The record-union., 1897-06-01

an encroachment on their constltu-
tional rights. They We're also taught
by their leaders, and sincerely believed,
that the State was supreme, was great
er than the Union itself: that under the
Constitution every State reserved for
itself the right to withdraw from the
Union at it's pleasure and establish for
itself an independent State Govern
ment.
When our illustrious Abraham Lin
coin, who had said: "A house divided
against itself cannot stand, and this
Government cannot endure permanent
ly half-slave and half-free," was elect
ed President of the United States in the
face of such anti-slavery utterances,
then had arrived the hour when, in the
judgment of the South, it's cherished
institution of slavery was threatened,
and it felt itself warranted in exercis-
ing a right which it believed the Con-
stitution gave and it decided to with
dra from the Union.
Then was reached the supreme mo-
ment when freedom and Union were to
be put to a most fearful test, and there
was presented to the world a spectacle
such as civilization had never before
seen. Here stood a gigantic house di-
vided against itself. Here were broth
ers, equally brave, equally fearless,
equally intelligent, equally cOnscien-
tious, fighting in the sincere belief that
each was battling for the right; ready
to yield life itself in defense of what
each believed to be question of high
est principle.
Mighty as had been the armies of the
past, they were insignificant compared
with the unequaled forces that here
entered the field. Dreadful as had been
the results of many great conflicts
among other nations, they seemed of
little consequence when contrasted with
the awful losses of life and property
in the war which now commanded the
attention of the world; a war which
numbered on both sides over three
millions of men, which carried with
it the sacrifice of half million of lives.
two millions of wounded, and which
cost the Federal Government alone over
sc, 000, 100000
Kings and Emperors and Cars
watched with keenest interest the
dreaded outcome The tyrants and des-
pots of the world hoped against hope
that our Union might be dismembered;
that democracy might thus be proven
a failure; that the divine right on the
part of royalty to rule might thereby
be established more firmly than ever.
They hoped; they prayed that the 81
lent influence of civil liberty which our
Republic had ever exercised throughout
civilization - an influence which had
forced Kings and Emperors to modify
despotic measures and grant to many
subjects constitutional form of gov
ernment-might forever be swept away.
and civil liberty become a thing of the
forgotten past. On the other hand, un-
told millions the world over looked
upon our Republic as the hope of the
human race; felt that our Republic was
meant to live. not for itself alone, but
for all civilization; looked upon our
land as the greatest nursery of free
men on earth; realized that the failure
of our Union meant not alone riveting
more strongly than ever the chains and
the shackles of slavery upon millions
of negro bondsmen, but also the tight
ening of the grip of those royal despots
and tyrants, at the throats of millions
of helpless and defenseless subjects.
This was a most critical period in
the history of civilization The outcome
meant a tremendous stride either back
ward or forward
Had the rebellion succeeded. we
might to-day have had within these
United States a condition not unlike
that existing in South America. In