The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-12-08
TIE Times.
OwOsso, MICHIGAN.
GEO. NJ. DEWEY, EDITOR.

of Legislation, prayer to Almighty
God was proposed and they bowed
before Him who ruleth in the heavens
and sought His spirit to guide them.
Under such genius the laws of
our country were drawn and how
mild and equal they are has been
subject of wonder among the ma
tons of the world. They bear heavi-
ly upon none and now that the Slave
Code is thing of the past, they
grant the greatest possible freedom to
all. To the mild benignant govern
ment We enjoy, the oppressed of all
lands turn their anxious gaze and as
they are crushed out of their own
homes ethics by poverty or tyranny,
they find an asylum here. Here
they find protection and citizenship
under our laws, while our soil in al.
most limitless extent invites them to
toll with the sure promise of ample
reward.
1t was the genius of freedom which
in our late struggle with rebellion,
gained to us such moral victories as
will make our history luminous
through all the coming ages. That
was struggle of principles, not Of
boundary questions or of titles, or
conquest or territory, but it was
struggle solely between right and
wrong, between Liberty and Slavery.
Both had declared their supremacy,
their divinity and then resorted TO
arms to settle the question. The
remembrance Of that war of the re-
bellion with all it's blood and car
mage, will pass away in time, but the
principles OF freedom which tri-
umphed then has triumphed for all
time. The crisis of that rebellion
and tae crisis Of that struggle of prin-
eiples was gained when we saw that
either slavery or the Nation must 60
down. Slowly, reluctantly had the
President, the army and the Nation
been urged by on unseen power
along the line of Right, until that
crisis was reached and then it was
that our Lincoln, rising in the
majesty of his mighty manhood,
shouted out slavery is dead, and the
Nation is free |" 1t was the voice
Of Lincoln, but it was the voice of
Freedom too, and she was shouting
her eternal rights in the ear of old
Despotism. That voice died not
when it touched the shores OF this
continent. 1t is rolling or yet.
The waves of ocean bear it; the
winds of heaven wait it; the light
nings of God fash it toseyery des-
pots throne on the globsM Tt.is the
voice that arrounces their doom and
from the time of Abtaham Lincon's
administration onward enthroned
tyranny will tremble.
We cannot contemplate the re-
suits of that triumph of principles
upon society around us without feel
ings of deepest gratitude. 1t not
only shapes the form of our govern
ment, it not only liberates and lifts
into citizenship the millions Of neigh
bors but it settles the question wheth-
or the strong shall rule the weak,
whether the rich shall the poor wheth-
er man has Alright to himself, wheth-
er in short, he is man by virtue of his
Immortality, or only by virtue Of the
hue of his skin. 1t gives liberty to
mind as we'll as body and opens the
doors of learning to the millions of
minds that have so long been locked
IN ignorance. For more than doz-
en- years, bright years, the priceless
boon of education, the birth right of
every human being, has been offered
to those emancipated men and wo-
men. School houses have arisen in
their midst and the parents and chill
dren together have entered them, and
side by side have commenced the
study of the alphabet with an avidity
that might bring blush to many
paler faces. And there is progress
made by those liberated minds.
They leave the alphabet as soon as
our children do. Already the COL