Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-06-06
constitutional Liberty--UniverSai Suf.
frage-- sV0x POpuli Vox Dei.o

Notwithstanding the nulnberless wrecks
OF governments, absolute and popular, that
mark every page of the worlds history,
like the s'pillar of SALT" to warn each sue
ceeding generation of the dangers that
threaten the future, mankind seems to have
gained no wisdom but the same errors
are repeated, again and again, through
successive eras Of time The same causes
that overthrow the governments of ancient
nations are destroying those of modern
times.
When our forefathers threw off their al
leglance to the British crown, and estab-
lished free republican form of govern
ment, and adopted constitution and enac-
ted laws for the guidance, protection and
prosperity Of their descendants, it was sup
posed that the great problem of self-gov-
eminent had been at last satisfactorily
worked out, and that it would stand the
test Of time and the shock of revolutions
That grand instrument, the FEDERAL Con-
sTITUTIoN, it was believed, had harmonised
all the conflicting interests of the COM
munity and secured to all future genera
tions the inestimable blessings of Civil
LIBERTY, in the most comprehensive mean
ing OF the term. We looked upon this
grand achievement, in allits departments, -
It's checks and its balances, and its safe
guards, and accepted it as the most pre-
clous boon ever bequeathed to the world by
the wisdom of man. Our eloquent orators
delighted to dwell upon the figure, which
seems to have inspired the breast of every
freeman in the land, that the "Iree ofLib-
erty had been planted in the genial soil
Of America, made rich by the blood Of the
"heroes Of the revolution" and that it
would continue to grow and to spread it's
branches until all the oppressed of the old
world should find ali asylum beneath its
shade. And the national Bird" bearing
branch Of this imaginary tree, with the
em5lems Of our nationa.. greatness, in his
talons, With his eye upon the sun, should
continue to spread his giant wings to the
breezes Of freedom to the end of time We
cherished, in our hearts warmest affec-
tons, the memory Of the deeds of our an
cestors, and venerated the Constitution
under which our government was formed.
But, alas the demon of sectional strife,
like the serpent in the garden of Eden, has
beguilded too many of our people, and the
sublime devotion to our institutions which
had 50 long characterised them was destroy
ed in the struggle for sectional supremacy,
and we are now again upon the vast ocean,
in a leaky vessel, with no chart or compass,
and 10 competent engineer at the helm.
A more frequent recurrence to the great
principles upon which our government was
founded, and which brought us safely
through so many severe tests Of its stabili-
ty,. might have saved US from the calami-
ties that now afflict US as people. We
need to study again the cardinal principles
of political freedom, if we would correct
the mistakes of the past and erect new
safeguards for the future. We must learn
to distinguish between that freedom, which
our forefathers intended to establish, and
that licentiousness that now governs both
our government and the ballot-box. We
must learn that, 'sthe ends for which men
unite in society, and submit to government,
are to enjoy security to their property, and
freedom to their persons, from all injustice
or violence" whether from the government
CT the baliot-box.
The principal source of our present trou-
bles is to be traced to the fact, that ma
jo,sty Of tie american people hare lost all
generation and respect for the Constitution
ad5aoos, AND HAVE SUBSTITUTED DEpRAv-
ED sPUBLIc SENTIMENT FOR THEM. La the
frenzy Of passion the old landmarks are
disregarded, and the sacred obligations
that formerly rested upon and governed
the exercise of the heaven boon right of
suffrage, have all been obliterated. One
OF the greatest statesmen Of our own sun
ny South, in discussing the tendency Of
the numerical majority to Cypress the min
orisy, says: "This radical error, of re-
garding the numerical as the only MAORI
ty, has contributed more than any other
cause TO prevent the formation Of popular
constitutional governments, and to destroy
them even when they have been formed.
IF the numerical majority were really the
people and if, to take its sense truly, were
to take the sense Of the people truly, a
government so constituted would be true
and perfect model of popular constitution
al government and every departure from
it would detract from its excellence. Bat,
as sasch as not the case; as the numerical
majority, instead Of being the people, IS