Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1879-09-24

Union. AMI not themselves separately, procurec
their independence and their liberty. By CON
quest or purchase the Union gave them what
ever Of independence and liberty 1t has Inc
Union ID older tn IN any OF the States, and, IL
fact, it created them as States
OF THE NATIONAL GOV
ERNMENT.
Unquestionably the States have the
powers and rights reserved to them IN
and by the National Constitution, and
upon this point, in another part of this
great message, Mr.. Lincoln says:
This relative matter of National power and
State rights as principle. is no other than the
principle of generality and tocdihy. Whatever
concerns the whole should be conhdei to tho
whole-to the General Government whiio
yer concerns only the States should be left
exclusively to the State. This Is al there Is Oh
original principle about it.
Mr.. Lincoln held that the United
States is nation, and that its Govern
ment possesses ample power under the
to maintain its authority
and enforce its laws in every part OF
its territory. The denial of this prln-
ciple by those who asserted the doc
trine of State rights, and who rightly
claimed that it was inconsistent with
State sovereignty, made up an issue
over which arose one of the leading
which led to the civil
war. The result of the war decided
that controversy in favor of nationality
and in favor of the supremacy of the
National Government. Cheers.
This decision is in accordance with
the principles of the fathers. On this
day ninety-two years ago the delegates
in convention at Philadelphia agreed
TO the Constitution of the United
States. which was afterwards ratified
and adopted. On the same day, Sep
tember II, 1887, General Washington
sent letter transmitting the Consti-
tuition to the Congress in session in
New York In the letter he said:
THE friends of our country have long since
desired that the power of making WAT, peace
and treaties, that of levying money and re5u-
latng commerce. and the correspondent eNecu-
tive and judicial authorities should be fully and
eiTectuslly vested in the General Government
of the Unicn 1t il obviously imprac-
tcable i'll the general government of these
States to secure all rights of independent SOW
ercigntN 10 each. dlst yet pfONaue tiio
est and safety Of all. In all our deho-
erations ON this subject, we kept steadily III oar
view that which appears to us the greatest H.
terest Of every true American-the consolidation
of our Union in which is involved our pros
perity. felicity, safety, perhaps our National
existence.
Again, in his Farewell Address,
Washington said:
THE unity of government, which constitutes
you one people. is also justly dear to you.
The name OF american, which belongs to you
in your National capacity, must always exalt
the Just pride of patriotism, more than any
appcllation derived from local determinations.
LIBERTY AND SUFFRAGE.
On the question of human rights
Mr.. Lincoln was equally explicit, and
often declared that it was involved in
the conflict, and to be decided by the
result. In his matchless message, all
ready quoted, he says:
sour adversaries have adopted some dcclara-
tons of Independence. in which, unlike the
good old one penned By Jelfcrson, they omit
the words, 'all men are created equal Why
They have adopted Il temporary National Con-
stitntion in the preamble OF which, unlike orr
good old one, signed by Washington, they
omit sWe, the people, and substitute, we,
tno deputies of the sovereign and indie
pendent States Why! Why this deliberate
out OF view the rights OF mon, and the
authority of the people This is essentially
People's coateet. On Tho side OF the Union, it
is struggle for maintaining in the world that
form and substance of government whose lead
ing object is to elevate the condition OF men :;
to lift artificial weights from all shoulders to
clear the paths of laudable pursuit to all to
afford all an unfettered start, and q fair chance
in the race of life. Yielding to partial and tenn
Dorary departures from necessity, this Ii the
leading object OF the Government for whose
existence &o contend. | am most happy to
believe that the plain people understand and
appreciate this
On the subject of suffrage, Mr. Lin
coins guiding principle was that "no
man was good enough to govern an
other man without that other mans
consent"
Thus we have from the pen and lips
of Mr.. Lincoln-tLe gloat loader and
of the Union cause-in
the most solemn and authentic form, a
complete statement of the issues OF
the war. He held that the Union is
perpetual; that its Government is ma
tional and supreme, and that all its
inhabitants should be free, and be ac-
corded equal civil and political rights.
These are the great fundamental
principles, affirmed on the one side and
denied on the other, upon which the
appeal was made to the God of battles.
| do not undertake to reYieW the de-
bate as to the nature and powers of
the Government of the Union, and as
to the doctrine of State rights, which
began with the foundation of our insti-
tutions, and which continued until 1t
was hushed by the clash OF arms. 1t
is enough for my present purpose TO
say that, as matter of history, all of
the political parties of tho past, when
charged with the responsibility of di-
recting the affairs of the Government,
have maintained, in their practical ad-
of it, precisely the same
principles which were held by Presi-
dent Lincoln. The principles as to the
powers of the National Government
which were acted upon by Washing
ton and Jackson, and which are sus-
tanned by the decisions of Chief JUS
tice Marshall, and by which Lincoln
and the Union armies crushed the re-
bellion and rescued the Republic, are
among the legitimate and irrcversible
results of the war which ought not to
be questioned. [Checrs.
TIE WAR AMENDMENTS.
Touching the remaining important
controversy settled by the war, the
public avowals Of opinion are almost
all in favor of the faithful acceptance
of the new constitutional amendments.
On this subject the speeches of public
men and the crccds and platforms of
the leading political parties have for
some years past been explicit. In
1872, all parties in their respective
National Conventions adopted resolu-
tions recognizing the equality OF all
men before the law, and pledging
themselves in the words of the Demo-