The Princeton union., 1898-06-02
HONORING THE DEAD.
Continued From page Is

quarters Of a century for them to build upon it:
ruins, q Republican form Of government. with
stability enough to protect the lives enforce
the rights and redress the wrongs Of its citi.
zens. The American colonies were more fort.
unate in making this change They had less tc
| pull down than in France, as under q kingly
roof the colonies had already built a strone
Republican foundation, i. e., had learned much
i OF self-goyernment. The Declaration of Inde.
! pendence merely severed the cord which haG
FASTENED us to England It made little change
in the internal government Of the colonies; il
/ merely assumed to transform dependents colo.
MES into independent states. The Declaration
was John the Baptist in the Wilderness
heralding the coming of mighty advent-the
constitutiOn-Which was to weld into one har.
| monlous government. the thirteen quasi sover.
| eighties which under q friendly league haC
fought and won their Independence. The de.
claration was however largely an oyerturnine
| power; the constitution was the upbuildinp
force, which gave to the Union. power enough
to enforce it's laws at home and command re.
| spect abroad. "
| Too much can never be said nor written in
praise of the men who proclaimed to the world
| our Declaration of independence: nor of the
heroic men who for seven years thereafter
| stood IN battle front, Or labored in civil life
compelling at last. the nations of the world tc
recognize our right to make such declaration
In the neat OF that contest they laid aside thei1
| state pride and fealty; but when in 1888. Eng
land was compelled to make peace upon terms
Whcn acknowledged our sovereignty, the
United States found itself, one of the nations
| OF the world, with the apparent power to make
laws. but without even the semblance of power
| TO enforce them. For four years thereafter:
the American confederation was bankrupt
1mpotent government, without power at home
or respect abroad; during that time it was
doubtful question whether the people. who had
| possessed the courage and forbearance, tc
unitedly secure their independence, would be
wise enough, to unite their destinies under q
Republican form of government, strong enough
to preserve their liberties. This Mr. Fisk has
very properly termed the s:critical period OF
American history.
| france in her critical period, drifted first
into anarchy, thence into despotism. In the
! midst OF the heroes of Revolution she found
herself at war with all her monarchical neigh
| bors War is always q hot house for the deyel-
| opment Of leaders. Napoleon was the out
| growth of the French revolution. Actuated by
| ambition he seized the reins Of government
| making France a despotism and himself dicta-
Tor. America was more Fortunate Our reyo-
| luton produced Washington who after hav-
| ing led the Continental Army through victories
and defeats to final success, resigned his sword
| to his country, and stepped from the acme OF
| military power to the station of private citi-
zen. In the critical period between the close
| OF the Revolutionary war and the adoption OF
| the Constitution the American people no longer
fearing foreign foe let their state pride assert
itself. The rope of sand which had been
strong enough to hold the colonies together in
| the face of the foe had no longer the respect OF
confidence of the people; the fear that a
stronger federal union would soon again drift
into monarchy, caused many conservative
patriots to oppose the adoption OF the Consti-
| tuition. Washington, fully approaching the
| crisis, pointed out the path to self-government
| and modestly led the way. His effort in secur-
| Ing the adoption of the Constitution was the
| eliminating grandeur of this great mans life
| HIS address to the ffty-five members of the
Federal convention behind closed DOORS is a
| true index, of the courage and nobility of the
man, ne said: 1T is too probable than no plan
| Wespropose will be adopted. Perhaps another
dreadful conflict is to be sustained # to
| please the people we offer what we ourselves
dlsapprove how can we afterwards defend our
work Let US raise a standard to which the
wise and honest can repair; the event is in the
hands of Cod What model for all future
| constitutional conventions. Guided by such
| principles 1t is not surprising, that the men,
| bers OF the Federal convention adopted and
that the patriotic people Of America approved
| that wonderful instrument the Constitution OF
| the United States of America, of which. Eng
lands grand old man who day before yesterday
| was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey said:
| ut is the most wonderful work ever struck
off at a given time. by the brain and purpose
of man..
And yet this wonderful instrument, like all
human productions, had it's imperfections.
Some slight defects were speedily cured by
amendments promptly adopted: but the radi-
cal defect was that it attempted to provide for
government, whose corner stone should be
| human freedom, and which should at the same
time recognize protect and legalize African
| Slavery For seventy years after it's adoption,
white men claimed under it's provisions the
right to hold colored men in bondage This
was the result Of one of those compromises
|
to secure any constitution whatever African
slavery was an institution which had been be-
queathed to America, at time so remote, that
it was recognized by the church. as a divinely
appointed institution, for the benefit Of the
enslaved race. At the time of the Federal
convention however, the moral sentiment of
the civilized world. and of the convention it
self, was against it. But the compromise was
| effected. THE word slave or slavery, was not
written in the constitution; but the institution
| itself, was in unambiguous terms recognized,
and made lawful thereby. =.
Time passed, and the young Republic grew
strong. It's thirteen states had increased to
thirty-four with added territory for half as
many more. But this giant wrong had grown
with the nations growth and strengthened
with it's strength, until in 1861, like a reviving
serpent, it attempted to destroy the constitu-
tion which had sheltered it, and to sever the
| Union, which the genius Of Washington, and
his compatriots. had successfully put in opera
tion, three quarters of a century before. Let
it ever be remembered that the war of the Re-
bellion was begun and continued, by, slave
holders under the guise of the mantle of State
rights but with no higher object in view, than
| the formation of government, which should
! protect the white man, in his assumed right to