Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-01
ssTEON &TCOEVECTEOS wY COURAGE;
TIE. CONSTITUTION IN NV GUIDE; IN
TEL People is WY FAITKGr'

TIE CONSTITUTION IN MY GUIDE; IN
TIJT PEOPLE is MY EAITH!''
The position tahen and the words uttered
BIZ the Chief Magistrate of the nation on a re-
cent memorable occasion, as above set forth,
are those to which in connection with his high
Iy honorable career as one of the foremost
defenders cftree government, the people must
at present look, and do look, to sustain them
in the yet critical trials which may beSet them
before the provisions Of the constitution are
fully indicated and recognized and the nation
once more commended to a splendid future as
the recognized exponent and champion of
free principles for the whole human race.
Could the safeguards of popular government
fail now, either through the assaults of old
enemies or the treachery of pretended friends,
the world would indeed be set lack in its an.
ticipated progress, and the people be COM
PEELED to surrender themselyea anew to anarchy
or to those principles Of despotic government,
which in all time past contemning the idea Of
self-rule; have crushed out all freedom of
popular sentiment by the dogma Of ''divine
right" and the law Of force.
Fortunately, after having gone through with
one of the most terrible and desperate strug-
giles ever imposed upon nation, we are driven
to neither of these miserable alternatives-we
are not compelled to take shelter under the
strong arm Of military despot on the one
hand or to submit to worse than the ''thirty
tyrants of Athens" on the other. Deprived
of the head Of the State by the savage and III
tatuated hatred Of the assassin, we were for
tunate enough to see the government pass to
his legitimate successor with no convulSion,
no jar; and when Andrew johnson reverently
taking up the power thus devolved upon him,
uttered the remarkable and impressive words
as his brief but emphatic inaugural-"Th The
duties are mine, ociU perform them irith the
help Of GOd," the story was fttingly told of
that sublime determination, which unappalled
by the public terrors of the hour, made him
not hesitate to take the place of a ruler, who
just then murdered for his devotion to the
State, possibly foreshadowed in his ending the
fate which might be his own.
Not in history-familiar or common as may
seem these events to us of the present day
is there nobler example Of courage and de-
votion to high principle, to human freedom,
to the defence Of the right, than is recorded of
this man Of the people; and passing by the
sneers and cavils of those who yet can see
nothing of merit in the glorious career OF one
who towers the giant of the revolted section
in his brave purpose to confront the swords of
traitors who beleaguered him in the capitol of
the State confded to his charge, the manner
IN which he has since welded the vast powers
which have devolved upon him, should alone
immortalize him upon the page Of history.
1t is worth while 10 remind ourselves Of all
these things, III time, because the need OF
praise now coming TO HIM from the liberal and
enlightened of all lands, from illugtrious pub
icists, men not immersed in oar wretched
feuds and petty rlvalries, only foreshadows the
verdict of impartial communities and of pos.
terity; and if there are those here still deter.
mined TO persecute and embarrass him in his
wise and torbearing efforts to save the Union
and the Constitutions, to preserve popular
rights, and to give us an enduring peace, sucn
need not expect to escape the condemnation
Of history, the deserved censure which waits
on the petty, the envious or the malignant.
Glorious as has been his record-for the
character and position he has won might al.
ready satisfy the most grasping seeker after
fame upon earth-who can suppose, scan his
Chief Magistrate in year of I'M
equalled power as we may, that for any trifing
and selfish purpose, as such are commonly cs-
timated, he would do what he never yet has
dOne-betray the people? Accused indeed OF
'treachery," of having been untrue 10 his an
tecedents, what more has he done even in the
eyes of the most relentless, but 'tenaper Jus.
tlcc NTH @ercy' to sait the changing and ian.
f2r0red fortunes Of the Republic; how could it
be expected but that with opposition going
down before him, with the enemies of the
nationally grounding their arms, he should
exercise the noblest prerogativc of power
the power to forgive?
And if ne is to be relentlessly followed for
this; II he is yet to be pursued with rancor
and hatred because oft, let it be remembered
that he must share the charge to the end Of
time, with the most illustrious martyr of the
age, his lamented predecessor; and when il
comes to this issue, who viii envy the men
who confessedly still cherish the fierce pas.
Sions called into being and activity by bloody
war; who dare say that they are right, that they
are christian or even humane statesmen. and
that he is not? Talk as they may of needed
justice; of the wrongs of the Republic; or of
aught else that may serve to fan the flames of
civil war now dying out, it must come to that:
and as the liberals of Europe now are doing,
the world will finally concede to him those
noble qualities Of torbearance, wise forbear-
ance-without which no craftsmanship can be
called such or is of any avail.
In all the past-let it be noted-implacable
vengeance was the rule with governments as
sailed, whilst forgiveness was the exception:
and II, In this age, and with more enlightened
ideas and forms of government, we claim
more than was ever conceded to the old des-
pousms, to their chronic fears of overthrow,
and their edicts of blood based upon cowardice
and cruelty, let us Justify our assumptions:
let US prove to the world that we indeed have
the courage to do right.
The President has led off in this eminentlv
lofty and noble policy, and the liberal minded
OF the land, the people, will sustain him against
men of small ideas, of narrow fears; men, in
short, who have not yet comprehended the
true nature of the struggle just closed. To
the nation and to the world, the Constitution,
IN this great conflict, was more than slavery;
more than sectionalism; more than the ex-
ploded assumptions of estate rights;'' and
TINS great fact must be recognized to-day.
AND recognizing this, it is as much the DUTY
OF the President to see that it is not rent
asunder or destroyed now that the conflict for
the life of the Government is ended. as # was
to defend it in defending the Union, its grand
consequence.
And now, IS it not the duty Of the truly
patriotic, of the moderate men of the land: of
those who have combatted not for mere theo-
ries, but who have worked for practical re-
suits, to rebuke the impracticables who for
months now have done what they could to
divide the Union party, and who have demon
strated that they have no policy that can be
called such. Is it not time to repudiate men
who seem to have forgotten what thew set ont