Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-05-30
HARDING HOLDS
EMANCIPATION is
BUT SECONDARY
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first inaugural, he quoted and r,
iterated his own oft-repeated Vi
terance-T have no purpose
rectly or indirectly to interfel
with the institution Of slavery !
the states where 1t exists. b.
lieve l have no lawful right to
80, and / have no inclination to d
30. He believed in maintainin
inviolate the rights of the states
but he believed no less firmly i
the perpetuity OF the union Of tn
states. The union, having bee
contracted, could not be dissolve
except by consent OF all parties t
the contract. He recognized tn
conflicting viewpoints, . differing
policies and controverted ques
tions. But there were constitu
tional methods of settlement ant
these must be employed
''In the first inaugural address
he stressed the great general prin-
ciple that:
Fundamentals Stressed
I'm our constitutional contro-
versies we divide into majorities
and minorities. If the minority
Will not acquiesce, the majority
must, or the government must
cease. There is no other alterna-
tive. for continuing the govern
ment is acquiescence on one side or
the other. If the minority in
such case will secede rather than
acquiesce, they make a precedent
which in turn Will divide and ruin
them. Plainly the central idea Of
cessation Is the essence of anarchy.
The majority held in restraint by
constitutional checks and limita-
tions, and always changing easily
with deliberate changes of popular
opinion and sentiments Is the only
true recourse OF free people.
Whoever rejects 1t, does OF neces-
sity fly to anarchy or despotism.
Here spoke the statesman, pro-
claiming deliberate public opinion
as the supreme power of civiliza-
tion. easily to be written in to law
when conviction should command.
Il ought to be tonic to the waning
of those ofetoday who
grow impatient that emphasized
views are not hurried
nto the majority expressions OF
he republic. Deliberate public
opinion never fails. Later, closing
lis first inaugural, when anxiety |
ripped the nation, there spoke
he generous, forgiving, sympa-
hetic man of undaunted faith:
Lincoln's Plea Vain
II am Ioath to close. We are
Tot enemies but friends. We must
lot be enemies, Though passion
nay have strained, 1t must not
reak our bonds Of affection. The
lystic chords of memory, stretch
ng from every battlefield and
atriot grave, to every living heart
nd hearthstone, all over this
rciad land, Will yet swell the
horus Of the union, when again
ouched, as they surely will be, by
he better angles OF our nature
But he appealed in vain. Pas
Ion was flame and wiar was made
le arbiter. Americans fought
with equal courage and
alor. There was an ambiguity in
ie constitution which only a
aptism in blood could efface.
ne may only speculate on what
mother might have done, but fate
'ems to have summoned the one
reat hero best fitted to lead to ,
Ie unions salvation. ID
"His faith was Inspiring; his
solution commanding, his sym /
lthy reassuring, his simplicity !
llivening, his patience unfailing. /
, was faith, patient and courage, I
ith his head above the clouds, /
imoyed by the storms which i
ged about his feet. i
Bitterly Assailed ,
mo leader was ever more un- \
aringly criticised or more bit
rly assailed. He was lashed by
cry tongues and ridiculed In =
ess and speech until he drank :
. mas bitter cup as was ever
I to human lips, but his faith !,
rs unshaken and his patience =
yer exhausted. Some one sent =
} recently an illumined and I
lmed quotation which fell from y
J lps when the storm OF criticism a
IS at its height: x
" II | were trying to read he el
d, much less answer all the at
ks made on me, this shop might
we'll be closed for lany other p,
siness. l do the best know tc
W, the very best l can; and / eI
an to keep on doing 1t to the II
!. II the end brings me out all tl
hit; what is said against me 10
! not amount to anything. II al
end brings me out all wrong, Ii
angels swearing / was right be
lid make no difference. vi
He knew, of course, before the II
ASSN robbed him of fuller real de
ton that the end was bringing Iii
out all right. He knew when wi
rds were sheated and guns of
down that the union he saved II
riveted anew and made for is