Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-02-04

poSIeT1tY. Il was uOt tuc uE4 tat ~
| the South in Battle, the desolati0n o
its fields, the desolation of its homes
the shedding of its most precious
blood, but the conquest Of opinion
that noted writer most dreaded a
the final result of the war. The land
scapes which were iurid with tilt
smoke and carnage of battle NOR
than forty years ago, now smile with
abundant harveSts. The terrible sffAs
gle has long since passed, and we hss
| today in the serene atmosphere tina
| follows the res;stless sweep Of tAt
storm, but for our love for our dead
should examine ourselves to see how
we are keeping faith with those who
died for US.
The greatest of modern statesmef
has described the Constitution as ths
most wonderful work ever struck Oh
al a given finfes BY the brain and nsll
pose of man." When II was madf
there was cavilling at some of its pre-
visions, and there were many specu
iative suggestions by individual minds
of alterations and improvements in
the instruments just as there are cavii-
lers and reformers at this day. AT
the close of stormy century litter
ed with wrecks of governments, and
nations, and dynasties and constitu
TONS the American Constitution
stood, until the adoption of the lates:
Amendment the effect of which can
only be to cheaper true Representative
government, having survived the storm
of the greatest war of modern time.
AS the late Chief Justice Charles G.
Mott, of the Court of Claims at Wash
;rgton, said ITO foretell the future
of the Constitution is to foretell h
future of the American people. They
will change before it is changed. The
more we contemplate its trials the
better it appears adapted to our nd,
t.onal needs Judicial construction
is moved backward rather than for
ward, and where Marshall left as it
stands today"
This was the Constitution of GU
fathers, and this is our Constitution,
the guide of our conduct and the rule
Of our life. 1t was the Constitution
for which the Confederate soldiers OF
Virginia went to war, for which they
suffered all the privations of camr
and hospital and march, for which
they strove in battle, and for which
they died and it is today the Con
st:tution upon which their children
stand, the same, generally speaking.
in its essential principles, as it1was u
the unaffected by THE arb 'tratement Of
arms. gThe,. conflict between the
States was. unavoidable. 1t was a war
of criminal aggression on the part o
the North. 1t was not war for thu
destruction of slavery, nor yet wa.
it war for the preservation OF tn
Union but war in fact, as M Lin
coin saw it, for the "home market!'
81 have no purpose" said Mr.. Lincoln,
in his joint debate with Judge Dou:sla
at Ottawa, Illinois, in 1858, ."either di
~ectly or indirectly, to interfere wit
the institution of slave~y in the Stas,
where it exists. believe / have n
lawful right to do so; and have M
inclination to do so.''
On the past of the South it was !:
wa of defence against hostile invasion;
against new construction of the att
cles of confederation upon which til,
Federal Government was founded
against the establishment of a central
ized despotism at Washington. For .
time might triumph over right, but il
spite of the carnage of war and tht
atrocities of victory, and "the lon.
endurance" through which we hav,
passed our hope and our safety art
to bel found in loyal adherence tt
the principles proclaimed by tn
makers of the Constitution, the found
ers of the Republic. Certainly moth
ing is to be gained by following thu
political empires of this day in their
efforts to adopt the sound philosophy
10 four Government to the special re
quirements of isolated communities
and the selfish interests OF political
parties.
After a war extending over period
of four years, followed by the horrors
of Reconstruction, far more disastrous
to the moral character of the COUNT y
than the bloody work in the field, tn
country is at last emerging from Thu
middle passage" more dependen,
than ever for its material prosperity
and moral strength upon the princi
Piles of the Constitution. At the enc
of the long road we have travelled vi
have come out about where we start
ed despite the doctors and saints WIN
have INDUCED in many curious inter
pretations of the fundamental law Of
this land
remember a very little boy, nov
grown into a grey-haired man, WIZ
was alta country railroad station many
years ago when a regiment of South
ern soldiers was on its way to the
front, and who looked upon the scene
with affrighted eyes and wondered at
the courage of that brave array of
devoted men who were going out to
fight for their country to the death.
He remembered also how he clung
to the hand of his brother, his hero
then ais he ever was, just returned
from the First Battle of Manassas.
having there had his baptism of fire,
and how he hid himself under con-
venient shelter and wept as if his
heart would break at what he some
how thought in his little mind would
to be fearful sacrifice of the best
and bravest men in all the world He
did not know any of the men in uni
form, he only knew in his helpless
way that they were going to war and
that war meant pOmD and circuin-
stance and fire and smoke and bloody
graves and weeping widows and
orphaned children.
These men who answered their
country's summons ha dnot fomented
the struggle in which they thus en-
gagged they not studied for them
selves the questions of constitution
al limitations and States rights and
Federal usurpations they had moi
reckoned as TO territorial extensions
and international recognitions- all thai
they really knew or cared was thai
the State had called for their service
| in the field, and believing that eths
powers that be are ordained by God, ;
they rejoiced that they were deemed
worthy of sacrifice
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to- do or die (
They were not mereenaries of adj
ventures lured by large bounties AMI
prospective pensions, ready to bariei
lbloody service for sordid gain. They
were not an ignorant rabble, gathered
from the feRements s-of crowded
Icities from the lowest walks Of Iifs
and from all parts Of the globe. No