The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-06-02

for the South deserted them; it was not be-
cause they loved Caesar less, but that they
loved Rome more. They saw through the
fiery veil, the intent and the design. and
chose to dwell in Freedoms temple built by
the Fathers; for by SO doing, though they
should themselves suffer, they could transmit
to their children the blessings Of Il free gov
ernment, which they had received from the
founders of the Republic. The time will
come, as sure as the day follows the night,
when full credit will he done to this class OF
men, as they stood by the right, and he who
doeth right, can wait to receive his reward,
for certainly it will come Let there he good
grounds for war, let the South be assailed,
let her honor be called in question, these
men will he found. first and foremost, bat
ting for the South and her rights
Let us calmly survey the past, that we
NAV learn the lessons that will enable us to
correct the evils which have been COM
mitted, so far as past evils can be corrected,
and shape our course in the future, that we
may avoid the rock upon which the Nation
driited, and upon which so much treasure
and so many valuablelives were lost. That
we may learn we'll the lesson of these silent
teachers. who wore the blue, and there in
yonder grove who wore the gray, let us
glance at some of the logical and legitimate
results Of the war; The federal government
went to war with the States, because of theft
attempt to sever the connection with the
| Federal Union. The great object was, to
weld the entire American people into one
great and free commonwealth one ma
Iion,-one government, and one people.
| The division of the Union and the ex-
istence of two governments founded upon
antagonistic and hostile principles, reigning
upon the same territory, bound together by
great natural and artificial thoroughiares,:
was certain to blast all prospects of national
grandeur, curb the career of national pro-
gress, beget undying jealouses, entail con
slant and bloody strife-in a word, bring
upon the entire land the fate of the
South American and Mexican Republics.
| To prevent this, the best blood of the ma
ton sprang beneath our starry banner-and
| freely gave their all for their country-for
our country. They won for themselves a
grave, for us a country. Aye! they died
| that we might live. These men died, not
simply that there might be one nation, one
| government, but that the sovereignty o. the
| people might be indicated and enthroned.
| That popular government is the only legal
government, is an ancient and fundamental
| principle of the American Commonwealth
"all political power is vested in, and de-
rived from the people only 1t is announc-
ed in the Declaration of American indie
pendence. 1t is engrafted into the Consti-
| tuition of our fathers: we the people of
the United States do ordain," were the
royal words which impaired sovereignty to
the document Many wise men regarded
republican form of government as yet an
| experiment-tha popular sovereignty was
on trial. For nearly four score years the
Federal Union had existed. The Republic
had proved itself powerful in war, and
prosperous in peace Great achievements
| had been attained in science, art, agricul-
I ture and commerce. Her dominions ex-
tended from sea to sea. The oppressed of
every nation and cline fiocked to her shores,
and found it an asylum for the tSee. She
had passed triumphantly through three
wars, and had forced respect from every
nation; her sails whitened every sea, and
| the munihcence of her institutions was
known and felt throughout the civilized
world. Peace and contentment were hers.
Still the Republic was an experiment, it had
not been subjected to the throes of revolu-
ton; conspiracy had not assailed her at
home her sons had not as yet deserted her
standard and fought to strike her name
| from the roll of nations. But at last the
time came, and, for the Union, in an unpro-
pitious hour The army and navy had been
purposely divided and scattered. to be far
from the Capital when the blow should be
| struck which would decide whether she
could stand or fall as Republic; which was
to decide whether slavery should be the rule
and freedom the exception, or freedom the
rule and slavery the exception. Yes, the
time came, the war cloud gathered and
broke over our peaceful and happy homes,
| the monarchs rejoiced, the enemies of popu-
lar government Knocked at the awful fear
that darkened the land. Not despot upon
his throne but prophesied the dismember-
ment of the Republic. England saw in the
division the breaking up of that power
which had twice written defeat upon her
flag. She spoke words of encouragement
and gave promise of succor to the South, but
to be broken when the trial came, which
clothed the contest in doubt, and left the
South alone to fight the battles into which
she had guided them. Why was this She
| saw in the near future that Britannia would
no longer rule the wave. Louis Napoleon,
| that artful monarchst, who rides before the
| people in a Republican car, had listened to
the manifestations behindhis throne, greater
than the throne ITSELF which had their origin
in the success of our young Republic, and
he saw in the success of the rebellion the
downfall of democratic governments. He
rejoiced, gave his word to the South, and
sent Maximillian to Mexico These leading
powers, with the long train of lesser lights
| ,ul,n fol thair In lad thx,h ,
ginning with Civilizations and JOY. Yet
they were the first to extend congratulations
to the government when Lee surrendered
his sword at Appomattox. After contest
of four years, the like of which the world
never saw before, we read through the gilt
tering stars upon our shield the result-not
a State lost, not one principle compromised
or abridged. The same Constitution we
received from our fathers, modified and
amended 10y Freedoms law, is ours, to watch
over and protect the humblest citizen
throughout the Republic. This triumph of
the Union was the triumph of popular SOW
ereignty and the question whether govern
ments, based upon the doctrine that the
people, the source of all civil power, can be
permanent and successful, is forever settled.
More than that, it proved that popular gov
ernmenN resting upon the will of the people
Is the strongest government on earth. These
men, whose graves are around about us, died
to settle this question. The result also de-
monstrated that the power of despotism can
be broken and subdued it proved thatthere
was a power in the people to make them
selves tree, and to preserve that freedom
Thus, everywhere, was impaired new courage
for the advocacy and maintenance of pop
ular rights. M lfl1 hrl ,a3al 10 53r