The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-11

|
 diery of the Confederate and Union ar-
 mics that leach fought for the right as
 he saw the right" This favorite fraternai
 phrase may be accepted to mean that hon.
 esty in opinion as well as valor in action
 may be found in both sides. Take an It. | lustration; that one man could see from
 his own point of view that the saving of 1 the union Is his supreme obligation. while
 the other saw clearly that saving the con | stitution was his supreme duty. But each ] may now see that there Is. an honest way
 to keep both the union and the constitu- ton in perfect safety. and it may be now urged incidentally that as the union i is safe from danger of secession, let us | save the constitution from the dangers of 1 perversion.
 The Twin Sentiment.
 It will profit our statesmen and all other l students of our government if they will fully consider the estimate placed by the citizens of the United States on the pres ent value of the union in close connection together with the intense devotion of the l people to the constitution, also as the pro- 1 tector of their personal liberties, and the saviour of the powers and dignities of 1 their respective states from q possible 1 ruthless ravage. These two points. popu- | lar estimates of the constitution and the union, are consistent and cooperative. | They are the indissoluble components of 1 good government. a'ld both are sentiments very dear to the American heart
 1 May we not remember the power of the masterful union sentiment when the ap- i peal was made to save the imperiled life l of the union. even by war. It was feel- l ing inherited from our ancestors of the American revolution and had been at va rious times displayed throughout the south and in the north when threats of se- cesslon were made. and several times by southern statesmen. Our fathers felt that in forming this union they had gained true government of United States which would abide forever. They were thrilled by the patriotic sensation that safety was secured for all rights. and defense was provided against all wrongs. This has been in all our countrys history power full sentiment, and it is with that same love of country which still warns the soul of the true citizen when he sees the union truly illustrated by the full exercise of all powers delegated and reserved. so as to serve every section, to protect the inter ests of every. citizen to save every right and thus achieve a durable magnificent greatness.
 But there is another element in the en- thusiasm of our sires and their sons, which is the twin brother to the union sentiment What is that other twin con
 
 our government? What is that crowning glory of our country. which distinguishes it even as the glory of the sun is greater than the glory of the stars? It is the equally masterful popular sentiment con corning the value of that sacred instru- ment which was ordained and established as the "constitution of the United States of America"
 Let us follow that popular sentiment for TTn followed the feeling for the union For more than a century the colonial states had held their few liberties by the un- certain tenure of royal charters and edicts, but these failing, they fought for independence and aving won it, they un- dertook to act together without the com pact of a written constitution. But the plan produced such harrassing discord< and perils that a constitutional govern ment of United States became clearly the imperative need. The problem before these colonial states was such as no other people had ever solved. The joining to- gether of separate states soveregnties so as to create an indissoluble union of them as such in perfect equality. retaining sov- ereignty in the states, preserving funda- mental sovereignty in the people, while conferring sovereign powers upon gen. eral government was a problem indeed not even dreamed of in all political phil l osophy But the compleXed problem was solved by the minds and even more by the patriotic hearts of those great Americans of our revolution, who were the wisest IS well as the truest statesmen in the world.
 It is no easy task. They had anxieties and fears which no history has fully DOT traved They were in the crucble them selves when they moulded that consti- tuition into form. and their finished work deserves the sentiment of reverence like that which is felt for the decalo/ue given by Moses to be the moral law of the world
 In keeping of that constitution there is great reward. If ,acredly observed it will be the perpetual fountain of civic bless ings. because the states will be the ever lasting springs which shall keep that fountain full and the people will thus have their liberties secured as perma- nenty as the stars are fixed in the firma i ment of heaven.
 Within the range of the true patriots rreseft view there are four ideals of equ~, worth. They are the state. the constitu- ton. the union, and the general welfare of all the people. Consider these four great entities as they arise in order of time, sequence and relationship. they are the ! people. the states, the constitution, the union. Out of these our government arose in it's remarkable form AS such it was dedicated to liberty; as such it is devoted to maintain equality. and as such it is or ganized to promote fraternity. We will therefore take the sentiments which were laid In the cradle of our government and make their unity the basis of our amitS their concord the assurance of our lib- critics. their united reign the protection of our country from every foe. These principles ruling the hearts of the people will make our Laed the Leader of the world by the blessing Of Almighty God.
 The Hopeful Status.
 The present conditions of our southern country make wholly unnecessary any declaration that our peaple are not ask ing for special privileges. but are insisting justly on fairer recognition as great | part of the union. They believe that ex-
 clusion of any section from equal l sharing in either the service or the bene- l fits of our general government for any policy whatever Is not a practice which | consderate patriots can commend. It is l made apparent to them that their section l has been assigned the position of the l minority in the government because of the 1 brave fight they made nearly 50 years ago | flor the right as they saw the right. l But general conviction is growing | stronger that the service of the govern i ment would be promoted if southern tall
 ents and patriotism were called to greater
 use in both the nome and the foreign na-
 tional service No good reasons can be given why very scant numbers of the cit
 izens of the southern states are in the
 thousands of official positions required for the service of our government in for
 eign lands, and it is known that embar-