Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-07-07


century of our existence is unparalleled in his
tory. Beginning with tlirteen States, we to-day
dicton spans the ontinSnt rom ocean to ocean
and extends from the tropics TO the frozen re-
gione.
Within one hundred YEAR,, the mishtiest re,
and numbers at least 40. 900 Of freemcn who
are Mt peace with themselves and with oil the
benign power of the best Government ever de-
vised by man. Is fully recognized, ana Nation
y 81
ized for the special protection and defence Of
all. IL is impossible TO overestmate thei bless
public and private Institutions which are the
legitimate opt-growth Of 1t. u is only a eom-
parison with other nations that the priceless
value Of our inheritance becomes apparent.
ial aud social, with that of other Nations. can
we begin IN estimate the value of our priceless
inheritance. Nowhere else can be found such
a combination Of soil and climate nowhere
productions 80 abundant for the same labor
nowhere human industry so richly reward
ed nowhere such liberty and Independence
ss ti'Ss onS nS ha. SsvoS oSo SGsn Sorn
Try and government is an unnatural monster.
uho i HuG! g I've, and unfit to die and ought to
TO become companion of the g Man without a
country"
ouR FATAL RLUNpRRs.
Wonderful as wore our military triumphs in
and in the Mexican war, our material
achievements have eclipsed them all. Only
cur pT'S o 10 iansi naye % %SS
the young Republic gave bright PREMISE
Notwi withstandnE the earnest warnings of
Washington and Jefferson Of franklin, Payne,
aad others, the fatal bunders in our civil ad
ministration, finally culaiinated ii the late ter
Fellow citizens The jud9ment of history
has already been PrenouRcod- touching the war
of the reboiiiou, and need only refer here and
now to the verdict which the world has so gem
orally Rccepteds that slavery was the cause,
and that the North was right and the South was
20 Sud Tebcii@S saw woSid have been NJ possible.
But for the mad effort of the minority to make
might right; by substituting tho cartridge box
for the ballot box and the bnyonot for the will
Of the majority epnstituionally and honestly
exs=essed Il, the election of Abraham Lincoln,
there could have been no war Of the rebellion.
At this distance from the scenes of that great
conflict, VIC can see when and where blum
mistakes which made all through our
tionnl history. We now sec that had unselfsh
and able statesmen enacted our laws and ad-
rinistered our government. instead Of mere
politicians, who began by apolOgiZinE for slav-
cry. and ended by unblushingly justifying il rs
divine in:tituiion, slavery by the mere force
of the constitution would have poaceably ceuscd
to exist ON the North American continent. Al
ter tho organization Of the national government
slavery could not long have endured with an
honest and unpervcrted interprction of that
great charter of human liberty. OLly because
the National Constitution was grossly misintcr-
preted by courts and by all national aud state
officials who were personally and pecuniarily
interested in holding slaves rs property. would
| IL have been possible TO pervert the government
| from the Fundamental purrOse Of its founders.
TO one iustifyine and affirming the legality and
rightfulncss Of human slavery. Time, which
exposes the weak points in every mans life.
exposes also the weak points in n nation life.
| II Is now easy enough TO see that slavery was
our fatal sin. Around the neck Of the new born
nation. the men of policy permitted to be forged
J the chains Of human slavery. and thus inocu-
! lated il with virus which IN time was sure to
have eaten out allnatiOnal life unless entirely
| sxtirpatcd.
FArAL COMPROMISE.
! In laying the foundation of this government
| ve had Egypt Greece and Rome and all history
| for our guidance, yet how little did we profit by
/ their fate and their warning? Jefferson and
| other clear Drained statesmen Of the revolution
| with prophetic vision and declared that
! slavery <ns the tempter in our political para
disc, and sought to teach us that freedom and
made to walk forever, hand in hand. on this
continent in peace. ALI thoughtful men knew
that if as n nation we sOwed to tho wind We
should reap the whirlwind they knew that if
we stultihed the National conscience. and sold
our birth right, we should ultimately pay the
penalty. and yet the lust of ambition. and the
selfish greed Of gain com bined. and for time,
made slavery the nations master. Hoping that
the day of retTihutiOn might somehow be avoid
cd. and tho nation escape the penalty fixed by
the higher law, they consented for the promise
strous demands of slavery. and thus handed
us over as Il nation TO the impartial Judgment
Of history. and to the avengiGS aand of justice
to be scourgcd by fire and sword as we were in
the late war of the reboliI0n.
