The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1868-08-05

II HAS ueCH TIC urn DelleI OF all, until
within a short period, that the Consti
tuition Of the United States and the
form which it gives to the government
and the laws passed in pursuance of it,
were sufficient to carry out fhe design
of our. Fathers Seventy one years o.
actual experiment almost demonstrated
the foregoing proposition.
The people were happy the popula
ton had increased rapidly ; our com
merce had spread itself over the world
The results of our industry were the
theme of all praise, and the National
name and power became a great infu
ence and an unobscured glory all over
the earth. Obedience to the authority
of the Constitution and respect for its
limitations were universally conceded
as the proper and necessary source Of
u prosperity. The fruits of such a
theory cannot be disputed. The Con.
s~titution leaves industry unfettered, and
hence thrifty and remunerative. Hon
est energy required no Intervention by
legislation, and a true equality, such as
the Constitution contemplates, was the
result. Legislation being confined,
solely, to federal purposes and to keep
the machinery of the general govern
ment in motion, within its Constitu.
tional orbit, was limited in quantity
and simple in form and qualify, and as
a necessary result there was economy
The people received the necessary aid
in their affairs through their State or
CARNATIONS, which was also economical.
The burden upon the people and upon
labor was light. and such was the de-
sign ofthe Constitution The personal
rights of the people-their lives, liber.
ty, prosperity and pursuits, were deem
ed so sacred, they were in fact undis-
turoed except to be guaranteed against
lawless acts. AS a truth, unless the
Constitution be violated, there can be
no serious evil inflicted on the mass of
the people. The Constitution contains
no germ of evil. 1t seems to mi a self
evident proposition that bad govern
ment is the result, not of our Constitu
ton, but of its violation by either bad
or ignorant men and it must follow
that if the people are to-day suffering
bad results, it is because of a misintcr
probation and violation of the princi
pals of our government and the spirit
of our Constitution. But few people
in this district would Intentionally in
fiict on themselves the results of bad
government. The leaders and agents
Of the people are alone responsible
This view is well illustrated by the late
uprising in the South. The people of
the Southern States were dragged into
the rebellion Ivy their leaders. The
leaders in the Southern States violated
the Constitution, and so, many leaders
in theN orthern States violated that
instrument in spirit, and the two to-
gether brought the war, The .Consti-
tuition cannot give birth to such a
monster as wai. The slaughter of the
war and the public debt are the results
of a violated Constitution. Life and
economy, both fell on the battle field.
When the war ceased the Constitution
ought to have again become the para
mount authority. Then was the time
to settle principles, to adjust expenses.
to close up the war account, to return
to a peaeeable mode, ito our old and
well tried mode, Of administering the
government Could this have been done
Let us appeal TO facts. Let us be not
deceived.-The war was not waged
against State Constitutions or State
Corporations theories or fran
chises; but in favor of the supremacy
Of the laws and constitution against the
people of the South for resisting II e
one and attempting TO overthrow the
other, The determination of the strug-
gle effected not State Constitutions.
The war was waged only to maintain
the laws, and when that was accom-
plished, it was to cease, and the people
South were to mmediately organize
civil government if they should take
an oath to support the Constitution
and abide by the abolition of slavery.
In pursuance of this public sentiment
on the Sth day of December, 1868,
President Lincoln issued his Proclama
ton, authorizing one tenth of the pot-
ulatiou of any of the Southern States
to organize civil government. Making
the desire to do this the only test of
renewed allegiance and obedience, ex
cept the usual oath, and the agreement
to abide by the abolition of slavery -;
and in his proclamation the President
that the name, boundary
and subdivisions Of the States, the
Stale Constitution and the general
of laws, except as to slaves, be
maintained as before the rebellion.
to acts of Congress of 1863
p. S.-The State of Louisiana did
organize civil government under this
proclamation, and sent her representa-
to Congress and they were receiv-
ed. This plan of settling the war and
healing up the breach was not changed
u ntil the session of 1864, when Con
gross passed an act providing for the
reorganization of civil government, by
The people, in any of the states in re-
Dellion should take an oath to support
The Constitution of the U. S., and also,
providing for state conventions and
provisional governors: until civil gov
.rnnent be organized Upon this act
Lincoln issued his proclama
ion, July 8, 1854, adopting it as the
node o. restoring the Union, Appendin
o acts Of Congress Of 1864, ?. is.
Until the war closed, in April, 1865,
10 thought was entertained of any 9th
mode of ending-the war and r%estor-
ng the full supremacy of the Constitu
ion, and this mode was the settled
of the government. The South
States were recognized as states,
nd the people as proper persons to-
lovern, provided they took the oath to