The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1867-05-16

uTsI OOnSTeeS OI Ine war MT. LII
coin justified his suspension of the
h060as corpus, ON the ground that
he had the right to iDfract one pro-
vision of the Constitution in order
that he might be able to compel
Others to obey the residue. He
ridiculed his Constitutional power
to issue his proclamation of eman-
cipation, yet in a weeks time he
issued it. He asserted, in his letter
to Mr.. Greeley, that he had done
and would continue to do so much
and no more than he deemed nec-
essary to preserve the Union. This
was the true revolutionary spirit.
1t took possession of the party in
control of the Government. They
became rcvolutionists. They made
these changes have described.
They are working out still greater
changes. They seized with aviditv
the sword. The cessation OF war
will not give them rest. They will
go on from one point to another
from the reconstruction of 1865.
which met the approval of Con-
gress and the President, to the con-
stitutional amendment-from the
constitutional amendment to the
reconstruction of 18G7-from that
to the confiscation of Thaddeus
Stevens-trom that to whatever
worse the phrenzy of the times
may prompt, till the reaction shall
come; and the people, sated with
empiriment, wearied with uncer-
tainty, shall drive them from power,
even though it be through blood
No success will satisfy them-no
attainment will give them repcse.
The measures struggled for to-day
as all they desire, attained to-mor-
row, are Instantly forgotten in some
new demand. Neither National
unity, nor the suppression of the
rebellion, nor the maintenance OF
the Union, nor the abolition of sla-
very, nor negro suffrage, nor equal
ity of political and social rights,
nor the exclusion of white men
from the ballot, nor confiscation,
nor corruption of blood, will for
one instant exhaust their restless
activity. -'A
"For it is a law which knows nc
exception, that the leaders of revo-
luton are constantly advancing be-
fore the iires which they themselves
have lighted. The moment they
pause, they are enveloped in the
flames" ..
! And this same orator told us thai
in addition to the loss of the Farm
er Republic, We would incur a debt
which would add two hours each
day to the labor of every working
man in the country; and that the
gain should be considered ample
compensation for this toll. What
was the gainG The abolition Of ne.
gro slavery at the South. For this
consummaLion they were to per-
form and to suffer all things ; fol
this the Constitution was to be sub
verted, the Bible was to be rewfit'
ten. a new God was to be enthrOn.
ed! .. '..
Slavery has perished; all history
tells US that it cannot be re-estab
lished in these ages in this country
1t is our bounden duty to recog
nize this great social change; tc
ameliorate whatever evils may be
incident to it, and, so far as pos
sible, to- prepare the freedmen fol-
the discharge of the new dutie,
which are being devolved upon
them. But, gentlemen, if this rev
olution is to 60 on, and the presen'
system of government is to b'
continued, then has our liberty
perished with it; and we have re
allied the prediction of protount
thinker and a brilliant writer, who
twenty years ago, predicted that i
would be written over the, grave o
our political institutions: "Hert
lies a people, who, in order to give
freedom to three millions Of Afri
cans, destroyed their own liberty.
l do not say these things will
pleasure. The errors of our coun
trymen the misfortunes of ou
country-are not the fit subjects o
fllppant comment, or of partizal
and acrimonious criticisms. hav,
avoided harsh epithets and the i'm
putation of improper motives.
know personally many Of the lead
ers of this revolution. l respec
their intelligence-their pure live
their sincere love of country
They themselves would have stoot
aghast, five years ago, at the worl
thev have wrought. They did no