The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-07-06
An Able Review OF the Political His
tory Connected with the D. gan.
izatiOn OF the Government.
Our Country a Union of the
People and Not of States.
THE GOyEROR,s VIEWS OF PEyr.
ING POLITICAL QUESTIONS.
His welcome to the Grand Army OF
the Republic and the Inmates Of
the Soldiers Home.

We present to our readers tie able
address of Governor BAKER, deliv-
cred at Knightstown, on the Fourth
of July, on the occasion of the laying
of the corner stone of the Soldiers
Home. 1t will richly repay a perusal
by all:e fat
Feuow Cftisens-Ladies and Gentlemen:
To the joint action of the Grand Ar
my of the Republic and the Trustees
of the Soldiers Home are we indebted
for the happy blending of the two pa
triotic objects which have assembled
US here to day.
1t is meet and proper that the COM
memoration of the laying of the corner
stone of the grandest political strac
ture that man ever reared or Provi-
dence ever blessed should on this day
be associated with the laying Of the
corner stone of Home for those who
have been disabled in battling to pre-
serve the grand political structure from
destruction.
1t is also fit and proper that these
twin offerings, both sacred to patriot
ism, should be made under the aus
pioes OF an association or citizen sol
diers lately composing a part and still
bearing the name of the Grand Army
of the Republic.
But while it is true, as already init
mated, that the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, was, and is, the corner stone
of our national existence, it ought not
to be forgotten that this stone was, and
is, built upon and supported by broad
and deep pre- existing foundations.
These foundations, to which I now
invite your indulgent attention, con-
sists:
First-Of that Union which consti-
tutes us one people, and without which
independence and national existence
never could have become realities /;
and,
Secondly-Of those immutabie prin-
ciples of truth and justice, for the sup
port of which the fathers pledged
their lives, their fortunes, and their
sacred honor.
The first proposition, then, to which
propose to speak is, that the Union
was and is one of the grand iounda-
tions upon which our independence
and nationality are based.
What, then, is the nature of the
Union? what its origin, and what the
causes which brought it into being?
Is it league between sovereign States,
| Independent not only of all the ma
tions of the earth, but independent of
each other, or is it Union of the en-
tire people of one vast country as one
individual nation, all owing allegiance
to the same Government, of which
they themselves are the architects and
builders?
AS starting point in the consider
/ alton of these questions, we have thir-
teen distinct and separate British Col
onies, all founded on charters, propri-
etory grants or royal governmental
commissions, emanating from the
British crown and defining the bound
aries of these colonies respectively.
The colonies although existing sep,
arately under these charters, grants
aud commissions occupied contiguous
territory. had common origin and for
the most part, the colonies spoke the
same language Their situation was
such that their welfare ii not their
very existence required that there
should be some common government
for the regulation of their external af-
fairs with the rest of the world, to
which all should be alike subject
For many years after the planting oi
these colonies. they all had this neces-
sary common government for the reg,
ulation of their external concerns. un-
der and as part of the British King
dom, to whose crown they in the full
est manner acknowledged their ale
glance.
But whilst these colonies all owed
and acknowledged their allegiance tC
the British Crown, each of them had
for long time, enjoyed the blessings
of local self government In relation tt
their domestic affairs and interna
regulations. They acknowledged
themselves as part of the British En-
pire, to be bound by all treaty stipu.
Iations made by it with other nations
and also that they were subject to th'
legislation of the British Parliament
so far as related to their commercial
intercourse with the world, and al
other subjects on which uniformit,
Of legislation was necessary or desira
bic for all portions of that Empire
They claimed, however, that beini
British subjects, they were entitled t.
all the rights of Englishmen, promi
nent among which was the right o
trial hv itlrv and the rirht To he ex