, touching the
concessions ofthe royal prerogatives that
had been exacted and obtained from his
father. The true friends of liberty, of
reform and of progress in government
had become convinced that these were
the offspring of peace and of en-
lightened reason, and not of passion
nor of arms. The House of Commons
and the House of Lords were henceforth
lhe theatres of their operations, and not
The fields OF New berry or Marston Moor.
Il a ROC M in,
years all their ancient rights and privii-
eyes which had been lost in the civil
var, with new securities, were re-estab- |
ished in the ever memorable settlement
If 1858, which, for all practical PURPOSES. |
nay be looked upon as bloodless reyo
utiOn. Since that time England has |
made still further and more signal strids |
II reform and progress, but not one of |
hese has been effected by resort to arms.
Catholic emancipation has been carried
n Parliament after years of argument
gainst most persistent opposition.
Reason and justice ultimately prevailed
10 with the removal Of the disability of
he Jews; SO with the overthrow of the
often borough system; SO with the ex-
ansion of franchise; so with the corn
lws and restrictions on commerce.
pening the way to the establishment of
ne principles of free trade and so with
u the great reforms by Parliament
hich have so distinguished English
istory for the last half century. NAV
e not indulge in hope, even in the al
before us, even in the great
xample of restoration, if we but do as
he friends of liberty there did? This is I
y hope, my only hope. 1t is founded
l the virtue, intelligence and patriot ,
m of the American people. 1 have not /
st my faith in the people, or in their {
opacity for self-government. But for :
lese great essential qualities of human |
ature to be brought into active and eff |
ent exercise for the fulfillment of their /
atriotie hopes, it is essential that the n
lssions of the day shall subside, that /
e causes of these passions should not q
wv be discussed, that the late strife a
ould not be stirred. Man, by nature, H
ever prone to scan closely the errors #
id defects of his fellow-man, ever ready ii
rail at the mote in his brothers. eve ii
lthout considering the beam that ia in Il
5 own. This should not be. We all =,
we our notes, our beams. We are all =,
ail perfection is the attribute of none: II
ejud,ce or prejudgment should be il
iulged toward none Prejudice what ii
ongs, what injuries, what mischief, n,
lat lamentable consequences have re- h
ted at all of the intellect! OF all the r.
stacles to the advancement ftruth and 10
man times from nothing but this per- it
'sity in progress, in every department n,
science art i'm government and in ra x