Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-01-11
Governors Address.
Gentleman II the Senate,
UnJ fKnuse x,f - s,ao - 80 ,.l s.-

0OVoIuOr AQQE0oSs
GentlcmdM IF the Senate,
and House II R.preseHtatie.s. a.
The period at which we meet a marked
by peculiar favOrs and II Is bctittlnr that
we should acknowledge the beneficcs,ce o.
of Him In wlluss hands we .aSe. and CRATE
fully recognize oar Increased obligation OF
obedience and love. The clouds undev
which at SOME former times you have as
seinbled here have rolled away. Many
snxiciics With which, tlsia yeas began have
been dispelled IN It's cusrsc. The hHnf VI
pestilencc has been stayed beyond our
borders. The lsst ssW'yes Of the civil war
whose fearful untiertow sucked away our
youth and strength. have now subsidized. =
We have welcomed home the last Of our
soldiers and sailors who shall ever return
froun tasc countrys defence. and sought the
lIrccioMs dnst OF those who are, left IA
tsOsenges tar her peace We have chccred
as we could the fanting hearts Of widows,
and filled as best We might the empty
hands Of the fathcrlcss. We have looked
our sorrows fairly IN tho face and found
that we could bear them. And though,
devastating fires have swept through suf,e
of our faircst towns, vet they have. hvpil
the occasion Of bringing out latent activi-
tives and fratcrnal sympathy. which are Of
NO less value to society thai. more perish
able goods. The season l.Efs becn kindly.
the land has smiled with harvests, and
every where epeTgy and enterprise arc
striving toisrke g"ud such losses as can
bc repsire.l.
Especially should we congratulate our
selvcs upon the uoral and political aspect
81 aMSffs. The result of the war has been
sllc vtnJtcuifon Of the cOuntry's cause. rs
against that Of section; Of manhood over
the system of master and slave; Of the
liberty which means law. right, Immunity.
over that which Is lawlcss. barbaro,ls. and
insolent. The people have carried out the
pledge inherited from the fathers. to de-
fcnd the foundations Of this Government
with life and fortune and sacred honor
And since the contest of arms has ceased,
we have seen the people rally with ma
jesty and might even more sublime. to re-
affirm at the baliOt-box the vital pOints OF
the issue which basencss or cunning sought
to eludc. Thus the country, fresh from
the field of her blood, with banner unpol-
lutcd, and legend unObscured. proclaims
to the world anew her declaration of great
truths, and her own attested unconvser-
allie devotion.
In this great verdict the people Of Maine
have borne a leading and brilliant part
Cnsaef circumstances which rekindled all
slhmbcping opposhioN~ they have spoken
whclming. This was not merely the calm
expression of opinion, but the impassioned
declaration of will, the awful oath Of
eternal enlnity to wrong.
FEDERAL RELATIONS.
A tile close of the war. the secession
element was completely disorganized and
erUken. The South as faction was dis
iutGgrated. The war for secession had re-
veuled the selfish motives and reckless
means Of Its instigators, and had bred Bit
ter dissensions. The COMsederacy was
held together only by military force. Aud
when. vanquisllcd with its own veal ons.
il laid down its arms, its people were
ready. looking at their necessities and their
interests, to accept such terms rs they
knew they could expect from victor
whose magnanimity was provcrbial to
fault. And it is not hazarding too much
20 assert that had no particular policy Of
reconstruction been interposed, and moth
Ing been attempted but to provide against
suffering and protect personal rights in the
South until the assembling Of Congress
ta,e riginfMl authority in the patter-the
Nlscge country to-day would be IN relations
far more satisfactory both to North and
South. Now. however. the distracted ele-
ncmts have been united; the spirit Of the
rebellion has been revived to hopes it had
abandoned. and with its diverse passions
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS excited to the key note of
HbsttiA-cry. the South stands to-day in
solid AMI bristang piialanN.
The terms which had been proposed were
neither hard nor humiliating. We did not
place ourselves on the extreme boundary
Of our rights. nor plead the preccdcnts of
cOnQuerors. But with "a n,agnaniinitv with
out parallel, the people of the United
States i'm the prou,lest moment of theirs
victory. hadbeen willing to forget the sor-
VOWS and burdens precipitater upon tI,eia
nv the rebellion. and restore the seceyIiny
States to the fellowship of the Union upon
the simple condition that the pretensions
Of secession be repudiated, and that the
provilcntal and inevitable results of the
war as affecting the rights Of American
citizenship should be recognized in good
faith, and practically in'bodhed in enact
nsent and institution. The lcnient meas
Nrcs-pFoposesi by Congress were designed
xS'cnabse the SOutftO take the first step
towards return with as little humiliation.
and Ms good grace as possible. But these
good intentions were tlwarted. and so il
happens that to-day the duty Is still before
US Of securing the great results which
Providence. and not our own foresight, has
placed in our hands. and of which the
same great Power Will hold us to strict ac-
eotsA-
As affecting the rights and relations of
States the .lecieisA II not obscure. There
arc those indeed who raise tlse cry that We
would destroy State rights and centre all
power in the National Government. They
press history into service. and condemn us
by an argument from analogy. and by
mere illustration. They claim that the
tendency Of all Republics has been to CEN
eradication Of power, until the spirit and
even teTIG of libertyNvas lost. But IIisto-
ry does not tell Of liberty won and lost
Mem and nations have striven for it indeed.
and failed because. they were unworthy.
There has been IsSpcrf.ct Nbrrtr yet. The
goal is still l,sfsse ~, not behind us. We
move Onward. mt HI perpetual rounds.
We have higher part t1 act than to im
tatr thu examples Vt former greatness, or
take warming by the fate Of lost Republics.
We work by deeper principles, by better
comprehension, by WISER faith IN ma niOOd;
and we have other destiny than to be
slaughtered by the old syllogism-central
IsstiDn. corruption, ruin. The theory We
have established is not that the nation is
sill aud ths States nothing it Is rather this
that ON all questions involving the rights
and iinerests Of all the States, We owe a
paramount allegiance to the Union, in
short that the ultimate authority Of the
lsOyeriinsent Is MOI ttae Will of each State
~ such. but Ia the People Of the United
States. The grtsk safeguard in this prin-
ciplc VI the majority Is not Ia the barbar0us
maxim that might nsskes right. but ia this,
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