Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-04-15
Free Nation.

TaE both of March will forever be
memorable In the history Of the American
republic and the cause OF freedom. For
on that dav in this glorious year 1870 the
conmmmafion of our freedom, 80 tar as
mskinc ali men politically equal before
\ the law ia concerned, was brought about
The proclamation of Hamilton Fish, Sec
retary of State, announcing tho ratlfica-
ton by the requisite number of States OF
the Fifteenth Amendment TO the Consti
tuition, is the concluding scene, the happy,
glorious denouement of grand political
epoch, by which was evolved one of the
most important victories for liberty till
now recorded in the history of the human
race
The President in a special message to
Congress on this subject, says the adop-
ton of the Fifteenth Amendment to the
Constitution completed the greatest civil
change, and constitutes the most impor-
tant event that has occurred since the ma.
tion came into life." These are strong
words, memorable for the truth they an
nounce. Not the Declaration of Indepen-
dence itself, not the adoption of the
original Constitution, not the emancipa.
tion of our four millions slaves, was so
important as the ratification of the Fif-
teenth Amendment. BY the first, new
nationality was led out of the wilderness
to view, but not to enjoy, the promised
! land by the second, that nationality was
| organized into power commanding the
worlds respect, but in the most important
particulars of human right outraging the
laws of justice and of Heaven; by the
third, an act of national benihcence was
done, without which the republic might
have gone down in ruins, suffering tht
penalty of national crimes; but by the
ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment
every man in the country, gulltless o
crime, is placed upon his feet, and, no
only in theory, but by the acknowledg
ment of law, made to stand upon a per
feet political equality with every othe
man. The last vestige of the legalizet
caste is wiped out of our nationality, ant
the American Republic, from the 30tl
day of March, 1870, is in law and fact
genuine democracy. We are hencelort
a free nation.
No one should fail to Observes in cor
sidering the importance of this great con
summation, that the constitutional pre-
vision, now part of the fundamental LAY
OF the land, is of negative form. Such hs
been the form of every great charter
freedom wrested from tyranny and wroni
ne law lbSell mas Decn l06 BEehlO OppTeSSO
, of the human race, and when oppressio
has been removed, it has been by the al
rogation of unjust law. So this gres
tnactment does not sf1rmatively say this
men shall have such and such rights
forbids government to take from men sue
!, and such rights, among which, in this IL
I stances is the right of most practical valr
, to every constituent member of the Stat
= Government is forbidden to practit
. political iniquity. The result-equa it
The Immediate effects of this cxtensiO
+, of the sphere and power of freedom wi
: not be great. Old customs, old pref
q dices, old education in i'll, will stand
, the way. A nation is not regenerated
: a day. But the effect of old customs, al
/ prejudices, and education, will gradual
a pass away, and the time will come VIII,
n the free peoples of the earth will, wi
Z one accord, acknowledge that the day
!. their deliyerance from bondage W
h greatly accelerated by the freedom of 4
q American Republic, as fully consummat
y by the ratification of the Fifteen
+ Amendment.-C Chicago Post, March 81.