The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-01-18


modified BY circumstances shaped by
the great war in which we have been
engaged and itseems necessary there,
fore, as preparation for every spe,
cies of public duty, that we should
look with special care at any danger
ous tendencies the war may, have de-
veloped and recallothe general princi-
pies which should guide our action as
seryants Of the. people, .noiiom no
1t is in the excitement of q great
struggle that,the institutiopsIof coun-
try are in the most danger Of change,
and perhaps no nation has ever pass:
ed through such, Q Sconyplsion, as ours
and then returned to the principles of
governments and exact form of lconsti
tuition which il had before % Themax-
i'm that revolutions do not 90 back
ward, mas seemed to have even a wi
der and deeper significance than has
been popularity given to it. The same
|law of progression which has made
the convulsions of monarchical gov
ernments tend toward tho develop
ment;of popular liberty, has in repub.
lies too often led to a despotism ot
classes or Of factions, and thence BY
easy stages to anarchy and utter dis
ruption, Avictorious majority, flush
ed with its triumph, finds it easy to
forget the rights Of minorities; and il
remains for us to prove whether, in
our day, the old cry, of cWoe to the
conquered" may be silenced by a ntru.
" republican determination to admin.
ister the g2ve,nWept for the real ad.
vantage Of all-of the defeated rebels
as we'll as Of the loyal victors. y .,5
! The war was not waged by US, who
/ remained faithful to the Government
to subvert any Of the principles of hu-
man liberty upon which, that govern
mont was based, but to confirm and
establish them. The one great doc.
trine which has been settled by the
war is that the National Union can,
not and shall not be destroyed by the
action ofany OF the States composing
| a., . =.
it; but its continuance, itsmodification
and its dissolution shall be determined
by tho whole people acting as one ma.
tion under the forms OF the federal con.
stitution, Thoone great social change
which has been determined by the
same event, is the abolition of slavery
the existence of which was staked up.
on the success of the rebellion, oi
which it was the cause. W r-r...- ;,
These things have been decided in
the dread court Of last resort for peo
[ples and nations. By as much as the
shock Of armed hosts is more grand
than the intellectual tilt oflawyers
as the God of battles is more awfu
Judge than any earthly court; by SO
much does the dignity ofthis contest
and the finality Of this decision ex.
ceed that Of any human tribunal II
we have not been right in pledging
our lives and our fortunes to save our
country, then the blood Of the myr.
lads OF heroes who have fallen rests
with murderous guilt upon our sous
and we should never consent that the
justification or condemnation of this
great people should rest, now or here
after, with any, bench Of judges how.
ever learned, especially when each
judge must determine his own cause
since he must have been for or against
the country in her struggle. There
are some things to which courts ol
law can add no sanction. and ma.
tons appeal to God when it seizes
the sword is one of them, We may
when necessary, try individual traitors
and tho people of the United States
will appear as prosecutor, but not us
defendantat the bar. ,.,:.,. Es.t
Being conqneror, tho Government
has the undoubted right to impose
terms upon the conquered, but in the
statement of what should limit anc
define those terms. difficulties arise :
We are apt, indeed, to listen with i'm
lpatience to any limitation of our con,
troll over those who are subject to us
The pleasures Of rulership and the Joy
which is felt in the exercise OF power
have always appealed with peculiar
force TO the frailties of human nature
and professed Republicans have bccn
us subject to their temptation as 9th,
er men. In time like this most oI
US feel the necessity OF checking our
Impulses and passions, challenging the
motives and the consistency of our nc,
tions, and of fastening our attention
by effort of will, upon principles o.
government and of human rights
which have been axioms to us during
the period of the growth Of our insti,
tutions aud of conflicts between us
and powerful foreign powers. How
ever unwelcome the task of self-ex
animation, We owe it to ourselves tC
make it thorough and searching. The
ancient conqueror was accompanied
by a slave in his triumphal car, who
reminded him of his humanity and hi
weakness We must act as our owr
prompters to moderation and justice
and remind ourselves of the rules
which should control out action, anc
Eoft the dangerous tendencies of our owr
nature. We need no stimulus t.
anything which runs with the whole
current Of popular impulse and feel
ing; such things will take care o
themselves, but no duty can bo more
important than that of stopping occa
sionally to weigh we'll what seems t
cross our desires or to question the di
roction of our progress. ''a. e. '"
4 We have the right and are in duty