The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-05-08
\ D. 1892 CADIZ OHIO WEDNESDAY, MAY g. 1857

been educated in the Revolutionary War,
or in the civil service Of their States or Of
the confederation. They had acted in life.
They were not drespers. They INDUCED
in no vain sp, culatiens Of 'fsnciful theories.
Trey sighed after no imaginary perfection.
They preferred to live well in land of ac
tuality AMI fact, rather than to struggle for
Utopia which has had no existence since
the primal curse.
They adapted their institutions to their
country and times. They copied neither
ancient nor modern republics They in.
vented system different from that Of Ath-
ems, or Sparta, or Rome. or Venice. or the
Achean League, or the Dutch RI public, OF
the English Commonwealth. 1t was fed
erstive republic; or, as Kossuth called it,
q republic Of republics, with cheeks and
balances. Its sanction Was not the popular
will expressed in the simplest form. 1t
! placed limitations and restrictions on the
power Of the people, for It's authors knew
that tyranny may flow from the workshop
the artisan, as we'll as from the palace of
the sovereign" The dreamers ofthe French
Revolution, and the liberals of their coun-
tries, before the reaction from that wond!r
iful eyenttook place, found in these checks
and limitations treason to liberty. No man
respects more than the Republicans, and
Democrats, and ReformerS Of Europe, by
whatever name they may 30 known; their
heroic courage, their unshaken faith, their
answering allegiance to the cause OF prog
ress. But now immeasvrably do they fall
behind Washington, and Franklin, and
Madison, ard Jefferson, and Hamilton and
Jay in practical knowledge Of mankind
and in the wisdom Of its application. -
Honest, intelligent and wise men Of 1887!
fear it will be long before the world will
again see their equals. 1t is held stupidity
now--I believe it is classically called Bour-
bonism-to admire their wisdom, to regard
with affection the work of their hands, to
believe that oil changes in it are not re-
forms, to doubt that every village school
master, or cody preacher, or aspiring law
yer. and above all every loyal man" is q
safer statesman, more skillful architect Of
government than they.
| will not analyze more closely their sys.
tenn of Government. 1t endured from 1889
till 1860.
Shall recount its history? Shall recall
its results? Shall l remind you that at first
it met with serious opposition, but that
wisely administered it proved its bene6-
cence and fixed itself firmly in the hearts
cf the people-that it waged wars OF con-
quest and wars of defense--it felt the evils
of domestic discussion that it encountered
the perils of neutrality, and all the difficult
ties of a struggle for commercial supremacy,
and all the vicissitudes of national life, and
that this Constitution Of Government was
sufficient for all these things? Shall tell
you the story which hangs on my lips that
obeying lawful authority, observing the
| - Il III
moderation and kindness, and, above all.
revcring the PATRIOTISM and the virtues Of
the fathers, aud seeking 10 initiate them,
these States and this people wooed the gem
ius of wisdom, and found, indeed, Its ways
are ways of peasantness and all its paths
are peace" that liberty was IN mansion
and in cottage in city and in country; that
prosperity crowned the hrsbandman and
the artisan, and the merchant; that wealth
and power, aud science and art, ard learn
ing and religion, and the kindly charities
Of a robust and manly philanthropy, did
constant homage, in Their rapid develop
ment. to the benifcence Of the Farmer Re-
pubic?
And has il passed away?
Why should not this system, so full of
blessings, have satisfied the aspirations of
our peoplef Why the pcrpetuai longing of
the human mind to leave the well-known
track, and 10 encounter the Yerils of inno-
vation ard experiment.
During the closing years of this period,
great dissatisfaction with our political sys-
tenn manifested itself. 1t was popular to
propose radical changes in the Government
established by the fathers. The declaration
was made that the Union, of elaveholding
and non-slavehoiding States could rot en-
dnre, although such Union had been so
brilliantly successful tor three quarters OF
injury, Light had suddenly broke in on
the mind. The wisdom Of the PAST had be-
come darkness before the surprising efful.
gence shed upon the present A mystical
'higher law" had been discovered-by its
uncertain standard our institutions in the
future were to be regulated. The Consti
tuition in certain respects infringed it, and
in so far was the Constitution to be spurn-
ed and dis,egardcd. :.
This policy might bring discord, and,
perhaps, armed collision, into family of
States where all had boen harmony. But
the suggestion was received with contempt
uous increduality -and :he result, it realiz
ed, was deemed unimportaDt in compari-
son with the moral and political reforms
which we're to make the Government re-
splt ndent in tn lueter Of a newborn phil
anthropy and fraternity. This popular dis
temper continued to increase and to give
more yirulent manifestations.
We seen. to hare emulated the n,adEess
of the Jews when they asked from Jehovah
government Of Kings in place OF that di-
vine Priesthood, which had brought them
out of Egypt snd made them prosperous
amid the vallays of Canaan. And like
them we have be, delivered up to our fol-
lies and nfatuation.
This discomfort finally took form and ac-
ton in secession and coercion, These were
but the manifestations Of on underlying
spirit. On the one side and the other it
was asserted that the struggle was for terri
tor;al limits only. Neither was entirely
correct, for both were actuatcd by the re-
volutionary spirit, and the firing of the first
o,n on Fort Sumter was the voice of Seer,
Declaring that revolution had been accom-
plished.
The old political system passed away 10
1851. and another was adopted. Its little
finger is heavier than the whole body oi
that which it superseded. No longer do
we ask have we a Government. Its Argus
eyes seek everywhere the accumulatioDs OF
! labor and capital, and its Briarean arms are
ever grasping all those eyes can see. Its
vast military and naval establishments have
risen with portentious mein, and overshad-
ow ths civil administrations in nearly one
half the country. Beneath the blows OF
their iron sway, popular Government, res,
ting on the consent Of the people, has there
completeIy fallen. Its vital energy is appa-
rent wherever we see strife ind contention,
and violent passions, and antagonisms Of
race. race and section, and States. Its genus
and humanity are conspicuous wherever
healing wounds are made to game airesh,
and TO receive new infusion Of gall and
bitterness. There is no doubt that we have
Governmental strong one-strong In
ths number of men whom it can conseript
i strong in the treasure it can raise by
,avat;on.-strong in its power to invade the