Newspapers / The Durham Recorder (Durham, … / March 14, 1866, edition 1 / Page 1
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1 SL. 41 j m I 1 :. : IIEI U I . ! ....:( . ItlNU THE CONSTITUTION AND THE LAW.8-THE G V A It D I AN S OF OUR LIBERTY : i - - : Vol. -XL VI. HILLSBOROUGH,' N. C MARCH 14, 1866 No. 2328. , AD DRESS "-1 , iu -:,T if OF ' ,,; -v- " j ' ; Hon. Alexander H, Stephens, Bfwt the General AmmMy of tbe 8uu of Gear ' 'gia, febraarj tM, USB. and Huvst'tf ReprtKHtn'ira t ' I appear before you in iniwer to jour call. This call, coming In th imputing farm it Joel, and smder the circumstances it does, requires a response from mr. You have aligned line a very high and very honorable and responsible petition. This position yen know I did not seek. ' Mm( willingly" would I have avoided it, and uothio but an extiaardinary tense of do ty could have induced rat to yield sy own disinclinations an aversions to your with e and iedgnie nt in the matter. For ihto unusual manifestation of esteem and con fidence I return yea my profound acknowl edgments of grntde. Of one thing only ctn I give yv any assurance, and that is, if i shall be permitted i discharge the trutti thereby imposed, they will be dit charged with n singleness of purpose to the public good. The treat jct with me oow is to ee a restoration, if possible, or p-ace, prosperity, and constitutional lib rtty in this once happy but now disturbed, gitated, and distracted country. To this i ml ill ciy ener-ies and efforts, to the ex tent ul their powert, will be devoted. Vou ak my iewa wo the ciisting state f aflairt, our datiea at the present, and the prcu of the future. This is a task irom which. Moder ordinary circumstances. I might very well shrink. H who ven tures to speak and to gte counsel and ad vie in timre of peril or disaster asmei no enviauie pmuon. ear oe mat rasa tick trmn me which sometimes prompt the forward to rosh in where angels mi;ht fear u tn-ad. In responding therefore brieflv t)wur icquine, I feel, I trat, the foil ueirnt tnt mi;nuou n tn labject. l imJliek the welfare of millions now liv tot;, and that t many more mdliona who are ti come alter as. I am sIo rully tin preyed with t cmciounefi of the io- cofceivilU iiiull eflect f hat I ahall ay upwn t!ie iim Mriitou result involves m the sui'jfct tttclf. It i with thee freling I ofTer my nitc f counsel at your reqeest. ind in th otvt vf the undrrUking. liw itml ai it is intm led to be to a few gener al ideas only, , Well may I imitate an tl luMrmus etnuip'e, invoking aid from on High that f miy ay nothing on this occa sion which miy c.itiipromi; the rights, the I mean specially the rights, hoao dignity, nJ best interest uf te people of tuorji With their H ling, their lo, their rtuiortunei, tl.etr. brrarfnrnt, and thir premt wttf p nitration, iy he4rt i in deepest syiojUi .y. We have reached that put'it in nut afTi ; in which the treat QUtft f iwn before u o be or not M be ; and if tu Le, how ? IN jif, ever springing in the huan brrat, i ftipt, even under the irettst ra!inii!if and ad crir, never t uesf'Sir. A .M-ri:y U n setrr school, a teii 'U! crocih ; , both for individual and cini'tni'iee. W't are iow in ttita iclioo), tl'is cri:iM, a'wl haotd tear in mind that f ii H.'ter ii ej.it live in i c!mh, it isal y j.i jtiiri, it i er c.ilc.t in its ef :s, vii wy r the other. It eilhei inVe Win r wrc ; it ettticr bring nut unkn'inn irs or aruur dormant vniucs. In m rN its tendency it to make aint or reprf'M'r ; in politic to mke htto Mr (!!..'fii t. Thi firt india lion it it f'ir g'iil, !o which Impc V at) t ku 1 , i the in.mif'tiliun f a ti, cnnci(ii(if ( its n.tturend eitent, t!! mnt j. i ..mining gro'jiuU of hop1 fr ..ii!te go.. I l'..m out preer.t troubles, r f u it'i us getting better insttml t ira, i th- cvj.Jint general ri'ali.ation on t c pirt of our people of their pri'sent fciliilin, i f thj eviU now upon them, ."nd 1 the greater ones Mill Impi'teling, Thi-ie it i not my jturpne to esagerate, if I c'n!d th.ttVulu be uetes; nor to let ";f t estO'iate j that would be wor.e than j!e-i. All hllf understand and realize ihcri. They feci lliem. It ii well they do. Can these evils upon us. the absence of law, the want of protection and securinr of person ana property, wunoui wnicn civil isation cannot advance, be removed; r