Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-09-20

great struggle which has ended in per-
fnanent Union, and which has sunk
into oblivion the last vestige OF seces-
sion and of States Rights.
We would fail in our duty il we
should neglect to trace the history of
ectionalism in America, and to show
Is growth and the means used to has
.hn its decay.
Whoever has read the history of our
institution knows that the entire
II cument was Il mass of concessions
Even the ancient Articles of Confed-
GRAFTON under which our forefathers
lived were tainted with the doctrine
that the state was sovereign, and the
Nation was its child. Every clause of
those articles was framed in such man
ner as to leave no doubt of the power
of each state to rule the confederation
The doctrine was born in the south.
the warm rays OF the tropical sun
nourished it,and it grew into II gigantic
tree which fastened its mammoth roots
into the very foundation rock of society.
The people of the north had no great
evil to protect, and were, therefore, in
no state OF excitement and distrust.
But the Confederation was weak:
The very element of weakness which
tho people of the south gaveit, was the
cause of it's death. The ulcer became
putrid, and the entire system met an
early death from blood-poisoning.
a convention was called to plaster
up its defects; to rub IL potent lotion
upon its sores, and TO brace it up into
the semblance of Il nation which should
have II measure of respect in the eyes
of the world, and should have sufficient
power to walk abroad without the
crutches which it was wont to use.
In this convention cropped out still
more this spirit of state sovereignty,
and long debates showed the uselessness
of applying remedies to system which
was long since dead and now awaited a
decent burial at the hands of its creators.
Here was gathered the wisdom of the
Western world; here was the mighty
Franklin whose name was destined to
live forever, and here too were the
patriots whom our childrens children
shall revere through all the ages to come
Out of this mass of wisdom came the
Constitution OF the United States,
thrown upon the world as an effort to
plant upon the virgin soil of the wes-
tern world, II system of government
which should secure justice, equality,
and the blessings of freedom, to all
who should flock to our shores.
But Il great evil stood in the way:
the grand document offreedom secured
liberty only to the race whose skin
j. white.
Then came the struggle. The un-
yielding south hugged to its bosom its
hideous offspring slavery, and refused
to form the Union which the north
demanded.
E,ool;n., dow, 1oo,> &, +Io ;,,,,,,,-.
recesses of their hearts that a great
wrong lived and tlourished among
them, they feared the broad sunlight
of liberty which the north wished to
turn upon them.
The north came half way, and let
them retain their wicked system. and
the constitution was at last framed.
But no system of government, no law
however rigorous, can ever eradicate
Il firmly fixed principle of right from
the human heart, and the struggle
against the iniquitous system of negro
slavery continued, stited only at times
when some exciting event engrossed
the attention of the people.
The south pretended to construe the
Constitution to mean that they could
secede from the Union whenever it
would best suit their purpose the la
Dor systems OF the two sections more
widely diye-ged, until ii became WHITE
at one end Of the political pointer, and
BLACK al the OF tier. With these wide
separations came the demagoguas who,
like mushrooms, rise With every petty
opportunltY, TO begin their agilaticrs. |
Then came the opening OF the terri |
tories. Vast tracts Of land destined TO
become new and powerful states we're
thrown open to settlement. The rush |
came. From the North cams the hardy |
son Of tell, with hardened hands, strong
nuGcles, and q determination to DO jus.
tice to all, and 70 maintain freedom on |
every !nch Of the new soil.
From tho sunny south came the |
gloYed slayo driver with his herd of |
human cattle, and his determination TO |
live upon the prcduc5s OF forced labor. |
Here then began She conflict between |
the two tac5ions Of freedom and slavery; !
here upon this new soil began the di- |
visions which soon [ ecane so wide that |
naught but human blood could heal |
them. It YVES Il conflict OF brain, mus
Gle, and justice upon one side, and me
diocrity, incidence, and oppression upon |
the OTHER. In all such conflicts which |
the world has known, the right has tri-
though it may be at the cost of the
most precious blood of the land.
Like the encircling rings made in
the bosom of the quiet lake by the peb
Bile thrown upon its waters, the spirit of
conflict spread wider and wider until
its waves beat against every home in
America.
Every heart felt its tossings, and the
nation took on the grim aspect of war.
The first blow was struck. The boom
of the cannon as they rained their iron
showers upon Fort Sumpter awakened
IN echo III every heart.
The blacksmith left his forge and his
fires sang low. The joyous ring of his
anvil was turned INTO painful silence.
The farmer left his plow in the fur
row, donned the blue of war, and has
tened away, to avenge his countrg's
The young man kissed his sweet
heart II fond farewell, shouldered his
musliet, and trod bravely away to the
sound of the drum and the cymbals.
Hill echoed to hill, the crash of
arms, and the nation
Al