The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1866-04-28

Their efore are the three first duties would at this
charity. ~ - ~
Butte proceed II Another one of our present du
and abide By them IN good faith This, IfeelfHlly
Ipe1suedcd lit is. your PURPOSE odo As well that
Of your constituents. Tie people in convention
have revoked and ann1led her ordinance of 1861
which was. Intended to sever her from the COM
pact of union OF ISL. The Constitution of the
United States has been reordained as the organic
law of our land. Whatever differences of opinion
heretofore existed as to where our allegiance was
dae during the late state Of things, none for any
practical purpose can exist now. Georgia, by the
action of her Convention of 1861, was ever right.
fully out of the Union or not, there can be no
fquesti0n thatshe is now in, SO far as depends up
on her will and deed. The whole United States,
therefore, is now without question our country,
to be. cherished and defended as such by all
our hearts and by all our arms. The Con THU.
ton of the United States, and the treaties
and laws made IN pursuance thereof are now
acknowledged to. be the paramount law in the
whole country. Whoever, therefore, is true to
these principles as they are recognized, is
loyal, as far as that term has any legitimate
use or force under our institutions. This is
the only kind of loyalty and the only test
of loyalty the Constitution itself requires r Ia
any other view, everything pertaining to restora-
ton so far as regards the great body of the peo-
pie, in at least eleven States OF the Union, is but
making promise to the ear to be broken to the
hope, All, therefore, who accept the issue. of
war in good faith, and come up TO the test re
quired by the Constitution, are now loyal however
they may have heretofore been. But with this
change comes a new order of things. One of the
results OF the War is total change in our whole
internal polty. Our former social fabric has been
entirely subverted. Like those commissions in ma
ture which break up old incrustatons, the war has
wrought new epoch in our political existence
Old things have passed away, and all things among
US, in this respect, are new. The relation here
tofore, under our old system, existing between the
African and European races, no longer exists.
Slavery, as it was called or the status OF the black
race-their subordination to the whites, upon
which all our Institutions rested-is abolished for
ever, not only in Georgia. but throughout the linn
its OF the United States This change should be
received and accepted as an irrevocable fact. 1t
is bootlesS question now to discuss whether the
new system is better for both races than the old
one was or not. That may be the proper matter
for the philosophic and philanthropic historian
at some future time to inquire into after the new
system shall have been fully and fairly tried All
changes OF systems, or proposed reforms are but
experiments and problems to be solved. Our
system OF self government was an experiment at
first Perhaps, as a problem it is not yet solved.
Our present duty on this subject is not with the
past or the future. 1t is with the present. The
wisest and the best often err in their judgments
as to the probable workings Of any new system.
Let us, therefore, give this one fair and just
trial, without prejudice, and with that earnestness
OF purpose which always looks hopefully TO sue
cess.