Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-07-16

IN every way to strengthen their PEI
administration. By the bred Scott
decision, taking away the power to
prohibit slavery in the territories, and
claiming the right to bring slaves
into any northern state, and keep
them there, as long as suited their
lordly convenience, they s0ugho to
change government Of freedom and
equal rights to all to an agent for the
promotion Of the interests Of q class,
TO blacken our hearts, and turn back
ward the course of the country -
The North said, this government
shall remain as our fathers made it,
and so the issue was made up wheth-
CT the government should remain the
strong protector of freedom and de-
mQcracy, or as All aristOcracy become
the principal agent for enslaying men
and trampling under foot tho princi-
pies of the declaration Of independ-
ence. They aimed to make the coun
try all slave, and make Congress, the
courts, the executive, speak for slaves
ry by peaceful means but when they
found that game was up, they tried
to play another, attempting to take
eleven states out Of the Union, and
graciously offering to others, when
they got SEX OF staying in the cold,
to take them in. Politicians thought
the North could still be wheedled,
cared more for money than for prin-
ciple, truth or God, and would make
no resistance. The North rose in de
fence OF liberty and the Union, en-
ndSSe; he was sorry TO say, not quite
unanimously, but those who remains
cd behind were Of no particular CON
sequence. applause and laughter.)
And for four long years such con
test was wagcd as the world never
saw before. The result was what
might have been expected, confirm
ing christian faith, and the predie,
tons Of the little tapers Of the early
prophets, and Of the Great Master
himself. Truth is omnipotent, and
always triumphs over falschood, right
over wrong, justice over oppression,
freedom over slavery. Temporary
defeats are Of no consequence, and
the faintest hearted may always keep
up his courage with the thought, men
may fall and nations perish, but truth
will stand even whom the heavens
pass away; and
God Walks the stage Of his own works alone
The stern iron logic of Gods Prov
idence is always carried to It's con-
clusions. However fierce may be
the tempests, no matter how many
enemies may assail, when the banner
of truth floats over you you need
never give up the ship. When you
find you are on the side ofright, you
may begin at once chanting p@ans
Of victory. They might be little
premature, but you are sure to win.
With our glorious victory achieved,
our flag floating on every breeze, and
national authority recognized in ev-
cry hamlet in the land, the ashes Of our
martyrs gathered home standing by
the graves of these fallen patriots,
we must ask ourselves what duties
Of patriotism have risen out of the
war. The great duties of life are ev-
er before and upon Us, always to be
performed, never fully dischargcd.-
Let 10 man dream that the millen
ium has come and we have no furth>
er contest. Our first and great duty
is to rebuild and repair the breech
made by the war in the institutions
Of our country The demolished
states are to be restored the wrongs
which have led to this war be render
cd impossible hereafter the spirit as
well as the letter Of the constitution
is to be secured and firmly establish-
ed the rights of all men, without re-
gard to nationality, race, color or re-
ligion, rights Of men as men, and be>
cause men are to be fully guaranteed
from the lakes to the gulf and from
the Atlantic to the Pacific. BY do
ing well the duties of to-day we will
save the chance Of having to fight
this war over again. By performing
all our duty in the present we will
tighten the burthens upon the next
generation. We are to forgive our
southern brethren, but it is enough
to make devils grin to hear what is
said about magnanimity and charity
to the South. We are to meet them
as men and treat them as brothers so
long as they remain harmless, but we
are to provide for the future so that
we will never have to engage in an
other war to vindicate our principles.
Applause When the war closed
the first question was, and unfortu-
nately the question remains unan-
swered to day, what is the situation
of the rebel states.
There were two theories upon the
subject: 1. That the state govern
ments of those states had been de-
stroyed and that Congress ought to
create territorial governments with a
view to their ultimate readmission as
states. ?. The other was that the
states had not their situation in the
Union, because the constitution in
tended the Union to be indissoluble.
One Of these theories was true; both
could not be- Yet Congress promul-
gated 4 reconstruction programme,
half one thing and half the other half
right and half wrong based partly
upon the theory that the states were in
the Union, and partly upon the the
DRY that they were not.
We are suffering to>day, and the
great work of reconstruction is ar>
rested from the unwillingness Of Con
gress to say what they really intend
ed. Elected for the very purpose.
yet assembled In the Capital, they
began to fear the people might not
sustain them in those measures of
radical cure which the situation Of
things imperitively demanded
They hesitated and paltered, passed
laws so as to half express and half
conceal their purpose, and thus ena-
bIed a hostile executive to put his
foot upon the whole scheme and crush
it to the ground. Congress assem-
bIed Yesterday for the sole pnrnose