The Penn's Grove record., 1885-06-06

a.a,, lIaHta @ the eIeral We fare and
the blessings of liberty TO our
selves and our po5terity''; and it is fur
Their atttsted by the compromises of the
Constitution whereby the rights of the
mailer States were protected and
guaranteed by equal representation in
The Senate and the right to vote by
States in Congress for President when an
election by the people failed. And
vet a right to seecda was insisted uptg
b. the Iebellious States in the late
Struggle and was seized upon by them, |
whether sincerely OF not. as the most
plausible pfetext they could assume
fer their iLsistment that they should
he allowed to peaceably withdraw
from the Union on the ground that
their domestic ms tuition of slavery
was imperilled. This theory Of peace.
able secession was fraught with the
greatest danger; had it been recognized
or succeeded in the late revolt, then we
might look for other divisions and dis
memberments until our power and glofy
were entirely FILTERED away. 1t was
such direful f0rebodings of the result
OF disunion that called forth from
Webster and Clay in the Senate those
specimens of American eloqueuce that
have made their names immortal and
lhat caused them to sink every selfish
and partisan feeling and to bring for
ward those measures Of compromise
that seemed for the time to hide from
view the grim spectre of disunion. 1t
/ was the fear Of such a calamity that
! led thousands of sincere and earnest
i patriots to hope and pray that Chris
tian craftsmanship might devise some
peaceabla measures that would remove
diseord, heal discussions and preserve
lhe integrity Of the Union without re-
sort to var
Whether the war could have been
avoided or not it is irrelevant to now
inquire: that it became necessary TO
vindicate The National authority and
to preserve the Union inyiolateis with
out question-it was long continued; it
vas a costly sa~crifice-but who can meas
ure the value OF the benefits that have
and shall hereafter follow The victory.
One great result Of the achievement IS
that the long mooted question oil the
right of a State to secede has been for
ever S tiled. Even its former ady0-
| Gates il the southern States admit ihis;
they admit that it has been settled in
! the tribunal Of last resort, the trial by
| battle. I~Ieneeforth then our Nation
| shall he permitted to 50 forth in the
culture Of the arts of peace; and our peo-
pie in THEN normal pursuit 0f prosper
ity and happiness untraunelied and
undisturbedby that dangerous and yeX-
iag question Of former years. Again,
among the Important Incidents OF the
war and our victory the b,neliJs OF
! which shall enlarge and grew clearer
with each advancing year is the e%tin-
enlistment of African Slavery. 1t WIS
an institution that was a legacy from
the early settlers of this Country, pro-
tccted and recognized by QUE Eonstitu-
ton and laws, but an institution u OF
harmony withtheGeniuso Of a free repub
lie. And yee although the Law recognlz-
| dit,it had to encouHteca est prejudice
FROM religious bodies, humanitariahS
and the refined sentiments Of our adj
vancing civilization, and it had to en-
counter as a constant protest against
| it those grand words of Jefferson IN
the Declaration of independence that
/ All men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator With'cer-
tain iIaIieuable rights that among
/ these are life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness. But still the Institution
would haze continued il the States
where it existed, until voluntarily aboi-
| isled by themselves, bU.t fer the war.
President Ljneoa 50 declared in his first
proclamation commanding all persons
in arms to disband aud submit TO the
authority Of the Uuion. And finally
as a wal measure the President issued
his proclamation of emancipation, and
at the end of the war it was ratified
and by an amendment to the National
| Constitution slavery or involuntary
/ seryitude is forever prohibited within
/ the Union. While the sudden elnanci-
ration of so many slaves in their help
less and dependent condition has been
necessarily followed by lis attendant
evils, slin the correspond ling a%tyanta-
ges Of the system Of free labor are
/ making themselves felt so that we find
/ the leading men and journalists OF the
I South with scarcely an exception out
/ spoken in their expression OF satiSiac-
, ton with the change, and that they
would not under any circumstances
90 back again TO the system OF Save
labor il they could. The giving up Of
four million Of slaves, which replesen-
ted the property ana callloI o. 'hoSe
the rebellion, States, was a great pc
cunilry loss to them and is part OF the
penalty they Lave suffered for follow
ing bliudIy the leal of the ambitious
conspirator5 who precipitalcd the war.
Aud SO at last freedom and reemth
are e1extensive with the republic and
certainly this aohejymeut adds a bright
Jewel to the ehapleU Of glory that
crowus our fallen heroes. But the
chief if not the browning glory of these
efforts and sacrifices is that we have
indicated our capacity for self govern
mentaud that with the cessation OF
hos,ilities the civil law Las resumed
its sway protecting alike the Liberties
Of alIthe people, that we have a Union