Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-01-13

1 tuO NtCtONtDo VI BNutO e'O '"f = '~N-NN'N 'a-'
those OF war. On the one hand are tb
dangers OF receiving into full participation
10 the Government those who have beei
stalking everything upon It's overthrow, an,
upon the other, the obligations we are M
der to the whole world to adhere to thos
doctril es Of democratic liberty and equality
which lie at the foundation OF our system
whilst our relations 10 the unfortunate
African race, whose slavery we have abol
shed, and whose freedom we are sacredl,
bound 10 protect, come in to complicat'
both classes Of difficulties.
Congress and the President are now n
work upon the details Of complete resiofa
ton Of civil government in the States lstel,
rebe,liVus, aud we, in common with tb,
whole country, are watcning their progress
with the most earnest hope that they may
speedily agree upon a national policy which
shall Thoroughly sccord With the higbes
interests OF The whole lnDd. do not re
gard this proper time to discuss specific
measures which are before ous Federal
Legislature aud authorities, but ull our
public acts in our Safe organic ,tions, as
well as 10 our National capacity, must be
more or less modified by circumstances
shaped by the great war in which we have
been engaged, and 1t seems necessary there
fore, as preparation for every species OF
public duty, that we should look with
special care at any dangerous tendencies
the war may have developed aud recall the
general principles which should guide our
action as servants Of the people.
II is in the excitemen, Of o great strug.
gle that the institutions Of a country are in
the most danger Of change, and perbap,
no nation has ever passed through such o
couvulsion as ours and then returned to
the principles Of government and exac'
form Of constitution which it had before. -
The ma kim that revolutions do not &c
back ward, has seemed to have even O
wider and deeper significance than has been
popula'ly given to il. The same law o
progression which has made the couvulsionS
Of monarcbicsl governments tend toward
the development of popular liberty, has ia
republics too often led TO a despotism O
classes or Of factions, and thence by easy
stages TO anarchy and utter disruption. A
victo'ions minority, flushed with It's tri
umph. 6uds it easy TO fo'get the rights o
minorities ; aud it remains for Us to prov,
whether, in our day. the old cry Of "Wo,
o The col qnered' may be silcnced by
truly republican determination TO adm mis-
ter the government for the real advantag
Of all-of the defeated rebels as well as q
the loyal victors. .
The war was no. waged by us, who re
manned faiihful to the Government, to sub
vert uny of the principles of human liberi,
upon which that government was based, bu
to conf N ard establish them. The on
great doctrine which has been settled b,
he war is that the National Union canuo
and shall not be destroyed by the action q
any of the States composing il; but it
continuance, It's modification. or its di.solu
tion shull be de ermined by the who'll
people acting as one nation under the form
the Federal constitution. The one grea
social change which has been determine,
by the same event, is the abolition of slave
ry, the existence Of which was staked npot
the success of the rebellion, of which it wa
J the cause. ,'' -r" H. r.'
These things hsve been decided in To,
dread court of last resort for peoples ant
| DJ no muCu uS 'UC cuDCh VI uI tut'
hosts is more grand than the 10 ellectua
tilt of lawyers as the God ot bal ties is
more awful judge than any earthly court
by so much Goes the digni'y of :nis con, es
and the fnality Of this decision exce tina
Of any human trihnual If we have no
been right in pledging our lives aud or
fortunes toSnve our country, then the bloo
of the myrisds OF heroes who have fallel
rests with murderous gnilt upon our soul.
aud we should never consent that the jisI
ication or condemnation of this grea
people should rest, now or hereafter, will
any bench Of judges, however learned, es
pecally when each judge must determ n
his own cause, since he must have been fo
or against the country 10 her struggle. -
There are some things to which courts o
law can add no sonc'ion, and nation
appeal 10 God when it seizes the sword i
one of them We may. when necessary
try individual traitors, and The people o
tie United States will appear us prose
cutor, but not as defendant al the bar.
Being corqneror, the Government ha
the undoubted right to impose terms upol
the conquered, but 10 the statement, 0
what should limit and defle those 'erms
d ficulties arise We are apt, indeed, {,
listen with Impotence to any limitation 0
our control over those who are sui ject t.
rs. The pleasures of rulership and th
Joy which Is felt 10 the exercise of power
have always appealed with peculiar fore
to the frail,ies Of human nature. aud pre-
fessed republicans have been as subject l.
their temptation as other men Iu u tim
like this most Of Us feel the necessi Q
checking our impulses and passions, cha
longing the motives aud the consistency Q
our actors. and Of fastening our attention
by Effort Of will. upon principles Of govern
meut aud Of human rights which have bee
axioms to Us during the period of ,h
growth Of our institutions and OF conflict
between us aud powerful foreign powers =
: However unwelcOme the task Of self exam
patton, we owe it ourselves 10 make
thorough and searching. The ancien
conqneror was accompanied by slave i
his triumphal car. who reminded him of b
humanity and his weakness we must &C
as our own promptors to moderation al
Justice. and remind ourselves OF the rule
which should control our action, and of th
dangerous tendencies Of our owu nature. :
We need no stimulus to anything v bic
| ynna with thu on rant nf nanniar ipanuiu