The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-09-30

germ life. How important, then, In
this conflict OF ideas, that our cause Is
in the right-for in the end right as
serts itself; the ideas that emanates
from justice and eternal fitness finally
wins the battle.
"what stronger breast plate than heart
untaintedl"
Thrice Is he armed that hath his quarrel
just;
And he but naked though lock up In steel,
"Whose conscience with Injustice Is corrupt
ed"
This is not an occasion to discuss po-
litical questions as they may be pre-.
sented in party platform, and | shall
not forget the proprieties of the day
as To indulge in them; but there are
questions. political, too. in the highest
sense, which are above party, which
desire 10 discuss briefly, and shall en-
deayor 10 keep within the sphere which
Won Republicans aud Democrats occu-
pied for three years when you joined
hands and hearts in suppressing Sc
cession.
The causes Of the war were as old as
the Republic. Over these the war was
waged. aud you supposed you had set
/ tied the questions at issue, all OF them,
/ direct and consequential, large and
small, after four year OF the fercest
contest the world has known, the phys
/ ical results of which was so manifest,
and the victory 80 overwhelming
/ There should be no doubt over what
was settled by it. Aud yet there Is
/ dispute on this very point. We we're
/ told not long since by distinguished
/ gentlemen IN the House OF Representa-
! tiyes that Fourteen years ago the peo-
/ pie Of the South relinquishei the strug-
/ gle which they had made and surren-
| dered To the victorious armies of the
Union. They acquiesced in the thir-
teenth. fourteenth and fifteeth amend
mepts OF the constitution, which en-
bodied all that the North claimed
! What more can you ask? are,not all the
questions over which the two sections
/ fought thereby settled. "Did You not
put them into the constitutions?
IL is needless 10 say that the state
ments made surprised and startled
many. Is il true that there was moth
ing settled but what was put into the
constitution? What did those three
amendments cover aud include? Aud ii
those are the sole terms Of settlement,
where do we stand to-day? Read
them carefully. First. slavery was
abolishel-a good deed, "A noble act,
but il was only one Of the incidents Of
the war. not its prime object. Second,
all persons born aud naturalized in the
United States are made citizens--a Sc
auence Of the abolition OF slavery
/ Representation based on the whole
people-another sequence. Disability
for participation in the rebelliOn-an
incident of the war. The public debt,
authorized by law, including debts in
Cured for payment of pensions and
bouuties for services IN suppressing
the rebellion shall not be questioned
an incident also OF the war. We shall
not nav tho Confederate debt, nor any
claim fer the loss or emancipation OF
slaves-another incident OF the war.
Aud, third, suffrage is conferred upon
the emancipated slaye-an incident or
sequence of the war not thought OF
when YOU enlisted under the banner OF
the Union. These are all the points
covered by these amendments, aud not
one OF them was the direct prime issue
OF the contest. IL may be safely said
that uot one Of them vas contemplated
by you when you enlisted, or by Abra-
ham Lincoln when he called for your
services-nOt one Of them except, per-
haps, Won had an expectation more or
less decided that rebels would be debar-
red from future participation in the
Governmental least those who were
not hangei.
You fought for the supremacy OF the
National Government, which was as
sailed, hat there was not one word on
the subiect put into the constitution.
You fought against the right of State
To secede, a heresy that Alexander Ham
ilton said would put its foot on US II We
did not put our foot on II, aud yet the
constitution is still silent on the sub
iect. You believed then, and you be-
lieve now, that this Is nation and not
a league Of States or lesser nations.
With George Washington, you do not
believe that we are one nation to-day,
and thirteen Cor thirty-eighO to-mOr-
row. Aud vet, after four years Of war
over this very point, the Fundamental
law of the land stands as it did before
the contest. You believe then with
Abraham Lincoln, at whose call you
took up arms, "that the States have
/
ion Is older than the States, and. IA
fact, created them as States, but
after the war was over there was not a
line or a word added 10 the constitu-
tion TO make more plain the status OF
the States in the Union. Not even, as
Alexander Stephens stated II, a ma
tion, not of individuals, but a nation
of States. or, if you please, nation OF
nations"
You believed with Daniel Webster
"that an attempt 10y a State TO abro-
gate. annul or nullify an act of Con-
gress, or to arrest it's operations with
in her limits, on the ground that in her
opinion such law IL unconstitutional, Is
direct usurpation on the ldst powers
OF the General Government, and on the
equal rights with other States but
nothing was said on the subject IN the
amendments to the constitution,
though the contrary was claimed 10y
eleven States with 5000, 900 of people.
You believed with Andrew Jackson
that "Disunion by armed force, is trea.
SOM" but your lawmakers did not
, make the constitution more plain on
this point. All these and more that
time will not permit me TO erumerate
, were involved in the contest, were the
direct positive issues, and 80 proclaim
ell and announced from the first, and
il they were not settled by the war th,
hand has turned back on the dial OF th,
nation three quarters OF century
Some matters might properly hav,
been inserted which we had never sup
posed would be necessary. There II
no amendment prohibiting the pay
ment OF pensions TO Confederate sol
> diers, nor prohibiting the payment o
, millions OF dollars OF losses by war I,
persons disloyal during it's existence
, There are statutes expressly forbiddins
J. them both, but there is strong an1
persistent effort 10 repeal, and one o
the most prominent and distinguished
! representatives recently from his sea
: in Congress, stated that IL was yet too
early, but the time might vet COM
when the nation would provide for tia
= poor disabled soldier Of both armies.
n But these. as we'll "a the matters act
4 ually provided for and prohibited il
!. the amendments were, as before ~
!. marked, but incidental To the contest
n Slavery was doomed To- fall before Tia
. sickle Of modern civilization. 10 VA
4 being hedged about by a Gordon OF fre
a States with teeming millions Of thriN
= ing. industrious freemen. II bad trie
n 10 expand, and, as Robert TOombs sal
/, al BDstOD "expansion II necessary I