The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-01-12


al Union cannot and shall not be de-
stroyed by the action of any States
composing il but its continuance, its
modification. or its dissolution shall
be determined by the whole people
acting as one nation under the forms
of the Federal Constitution. The
one great social change which has
been determined by the same event
is the abolition Of slavery, the cxis-
tence OF which it was the cause.
These things have been decided in
the dread court of last resort. for
peoples and nations. By as much
as the shock of armed hosts Is
more grand than the intellectual tilt
of lawyers: as the God of battles is
a more awful Judge than any earthly
court by so much does the dignity
OF this contest, and the finality of this
decision exceed that of any human
tribunal. If we have not been right
in pledging our lives and our for
tunes to save our country, then the
blood of the myriads of heroes who
guilt upon our souls, and we should
never consent that the justification Of
condemnation of this great people
should rest, now or hereafter, with
any bench of judges however learned,
especially when each Judge must de-
tcrmine his own cause, since he must
have been for or against the country
in her struggle. There are some
things to which courts of law can add
no sanction and a nations appeal to
God when it seizes the sword is one
of them. We may, when necessary,
try individual traitors, and the peo-
pie of the United States will appear
as prosecutor, but as q defendent at
the bar.
Being conqueror, the Government
has the undoubted right to impose
terms upon the conquered, but in the
statement OF what should limit and
define these terms, difficulties arise.
We are apt, indeed, to listen with
impatience to any limitation of our
CONTROL over those who are subject
to US The pleasuref of rrlership
and the joy which is felt in the exer-
else of power have always appealed
with peculiar force to the tratilities
of human nature, and professed re-
publicans have been as subject to
their tcmtations as other men. In q
time like this most of us feel the ne.
ccsity of checking our impulses and
passions, challenging the motives
and the consistency of our actions,
and Of Fastening our attention, by
effort of will, upon principals OF gov
ernment and of human rights which
have been aXioms to us during the
period of the growth of our institu-
tions and of conflicts between us and
powerful foreign powers. However
unwelcome the task OF self examina-
tion, we owe it to ourselves to make
it thorough and searching. The an
cient conqueror was accompanied by
slave in his triumhal car, who re-
minded him of his humanity and his
weakness we must act as our own
prompters TO moderation and justice,
and remind ourselves of the rules
which should cnntrole oar action. md
of the dangerous tendencies of our
own nature. We need no stim ulous
to anything which runs with the
whole current of popular impulse and
feeling; such things will take care OF
themselves, but no duty can be more
important than that Of stepping occa-
sionally to weigh well what seems to
cross our desires or to question the
direction Of our progress.
We have the right and are IN duty
bound to insist upon sufficient guar
antics for the future safety of the
Union; hut those guarantees must be
such rs shall not be in consisten with
a republican government tor those
who give as well as for those who re-
ceive such security.
Conquest does not rightfully give
unlimited sway over the persons and
pcoperty OF tie conquered, and their
rights may be diminished no further
that is necessary for the public safe
ty.
Ifit were proven that it would be
impossible for lis to live safely, as
sharers of q common government
with the people Of any State or COM
manity, our repubIicanism might
force IG to consent to separation, but
could not Justify us in holding them
as subjects; and this proposition is
true without reference to race or col
or.
Representation is not a privilege
conferred upon najouties, but it is
most efficient for good when it ap
proaches most nearly to giving voice
in the Legislature to ali minorities
in proportion to their number.
II is better and safer that a minor,
ity, however hostile to us in princi
pie, should be so represented rs &c
be openly heard and answered, thar
that il should have the advantage Of
winning sympathy and gaining parti
sans by making issue upon the ques
tion of the right of representation
instead of upon the falsity of its OBJ
noxious principles.
Military government is III its very
essence a despotism, and any long
continuance of it after the cessation
of armed resistance, is contrary to
and confession of the failure of re
pubhcanism.
These end many similar genera
maxims of government are the intel
lectual diet upon which dvery living