The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1867-01-23
WEDNESDAY MORNING, JANUARY %, 1867

The resolutions which | have the
honor to present for tho consider
alton Of the House, cmbodics that
application from this State, and l
invoke their passage, if You would
make an effort to save the princl-
pies Of the republic. Should you
adopt them, you have all to the
gain and nothing to lose. AS mat
tcrs now stand, wo have no hear
ing, whilo all of the great princi-
pies upon which the Government
is to be projected and worked, are
being sottlod and established. II
the resolutions are adopted, and
the great end and aim contempla-
ted by them attained, you will
have q hearing, where ali Of the
great questions that are now con-
vulsing the country and threaten
ing the overthrow of the Govern
mcnt can be fairly, fully, freely and
thoroughly discussed and settled,
| hope. forever. Should such a b0dy
be coMvokcd. ana you find your
selvc; in Il hopeless minority. you
will be in no worse condition than
you are now. Every proposition
to amend the Constitution will
have to 90 back to the State: and be
adopted and ratified by the LcgiSla-
lures Of three -f0urthS Of the States,
or by conventions in thrcc-f0urths
thereof before they can become 4
q part Of the organic law. The
North has made its proposition,
which has como to us in the form
Of proposals to amend the Consti-
tuition. In addition to it's severity,
it cmanNtcs from q source OF: at
least, doubtful constitutionality:
and we cannot accept it. Let this
be our proposition. 1t is q fair
one. and is in conformity with the
Constitution, and trust will be
kindly received. Shouldyou adopt
| the resolutions, and fail to attain
the great end and aim contcmpla-
ted by them, you will have the
satisfaction. in future, to know
that you made the last great effort
to save the republic; and you will
receive the swell donc' of the good,
the generous and brave every
where.
Should we fail, however, to at
tain the great end ana am con-
templatcd by the resolutions, then:
to me, the future Of the American
people is dark and gloomy in the
extreme. 1t has taken all Of the
past to make up the present. lie
who would understand the present
and Judge Of the future must know
we'll the past. Kingdoms: govern
mcnts: dynasties and empires have
risen upon the earth, aHd they
have passed away forever. Talk
to me not Of the civilization Of the
nineteenth century, In the midst
of civilization we arc in the midst
Of barbariSm. Apcople-an age
proceeds from barbarism to civili-
zation. from civilization, to rctinC-
mcnt. from refinement to cOrrup-
ton, then back again to barbarlsm,
night, tyranny, dcspotiSm and op-
preston. stand to-day amid the
ruins of vandalism. We arc not
half so civilized as were either the
ancient Greeks or Romans; yet
Greece, with all Of her civilization
and refinement, has almost passed
from the map Of the world. The
Roman Empire, that once covered,
with the wings Of her eagle, al
most the entire continent Of Eu
rope, convuIsed and shaken by
revolutions, has been scattered to
tho winds. In the vast and
mighty changes through which
we arc passing, / invoke you to
trust not in mon, trust not to
their influences, for men and their
influences change and perish and
pass away forever. Trust prinoi-
pie alone, for that alone survives
the shock Of revolutions and time.
The human mind and human pas
sions arc tho same today that
they ever have been, and they will
continue to the "last syllable Of re-
corded time" They ere the same
to-day that they were whcn the
great Carthagenian general wres-
tied in mortal and deadly combat
upon the cnSanyuincG plains Of