New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-09-22
THEORTES-THE CONSTITUTION.


country By two sets of men whom desire the spread Il
universal liberty justice and equal rights One was formerly
the Constitution Of the Uned States as a covenant with
death league with hell and since by TIE TRIBUNE which
the Union in violation Of the Constitution and which then
justified secessoni which in 1868 proposed deh9eIatey that
we should bow TO destiny defeat by TIE Rebels and
make the beet atainabe peace and which now Declares
"COn'uon'l form. very wei where he Sons1 loH are
Secure US essential justice and zee are "o' particular
The other view to which Tie Ereuias POshas constantly
adhered regards the Union the great safeguard OF popular
liberty and tho Constitution wise and noble instrument
under which with the powers Of in It, the
American people may Justly expect TO make STEADY progress
interest of tho American people should lead them most jealous
B guard against violation bylany party or for any cause
Comments By The Tribune.
We have thus copied sufficiently from Tie Posts
elaborate indictment to exhibit its general character
and impulse; now let the public consider what zoe
have to say in the premises.
l. The long-brewing conspiracy to dissolve or
recast the Union in the interest of Human Slavery
came to issue in 1901 It's engineers AID potters
claimed that they were backed by the Southern peo-
ple and that the fundamental doctrine Of the Ameri
can Revolution-that governments derive their just
powers from the consent of the governed -
covered and justified their claim of right to
secede. We took issue with them, not on
of fact. We admitted (for we could not shame our
Revolutionary ancestry that governments derive
their just powers from the consent of the governed
we denied that a majority of the Southern People
sought or desired DisumOn: and we offered to refer
the main issue for conclusive decision to a fair and
free vote Of that people, after it should have been
thoroughly discussed before them And We felt GER
tain them as we feel certain now that had the course
we suggested been followed, the Disunionists would
have been voted down in fair vote Of the Southern
people, by very large majority.
Now it may be possible for The Post to pick few
words here and there from our columns which may
seem to justify its assertion that TIKI TRIBUNE was
"ready TO let the Southern States secede" aud that
it then justified secession;" but The Post knows
that we consider this gross peryerson of our views
We never believed nor imagined that there was any
good reason for secession that any State, as SUCH
had reserved right to break up the Union. " State
Sovereignty never taught nor hold the Sovereignty
of the People is another matter And we felt entire
confidence that the Southern People, fairly enlght-
ened would have voted to maintain, not to destroy
the Union.
H. The Post proceeds TO assert that, in 1863 We pro-
posed to % bow TO destiny'-that is, defeat by
the Rebels-and "make the best attainable peace"
What We did propose that the organized Militia
of the States should be called into the National ser
vice. with all other available additions to the strength
of our armies, and that a combined advance should
thus be made upon the Rebel forces, with determined
purpose to overpower and crush them; aud that, II
such concentration Of the National strength should
prove mpoont and supreme effort result in dis
aster VIC should bow to our destiny and make the
best attainablc peace
Now it is possible for Tile POst TO Pioh out few
words in this instance which seem 10 justify its
charge; but IL can only be sustained as the inhdel
proyed from the express words Of the Bible that
there is no God" psalm xiv. l.) And we can
not deem it credable to journalism that no"SpapI
or considerable protonsons to character should 80
make out case.
III. And now as regards "the Union and Consti.
tuition" We always liked them both IN the mhini
but we would not disguise tho fact that We Ike them
better since Slavery was abolished, slaye-catching
eliminated from the list Of interstate obligations. ard
a perpetual introduction Of Human Bondage engraited
on the Constitution than we did before And we ex-
pec to like them better yet from and after that
glorious day (Which Heaven hastenD wherein,
throughout our broad land, every citizens legal rights
shall be just equal to every other citizens, and when
the color of no mans skin shall be either passport
or barrier to any public trust. The Federal Constr
tuition IT, on the whole, an admirable though not per-
feet framework of governments it is better now than
it was two years ago, and we trust it will be still bet
ter two years hence. We judge that'we should
subserye no righteous end by coniOunding It's faults
with its merits in a blind, indiscriminate idolatry
1.-THE Union and the Constitution was so long the
war-cry of those who valued aud used them mainly
as buttresses of Slavery and oppression-it was so
constantly shouted by those who valued either Con-
stitution or Union mainly as a shield for gainiul
giant wrong5-that apt to dstrust the impulse
that causes them to be shouted in our ears today
The Right needs no advantage from such cry aud
the Wrong should not be allowed to profit by 1t.