The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-12-16
"a ~ ~ 80 r =
CONSTITUTIONAL.

a, We are refreshed. When q great German !
philosopher was dying, he requested his son
to suggest greet thought to his mind that
he might :. refresh !" himself with it. We
have not been refreshed with great thoughts
but with deeds. We are daily refreshed !
with the affectionate devotion with which
certain men stand by our new Constitution.
Indeed, We are not, ashamed to confess that {.
this remarkable conduct is a subject on
which we can congratulate the people of the Z
State. For time it was to us matter of
deepest solicitude to knowwhether ever that
instrument could insinuate itself into the
hearts of its enemies All room for skepti-
cism is now removed. We need not say
here how much we valued that noble instru-
.ment, or how fondly the good, quiet and
honest people of the State looked to it as the
egis under which they should enjoy peace.
We are not, however, of those who are given
to fond idolatry of any products of the hu
man mind or heart, in any one age, and we
luubt COulCSS tlldG VIC lCCl OuiSCifCo iuotiu SuCl
and quickened in our veneration for the pro-
visions of the Constitution of our State. Ger
tainly we cannot forget, much as it may be
desired, that but few short months ago,
these same men represented this same instru-
ment as -----shame, the work of ignorant
and unprincipled adventures, hutwe can for
give all this on seeing these same men make
themselves its guardians and watchful as
Argus, with many eyes that its "wise and
benifcent provisions are not infringed by
the careless and thoughtless hands of those
who framed it and nurtured it in the days
of its infamy and reproach. 1t is well to have
the iconoclastic disposition of radicalism
thus held in check by the paganistic idolatry
of conservation Under this double guardian
ship we may confidently hope to see our ex-
cellent fundamental law have full opportu-
nifty of proving its adaptability to the present
EFFICIENCY in public affairs. We cannot do
less than commend this improvement in the
temper of the opposition, and hope under
joint effort to carry the life and authority of
the principles of liberty, right and equality
it embodics throughout all the legislation of
our State in the future, and we shall enter
tain no fears but that generations Of
the people of North Carolina will rise up to
call the Constitution blessed. f M
ne Let no one think that we who thus write
feel ourselves irritated when we are so affec-
tionately cautioned not to trench upon "our
Constitution" now when we or the Repub-
lican party are taken to task for imagined
disregard of the Constitution of the United
States. Not in the. least. During the
late heated term" in "the dog-days,"
we felt it to be decidedly cool. 1t
would have been impossible for us to
take offence at it-there was SEEM
ing innocence about the actors that was
inimitable. 1t never appeared to occur to
them that there was anything incongruous
in their conduct, and this very unconscious
ness of their anomalous position could only
provoke laughter. To have the men who
denounced the Constitution-who declared
it the instrument of tyrants-who waged
bitter war to overthrow it-who classed
ourselves and the Republicans as traitors for
maintaining our allegiance toit-who hunt
ed and prosecuted every one that they sup
posed, loved ito have such men charge US
a
with want of proper respect for the sanctity
of that yenerated instrument was so exceed
ingly odd that to this day we still wonder
at their audacity. ' ... ..',' = -, 100
We do not propose to ourselves defence
of the Republican party in this matter. We
are not even about to admit or deny the
charge of acting outside of the Constitution
or even of the violations of its provisions
in order to crush the rebellion. There is no
doubt that the non coercion policy that Pres
ident Buchanan imagined he found in the
Constitution, would have been far more
! acceptable to the men, who planned and
proposed to execute rebellion, than the stern
policy of his successor, who found or assumed
to find, authority from the Constitution to
crush out the attempt to overthrow the cita-
del of freedom. What we purpose to do
| is only to assert that, while we believe the
| Constitution to have been an admirable in
strument in its day-to. have embodied the
most advanced views on human liberty then
vet xxya6 do mot 4l NV al
means, hold that, it was the measure of the
| doctrines of human advancement and free
dom. That men should outgrow. thost
| views was but reasonable Human in
tellect, human progress did not, in that
Constitution, exhaust itself. 1t was ade-
quate for that day, and by subjecting it to all
the tension its elasticity could endure, it
served the purpose Of its constitution fol-
four-score years. 1t had been well for US
well for humanity--well fol. the cause of ma
tional liberty, if we had not deemed it too
sacred and amended it long since. Consti-
| tutions are made for man and not man fol
Constitutions. Such creations, the product
of one age or one convulsion, move onward
must suffer change, enlargement of their pro
visions SO as to meet the demands Of succeed
ing ages and not be shattered by every new
revolution. Every age and generation
need; and should demand, that they be
not fettered by the compacts and enact
ments Of the past that the intellect and
heart of advancing religion and civilization
shall be allowed to demand ample room 70,
| its nresent exercise EyeyU thin1 that man