Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-07-12
TWO THEORIES.

" AANas SSsd Va. "uOhA NSSAAS "a sPkNhu
OF universal liberty, justice and equal
rights. One was formerly represented
BY the G%arrisonian abolitionists, who
denounced the Constitution o fthe United
States as ga eovenan with death and
a league with hell" aud since then by
the New York Tribune, which was ready
in 1860 to let the Southern States secsde
aud destroy the Union in violation Of
the Constitution, and which then justi-
fed secession; which in 1868 proposed
deliberately that we should show 10
u destiny" defeat by the rebels, "and
make the best attainable peace; :" and
which o declares
Constitutional forms are very well,
where the constitutions are based on
eternal and impartial justice, otherwise
they may prove but a snare, Sc
cure US essential justice, and Te are not
particular as to FORMS
The other view, regards the Union as
the great safeguard of popular liberty,
and the Constitution as n wise and noble
instrument, under which, with the pow
ers Of amendment secured in it, the
American people may justly expect to
make steady progress in liberty and en-
lightenment, and which, therefore, the
highest interest Of the American people
should lead them most jealousy to
guard against violation, BY any party or
for any cause. "Give, US union, and
liberty will follow" was the statesman
like watchword Of the German liberals,
given TO them many years ago by DR..
Lieber; and Washington wrote, in his
farewell address, "The Constitution
which at any time exists, until changed
BY an explicit, and authentic act Of the
whole people, is sacredly obligatory
upon all"
Now it is an important question,
which Of these two theories is right.
They are very different the one dispises
law, the other depends upon law the
one seeks to attain liberty BY violence,
the other desires to secure liberty by the
strict enforcement Of law the one sees
no hope of progress, except by spas
modic extrs-constitutional efforts the
other believes that true and safe pro-
gress in liberty and justice is only pos
sible by the faithful observance Of the
Constitution, and the Jealous use Of all
the rights and powers it guarantees.
The first is impatient, the last patient a;
the one regards the Constitution as a
source Of oppression the other holds it
to be toe ark OF safety for the liberties
of the people.
The history Of our country shows
that the constitutional theory is wise
aud right; the history Of Mexico, OF
France, Of the unhappy South Aueri-
can Republics, shows equally that the
auti-eoustitusioual theory is wrong, de-
s,ruc,ive of liberty, and productive
only Of anarchy and ~despotism. Look
only 81 our own history, and see how
steady, powerful and bene6cent is the
progress possible under the Cons.itu-
ton and within the Union, both Of
which, the Observation-Disclosures Of the
y. Y. Tribune were ready to surrender
in 1850, as the Observation-Disclosures
Of the Li6srGtor were ready to throw
them of years before. It is not much
more than thirty years since Lloyd Gar
rison began the auti-slavery agitation,
with scarcely a dozen friends or adhe-
rents. Exercising his constitutional
righ, Of free discussion, appealing, un-
der the protection Of the Union and
Constitution, to the conscience Of the
American people, he spoke and wrote,
until there came up a great party in the
country, which, more wise and far-see-
ing than he, determined to check the
spread Of slavery, and to effect its ulti-
mate eItirpation, under the Constitu-
ton, within the Union, aud by strict
Constitutional forms and methods.
Within the Union and under the Con-
s,itu,;on this great party finally elected
a President on the Constitutional plat
form Of "non-exteusion Of slavery"