Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-06-06
CLEARFIELD, Pa, THURSDAY, JUNE 6, Is

government Is 10 secure 10 all men
the enjoyment of the greatest amount
of liberty; that its chief JUNCTION is to
keep the peace, in order that each
man may be rec to develop to the
largest extent his own aptitude for
happiness. Therefore the subjects on
which it could act were few, and the
powers with which it could act were
limited.
1t partook of the character Of the
men of 1877. They were practical
men. They had been educated in the
Revolutionary war, or in the civil
service of their States or of the con-
federation. They had acted in life !;
hey were not dreamers; they in
dulgcd in no vain speculations or fan
ciiul theories; they sighed after no
imaginary perfection. They preferred
to live well in land of actually and
fact, rather than to struggle for Il
Utopia which has had no existence
since the pr al curse.
They adapted their institutions to
their country and times. They con
led neither ancient nor modern repub-
'cs. hey invented a system differ
cnt from that Of Athens, or Sparta, or
Rome, or Venice, or the Achean
league, or the Dutch Republic, or
the English Commonwealth, 1t was
a federative republic; or, as Kossuth
called it, a "republic of republics
with checks and balances. It's sane
tion was not the popular will express
cd in the simplest form; it placed
limitations and restrictions on the
power of the people, for its authors
knew that "tyranny may flow from
the workshop OF the artisan, as well
as from the palace of the sovereign" +"
The dreamers Of the French Revol
ton, and the liberals of other coun-
tries, before the reaction from that
wonderful event took place, found in
these checks and limitations treason
to liberty. No man respects more
than | the Republicans, and Demo
Gratis, and Relorn4ers of Europe, by
whatever name they may be known ;
their heroic courage, their unshaken
faith, their unswerving allegiance to
the cause Of progress. But how i'm
measurably do they fall behind Wash
ington, and Franklin, and Madison,
and Jefferson, and Hamilton, and Jay,
in practical knowledge Of mankind
and in the wisdom Of its application.
Honest, intelligent and wise men
1877 | fear it will be long before
the world will again see your equals.
1t is held stupidity now-I believe il
is classically called Bourbonsm-to
admire their wisdom, to regard with
affection the work of their hands, to
believe that all changes in it are not
reforms, to doubt that every village
schoolmastor, or godly preacher,
aspiring lawyer, and above all, every
"loyal man." is a safer statesman, a
more skilful architect Of government
than they.
/ will not analyze more closely
their system of government. 1t en-
dured from 1889 Till 1860.
Shall / recount its history2 Shall
| recall its results Shall | remind
you that at first it met with serious
opposition, but that, wisely admins
tered, it proved its beneiicence and
fixed itself firmly in the hearts Of the
people--that it waged wars Of con
quest and wars of defense-that il le
/ the evils of domestic dissension-tha
| il encountered the perls Of neutrality
and all the difficulties Of Il struggle fol
commercial supremacy, and all the
vicissitudes of national life, and that
this constitution Of government was
sufficient for all of these Z Shall tel
you the story which hangs on my lips
that obeying lawful authority, OBJ
serving the precepts of paternal aliec
ton, exercising moderation and kind
ness, and, above all, revering the pa
triotism and the virtues of the fathers
and seeking TO initiate them, thes'
States and this people wooed The
genius of wisdom, and found, indeed
ats ways are ways of plcasantnoss
and all its paths are peace" that lib
erty was in mansion and cottage, il
city and country; that prosperity
crowned the labors of the husbandmaI
and the artisan and the merchant
that wealth and power, and science
nnd art and learning and religion
and the kindly charities of a robus
ard manly philanthropy, did constan
homage, in their rapid development
20 the benefoencc of the Farme
Republic. And has it passed away
Why should not this system, so al
of blessings, have satisfied the aspira
tions of our peopley Why the per
petual longing of the human mind {,
leave the well known tract, and {
encounter the perils Of innovation an'
experiment
During the closing years of thi
period great dissatisfaction with on
political system manifested itself. 1
was popular to propose radical change
in the government established by th'
J fathers. The declaration was mad,
that the union of slaveholding ant
non-slaveholding States could not en-
: dure, although such union had beer
so brilliantly successful for thro
quarters of a century. Light hal
suddenly broken in on the mind. Tn
wisdom of the past had become dark
nc s before the ef'ulgenoe shed upoI
the present. A mystical "higher law
had been discovered by its uncertain
standard our institutions in the futur
were to be regulated. The Constitu
ton in certain respects iniringod il
} and in so far was the Constitution {
be spurned and disregarded.