The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-06-17
greatness stands at a higher pitch than at
any previous period in our country's his

greatness stands at higher pitch than at
any previous period in our country's his
tory. .s'Hstii it.9o
No alarming signs of disease in the body
proper, though the Southern members are
aiing somewhat from the effects of certain
war medicines imprudently taken; no fall
tering in the steady march of general pro-
gress po expressions of coincidence Tor our
condition by the friendly nations OF Eu-
rope; but yet men cry out " the country Is
lost!" "The inevitable tendency of all
Democracies I" So it was with Athens
and Rome, and other Italian Republics [!
Oh !! that we had limited monarchy"
MY friends, if this Constitution shall ever
be overthrown or the Union of these States
be broken, it will not be after the fashion of
Athens, or Rome, or Florence, or Venice, for
there exist between us and them-no mark
ed likeness, and the, to some delicious, Wis
ion of limited monarchy in this country
will never be realized-such forms OF gov
eminent happening to those people only,
who are content to wage war for genera
tons with absolute despotism till certain
rights, property, and sometimes restricted,
political liberty are granted them 10y the
crown; the government of the United
States is sal generis. The first, and with
the doubtful exception of the South Ameri-
can Republics, the only one of its kind.
1t exists under II different civilization from
that which ruled the world when death fell
upon those old historic Republics, which
have in the stereotyped oratory OF young,
enthusiastics been so frequently dragged
upon the stage in all their gloomy grave
clothes, as solemn warnings to the American
people, that the time forsooth had come,
sohen they should transfer the gooernnnerat TO
the party out Of office. 800.
This has been and will be, and yet the
Union is still maintained on firm and fixed
basis, and the Constitution is likely to I'M
dergo no serious changes for the worse. The
balance fpowers, which the wisdom OF our
fathers provided for the security of the gov
eminent in that most sacred instrument, has
not infrequently failed to secure the endsfor
which it was designed, but the instrument
has still maintained its place in the love and
affection of the American people. There
was harsh war between the Legislative and
executive branches OF the government In the
Presidency of Gen. Jackson. Impeachment
was threatened, and the same power OF re-
moval which is now so eagerly discussed,
then occupied the attention of all party
men the great men of the nation, Web
ster, Clay and Calhoun supporting the opin-
ion that the President should assign reasons
to the Senate for the exercise of such power,
and the right of the Senate to agree to such
reasons or reinstate the elected officer. Mr.
Tyler as well as Mr.. johnson at this day
did not get along well with his old friends
in Congress, and Mr.. Calhoun, of South-Car-
DINA, assailed the power of the Supreme
Court ten times more bitterly than Mr.. Ste
vens of Pennsylvania has ever done,
and yet the good sense of the Ameri-
can people survived all this, and when the
smoke of the strife was blown off by the
gentle breeze of brotherly love, the flag was
seen at the masthead, and the old ship
Constitution was still safe at her moorlngs.
The Constitution makers also thought
that by prohibiting the slave trade after the
year 1908, slavery would become gradually
extinct, us the greater part OF them wished.
James Madison, Southern Statesman,
refused to sanction the introduction of the
word slave into the Constitution. ..
And though the invention of the cotton
gin and the increased impetus given to the
production of that staple by Mr.. Jefferson's
purchase of Louisiana, and by the war with
poor old volcanic Mexico, and the preceding
admission of Texas, served for time to keep
up what our good sense now shows us to
have been an unnatural. unchrstianlike,
and an Improbable institution yet the late
cruel war once over, the abolition of that
institution formerly made so dear to us by
Northern interference with it, was agreed to
by all good men as a necessary consequence
of our changed relation, and the fathers of
the Constitution to-day stand indicated in
their opinions of the evils of slavery to our
social and political systems. I,y, .... ... 3.
So has it been with many other questions
of public policy, which in the. opinion of
hot Drained men would prove the death of
the government; and in spite of all our past
political experience, and contrary to what,
in my opinion is common sense, there
are now to be found very many people in
certain classes, who shout the same cry, and
whose political hatred chokes down every
emotion of manly patriotism. I thank God
that Hive iu State where such people have
not always been allowed commanding in
flucnce, in State not altogether so bilious
in temperament as some of her near South
ern neig hbors, whose public men have with
few exceptions spoken " the words of truth
and soberness," whose counsels have been
mild and healing, and whose population has
been, and trust ever will be, literally and
truly Conservative. The Importance of such
a State to the system, will only he appre-
ciated when the future shall disclose to the
gaze of some of us at least, reconstructed
Union, an unscathcd Constitution, and a
prosperous, patriotic people. That day, my
friends, will assurcdly come. The structure
of our government demands it, and come it
must. Perhaps, no better evidence could be
adduced in favor of the worth of our pOlity
than the unchanging esteem with which it
has always been regarded by the people OF
Europe In reference to the late impeach-
ment of Mr. johnson, for instance, that or
gan of the few freemen of France, In
Presse eloquently applauds Republican
institutions, which permit the chief magis-
trate of nation of forty millions, to be
brought to trial without bloodshed or dis
quiet !" while we who live under these in
stitutions, seem to quake in our very shoes,
at the exercise of power, which I verify be
lieve many Southern people are led to think
is unconstitutional. Such high party meas
ures are naturally to be expected, on the
close of such revolution at the late war
but, instead of despalring of the Republic
consider such trials as but tests of its
strength: ,,..,.rs-.., H..
s'Duris ut lick tonsa bipennibus ~,
Ngre feraci frondis in Algido,
Per damna, per caedes alb ipso i' '-|a
Ducit opes, animumque ferro." yat Jc
And now that government, which, witt
some evils, has so many good features, which
has conquered whole continent for Chris
tianity and civilization, has given happ!
homes to thousands nav millions of til,