Year: 1864

cal contest, and prosecute the war which
is underneath them, and the glory Of
the country which lies before US if we
succeed, plainly not in double sense,
briefly, not in treatise, with the digni.
ty and precision of great peoplo-to
utter by its representatives the political
principles by which they intend to live,
aud for tho sake of which they are will.
ing to die, so that all men everywhere
may understand precisely what VIC mean;
and lay that furrOw deeply and clearly
that while every man who is worthy to
associate with freemen may see it and
pass over it, every man who is unworthy
may be either unable to pass it, or may
be driven far from it. We want none
but those who are like US with u.s.
[Applause. Now among these princi-
pies, if you will allow me to say It, the
first and most distinct is that we do not
intend to allow this nation to be de-
strOyed. CAppluuse.1 We are ma
tion. no doubt peculiar one, a nation
formed of States, and no nation except
as these States form It; and these States
arc no States except as they are States
in that nation. They had no more
right to repudiate the nation than the ma :
ton has to repudiate them. None of them
had even the shadow Of a right to do
this, and God helping US, we will vindi
cate that truth, so that it shall never be
disputed any more in this world. Zap
plause. 1t is q fearful utterance that
is set before us, but there are great
corporations for it. Those of you
who have alluded to this subject know
that from the foundation of the prese t
Government before and since our pres
ent Constitution was formed, there have
always been parties that had no faith
in our Government. The men that
formed It were doubtful of its success
and the men that opposed its form alton
did not desire its success. And I am
bold to say, without OBTAINING you on
this subject, that for all the outcry
about our violations Of the Constitution
this present living generation aud this
present Union party are more thor
oughly devoted to that Constitution
than any generation that has ever lived
under it. CApplause.] While say
that, and solemnly believe it is capable
of the strongest proof I may also add
that it is great error, which is being
propagated in our laud, to say that our
national life depends merely upon the
sustaining of that Constitution. Our
fathers made it, and we love it. in.
tend to maintain it. But if it suits us
to change it, we can do SO, [applause;1
and when it suits us to change it, we
will change it. [Applause If it
were torn into ten thousand pieces, the
nation would be as much a nation as it
was before the Constitution was made
a nation always-that declared its in
dependence as a united people, and
lived as united people until noW--a
ua ton Independent of all particular n
stitutions under which they lived, ca
pable of modelling Ahem precisely as
their interests require. We ought to
have it distinctly understood by friends
and enemies that while we love that in
strument we will maintain it, and viii
with undoubted certainty put to death
friend or foe who undertakes to tram.
pie it under foot; yet beyond a doubt
We will reserve the right to alter it to
suit ourselves from time to time aud
from generation to generation. TAP.
plauSe. One moro idea on that sub
ject. We have incorporated in that 10
strumOnt the right of revolution, which
gives us, without doubt, the right to
change it. II never existed before 10
the American States, and there is no eed
of rebellion, inSurrsction, or civil war
except upon denial Of the fundamsnt.
al principles of all free governments
that the major part must rule, and there



is no other way Of carrying ON society
except that the will Of the majority
shall be the will of the whole, or that
the will of the minority shall be the
will of the whole. So that, in one word,
to deny the principles have tried to
state is to make q dogmatic assertion
that the only form of government that
is possible with perfect liberty, and
Acknowledged by God, is pure aud alb.
soluts despotism. The principles
therefore, which I am trying to state
before you, are principles which, if they
be not true, freedom is impossible, and
no government but one of pure force
can exist or ought to endure among
men.


But the idea which l wish to carry
out as the remedy for these trouble.
and sorrows, dreadful as they are, il