The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1866-07-19

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ject for congratulation, and he
need never flatter who desires to
praise, to its desert, the brave, gen.
erous, American people. We have
much cause to be thankful. The
war drum rolls no longer, the sword
is sheathed, the battal-hags are
furled. The corn is waving over
the graves where sleep in peace,
side by side, the victor and the
and the vanquished in the ter
rible conflict which has been, and
never again can be. That awful
trial of the Right, in which arms
were the advocates, and the argu-
ment shot. and shell, the bayonet
and the rifle, is over. Judgment
unappealable and irreversible, has
been given. 1t is decreed that no
State OF the United States can Sc
cede, can leave the Union, can
cease to be one ofthe United States,
without the consent Of all. Judg-
ment unappealable and irreversi-
BILE has been given. 1t is decreed
that. the relation between capital
and labor, which prevailed in GER
tain of the States, called Slavery,
shall exist no more. These two
questions that have disturbed So
ciety need disturb it no longer;
they are OF the past. There let
them lie buried. For all this we
owe our thanks to that Providence
i'll whose hands are the destinies of
nations, and under Providence, to
the gallant men, who, on land or
sea, with steadfast hearts fought
the great quarrel out. Why should
Iwaste words in telling you of this ?
Your own hearts cannot fail to be
sensible of it. And why should l
keep back the graver and sadder
thoughts that struggle for utter
ance, or now, because it is the
Fourth of July, break the resolu-
tions | formed long ago, to speak
to the people whenever they cared
to hear me, the thoughts that lay
nearest to my heart-to be always
candid, frank, and open with them I;
to speak the truth, or not speak to
them at all? Citizens, l warn you
that the Republic is stillin danger.
The worst OF the storm has blown
over. The ship still rides proud
and gallant sight. She has escap-
ed, more by Gods providence than
by good steering, the Scylla Of Sc
cession she is drifting, drifting
slowly, but surely, into the Charyb-
dis of centralization.. Can her
course be changed? Is there time
still to put her head about, and es-
cape the danger? God knows! 1t
depends on Him and the people.
Have you ever thought what cen
tralization really means, and what
are its inevitable tendencies? Cast
your memory back to the state of
political affairs ten or twelve years
ago. Then, we in New York
scarcely felt the finger of the Fed
eral Government. 1t carried our
letters, and collected certain i'm
portant duties to an amount neces-
sary to meet the current expenses
of that Government, and they were
trifling. But for all other purpos-
es Of Government, the law of the
State of New York was sufficient,
paramount and supreme. Now
all this is changed. The finger of
the Federal Government now is
stronger than the arm of the State.
We are getting what is called a
strong Government We have now
let loose on us a crowd of assessors,
collectors of taxes, Federal officials
of all sorts, prying into every mans
transactions, questioning, spying,
informing, gathering up a large
proportion of our labors, and pour
it into the central reservoir from
which it flows and percolates in
corrupting streams from end to end
of the land, and countless officials,
great and small, with faces ever
reverently turned toward Washing
ton, as Mosleni's toward Mecca,
lap up the intoxicating tide and
cry for more. Our artisans work
hard and earn good wages, but
somehow they can't live as well as
of old. Wages are high, but the
necessaries Of life are higher.
What's the use of this /? 1t is be-
cause, in order to satisfy a few wor-
thy millionaires, to protect them,
to increase their profits, the cheap
supply of all sorts Of commodities
which foreign nations are eager to
sell nc iS oc for &c. r,occih1a cbuf