The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-28

the sandy coasts with fruitful soil and
laughing skies
TO the Puritan all things were dark.
The iron of oppression had entered his
soul, and when fleeing from its pangs he
committed himself to the cruel chances
of the stormy deep he found his resting
place upon the bleak rocks which stemmed
a pitiless sea or amid the drifting SHOWS
of painless forests. His hand was against
the world. The freedom he demanded he
never gave and he found peace only af-
ter he had subdued the suilen resistance
of nature and the ferocity of man. In the
stern processes of his triumph his temper
had hardened into a stoicism which ac-
cepted suffering and bred revenge.
Capable as history has shown of the
sublimity Of sacrifice and immolation, and
sometimes urged to heroic deeds by the
force of masterful spirit, it was the
Puritans faith, the Puritan's liberty, he
5, Of Tina manSind He had utt ee in c9 ana
mon with his brother Of the south, who
brave as he, had been touched by the soft
| graces Of April skies and practiced all
| the gentle arts of life with trust and ten
| derness-loving his neighbor as he did
: himself, reverencing his womankind, and
| holding his honor thing to die for with
| out regret; yielding as the vine when
| ever the south wind blew, stubborn as the
| pine against the arrogant clamoring of
| the eastern stoEms. Between these peo-
| pie God and nature had drawn a line
! which il was not in the power of man to
| cross without ultimate misery and strife.
Occasion had summoned them in common
| alarm; wisdom should have sent them
| back, their. labors ended, with friendly
memories of Lexington and Yorktown in
| their hearts.
In the results of the revolution the
| south had earned the right to share
| earned II with blood and suffering and
| treasure, and the overwhelming result
! which lifted its grand truth before the
| faces of all mankind was the sovereignty
| OF the states, each to itself as separate
| from the other as they were from the
! authority which had in terms declared
| their autonomy. The declaration of in
| dependence had proclaimed that 1.-THE
| united colonies are and OF right ought to
| be free and independent states:" The
recognition by England had been accord
ed TO each state by name as a sovereign,
independent power: The articles of con-
federation had announced 1.-The sovereign
ty freedom and independence" of each
state: And when the perpetual union
stipulated in that solemn agreement was
found inadequate to the practical admin
istration of the delegated powers, il was
the states in their sovereign capacity, each
10 itself in time, in vote, in elaboration
which breathed into the constitution the
breath of life.
The noble utterances Of that great IN
| strument sprung from the inspiration Of
no individual genius. Emotion and senti-
ment played no part in the slow processes
Of its construction. Ii was the cold cal.
1 cuiated. deliberate compact between thir.
teen free and independent commonwealth
| treating Tor the general welfare on sun.
1ects common TO them all. but above al
| Things designed TO preserve the autono.
my which represented the issue upor
which they had risked lie and fortune
hope and happiness ana future The wis,
est statesmen OF the ablest period oi
American history participated in its for.
nation. Each clause, each line, each WORD
was subjected 20 the most jealous scrp.
| tiny OF men whose hearts were vet stirred
| hy the devastated fields and grass-croyvn
mounds which marked the struggle for
/ statehood and sovereignty The very al,
WdH vocal with freedom when the constr.
tuition passed from the halls OF Rae con.
CONTINUED On Third Page)