From &c day the government was established
to the beginning of the war, compromise sue
eeeded compromise and surrender followed sur
render. until the serpent of slavery had at last
coiled itself around the very yitals of the Ma
ton. and the time had come when our policy ~
statesmen could no longer yield to the " tempt
err with q new compromise, and the Nation
escape the consequences, by some new scheme
of evasion, devised to circumVent the plainly
written DEGREES of Omnipotcnce. and 20 al last
We came to realize that ms our fathers had
sown to the wind we must reap the Whirl-
wind.
This is the history Of men and of Nations in
all the centuries. 1fae Nation or AZ iudivd-
! uals postpone from day to day and from yea
to year the correction of abuses and the rectif-
cation OF errors If we stiAe conscience aud
com promise with wrong; If we are false to truth
and evude our present duty, hoping for a more
convenient time in which TO discharge that
I overthken by the avenger, Justice. and all the
world are bewildercd with amnzemeut at our
the rebe llion burst with such fury upon us.
THE LEssoS TAUGHT.
But our great struggle shall not have been in
vain If out of the sorrow and suffering which
the war brought upon the North and the South
alike " we shall all come to learn that in the
take the sword shall perish by the sword and
the additional lesson. that in this Nation, 80
long speech is free, and the press ls free. aud
the ballot rs tree' no rcv0lutlon y WORTH the
shedding of one drop of human blood but
pressed will of II majority ut the bnllo box ne
provided for in the constitutions treason
against the democratic idea in government and
a crime against the human race.
Fellow citizens. DO not imn ginc. because
thus speak CT ;hc late war Of the rebellion that
propose on such an occasion as this to open
afresh the terrible wounds which are now beiug
80 gratefully healed. | refer TO il only
to show our blunders which are now historic,
and as lesson and warning. and also to. low
before l shall have concluded, that the elias.
| legislation in favor of human slavery was the
beginning and strength IN America Of all mo-
nopoly legislation. aud grants by the cavern
| ment of special privileges 20 the few at the ex-
pense OF the many,
oUR FIRST DUTY.
To-day feel that our first duty is TO make
our peace an enduring peace. To do that tho
reconciliation between the North and South
must be open and magnnnimOus and without
any mental reservation or evasion in us what
ever. In this Centennial year let us remember
that Justice and mercy are the eternal hnbi-
tntions.' and that we want no war cries to dis
turb the national pnchcatiOn; We want no
taunts to the vnnquished; we want no shouts
of victory over fellow citizens; we want no in
seription on our flag Of stars to he Haunted in
their faces as a reminder Of defeat. The great
Sena tor from MassAchueetts was early inspired
with the true spirit when he declared that
Victory over !ellOw citizens should be known
only in the rights 1t secures and assures. -
Neither on our flags nor on pictures mt the ma
tiOnal capitol do wc want to recall our victories
over the members Of our now reunited family,
What want is unqucstioned reconciliation
concord in fact nc weii as in name; forgiveness
and generosity Rpd not animOsity and hate,
The ruic that Is best for the family is best fol
the State. Friendship does not grow by fnrce
nor confidence by acts of distrust. The bible
= Gays that " lie who would have friends mus
frst show himself friendly" We must learn
that this is ~ true of nations as of individuals
Good will oSRes with good will, friendship foI
Friendship, ana hate for byte. know of nc
kettcr way 20 maintain our free Institutions un-
Sse pAined and preserve our territorial integrity
foreser, than by recognizing the fact that be
hind our constitution and beyond the compact
of written law there is the necessity Of union il
/ continent and sympathy between the North anC
the South. ii we would have this nation grea
and permanent, and prosperous and free.
Acting upon this sentiment so soon as tn,
war over joined with Sumner, and Chase
aud Greeley, and nearly all the leading HbOli
ti0nists Of the North in demanding amnest,
and cancellation for the South. / was for - kill
ing the fatted calf" and welcoming back to tht
mansion every erring brother, and for rehabili
tatinR at the earliest moment consistent will
national safety every sister commonwealth
J with all the rights, diguities and privileges
which had been forfeited by mad rebellion.
felt it to be necessity that we do this II we die
not want an ireland or Poland IN America
But if il WAS a necessity felt that il was right
also. by doing it we elevated our free Republic