The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-01-18

W. = NC WV ildllOu uUutT iUC iOIlilS
OF thc Federal Constitution. The
ono great social change which has
been determined by the Same event
is the abolition of slavery. tho OK.
istence of which was staked upon
the success of the rebellion, of
which it was the cause.
These things have been decided
in the jrcad court oflast resort for
peoples and nations. By as much
as the shock OF armed hosts is more
grand than the intellectual tilt o.
lawyers as the God of battles is
4 more awful judge than any earth.
" court by So much docs the Dig
uity OF this contest, and the finali.
" If this decision exceed that ol
any human tribunal. ii we have
not been right in plcdging our
lives and eur fortunes to s We our
country. then the blood Of the my.
riads of heroes who have talon
rests with murlorous guilt upon
our souls, and We shou d never con.
sent that the justification or con
dcmnation of this great people
should rest, now or hereafter, with
any bench OF judges however lcarn
Cd, especially when each judge
must determine his own cause.
since he must have been ioI or
AGAINST the country in her struggle.
There arc some things to which
courts of law can~add no sanction.
and II nation S appeal to God when
II seizes the sword il one of thom.
We may, when necessary, try in
diyidual traitors, and the people oi
the United States will app, ar as
prosecutor, but not as defendant at
the bar.
Being conqucror. the govern
lmcnt has the urdouhtcd right to
impose terms upon the conquered
but in q statement OF what should
limit and define these terms, iii
emit cs arise. We are apt, indeed
to listen with impaiicuce to any
i'm tation of our control over those
who are subio't to us. The pleas.
urcs Of rulerelIip and the JOY which
is felt in the exercise of power have
always appealed with peculiar
force to the lraillies of human na
iurc, and prof4ssod republicans
have been as subject to their temp,
tations as other men. In n time
like this, most ofus feel the ne
cessity of checking our impulses
and passions, challenging the no
tives and The consistency of our
actions. and of fastening our attcn.
tion by eilvrt of will upon'principlcs
Of Cove ,nent and ofhuman rights
which have been axioms to us du.
ring the period OF the growth Of
our institutions and of conflicts
between us and powerful foreign
powers. However unwcIcOme the
tisk of self examination, we owe it
to ourselves to make it thorough
and searching. The ancient con
queror was accompanied by a slave
in his triumplal car, who remind
c | him of his humanity and his
Weakness; ; we must act rs our own
prompters to moderation and ius.
tice, and remind ourselves of the
rules which should control our ac-
zion, and of the dangerous tenlen.
cics of our own nature. We need
no stimulus to anything which runs
with the whole current OF popular
impulse and feelings such things
will take care OF th.mselvs~. ""t
no dnty 1so DO more important
ltnan that Of stopping occasionally
t. weigh well what seems to cross
.our desires or to question the di-
rection Of our progress. %
We have the right and are in
duty bound to insist npon sufficient
guarantees for the future safety Of
the Union; but those guarantees
must be such as shall not be incon-
sistent with a republican govern
mant for those who give ~ Will
40 for those who receive such secu
rity. .I ...r
Conquest does not rightfully give
unlimited sway over the persons
and property olthe conquered, and
their rights may be diminished no
further than is necessary for the
public safety. l r.l
II it were proven that it would
be impossible for us to live safely,
rs sharcrs of a common govern
ment, with the people of any State
or community, our republicanism
might lorce MS to consent to separa.
tion, but could not justify us in
holding them as subjects, and this
proposition is true without refer
encc 70 race or col}r Id,
Representation is not q privilege
conferred upon majorities. but it is
most efficient for good when it APP
proaches most nearly to giving
voice in the Legislature to ali mi
nofitics in proportion'to their rnum-
Der. u 1Hiil1ia'' e1n'nl lenas
1t is better and safer that a mi
nority, however hostile TO us in
principle, should be SO represen
ted as to be openly heard and an
swered, than that II should have
the advantage of winning synpa.
thy and gaining partisans by ma.
king Issue upon the question Of the
right OF representation instead of
upon the falsity OF its obnoxious
ini 3di lo1liuio i4gi i
Military government is in its
very esstnce a despotism. and any
long continuance Of it after the
= III 4.