can those greater ones which thriatn our very political enstence be averted ? ; rhene are the question. It it true we have not the control of all the remedies. Even it these questions could be satisfactorily an swered, our fortune and destiny are no entirely in our own hands. Yet there are some things which we may, and can, and ought, in my judgment, to tlo, from which no harm can come, and Irons which some good may follow in bettering our present condition as States and communities, as wed as individuals. When they have done the best they can, iu view of surrounding circumstances, with ail the lights they have before them, l?t result be what they may, they can at least enjoy the consola tion the ao small rcoinpvne-that they have performed their duty, and have a con science void of offence before Ood and roan. This, if no more valuable result, will, I trust, attend the doing ot what 1 propose. Tbe first great duly, Uieu, I would enjoin at this time, is the cxerctoe of the aiotple, though difficult and tryi ig, but neverthe less indispensable quality of patience. Fa tienre require of ihne a&icted to bear, and to suffer with fortitadr whatever ills may befall them. This is often, and espe cially is it the cae with us now, essential tu. their ultimate removal by any i itiu mentalities whatever. We are iu the con dition of a man with a dislocated limb or brogeo leg, and a very bad compound frac ture at that. How it beC4iu broken hu!d hot be with hiui a quettiou of so much im portance is how it can b restored tit heal.n, vigor, and strength. Tni requires of him, as the highest duty tohiuiselt, to wait qui etU and patiently in splints and bsmtagev until natuie resumes her active powers, until the vital functions perform Ifteir of. sice. The knitting of the bones ami the 51 initiation of the tteh require lime. Per fect quiet anJ repoe, even umh-r the se vereits pliu, is nccesery ; it wiil not do to make l"o great haste to get well ; au at tempt to walk loo toon will only luAe tnc matter worae. We mm:, or ought now, thcrefoie, in a similar manner, to lii piine ourselrei tt the 4in or like iLgire of p.iin::e. I know the anxiety ana rest !ft.ne uf the poptar mind to be luliy on our fret agtiti ; to walk abroad as we once did, t etij iy wnce mme the free out-iloo air of lleau'n, wish the perfect- ue of atl our limbs. I know how trying it it to be dented rpeHntition in t.'onress while w arc psjing our pn portion uf the tase; haw a'inaving it is to he even partially un der military rule, an I how injurious it i t the general interest an1 uotoes ot the country to be without pott office and mail coioi'iuniealu.ii, to iy nothing el duer other mattera wit the long lit ot our ptrn eat iiicoiif cniencrs and privations. Alt tlu'e, howcvi-r, w e must patiently tear and cudiue fur se.t ').. With quiet and re pove e miy get well, may get once more on our fet agiin. O.ie thing is certau-, that bad humor, iil-teiupT, exhibited ei ther in resltcssnes or grumbling, will t,.,? hasten it. Nest li this atioiher great du ty wi oar to ourfle is the eicicise f .i liberal ji.nt nl foibearnnce o.nongt uur selve. I'h firt s'ep towards I0C4I r geneul harmony t the banistiinent fro our breasts of fry leeltn and entineu calculated to stir the d;conU of t!ie Mt. Nothing could be ntre injurious ot nit? chicvwiM to the future of tht country than the agitation at prcsrnt of queliii4 t!n divided th people silt tior io or niirio the esistnice t the bls sv,r. On iuoi eai'tn, and espeoiady in the bctowmen? of oihce, ought audi Uill'crences of opittion in the past ever to be mentioned either lor or against any one otherwise equally enti tied to confidence. The idea or senti ments of other timet and circumstances arc not the germs from which hopdul organi sations tan now arise. Let all difterenco of opinion touching errors or suppmed er rors of the head or heart on the part of anv in the past, growing out of these matters, be at voce in tho deep ocean of oblivion forever buried. Let there be no crimina tion or recrimination 011 account of acts of other days no canvassing of past conduct or motives. Great disasters are upon ns and upon the whole country, and, without inquiring how these originated, at whose door the fault should be laid, let as now, as common sharers of common misfortunes, on all occasions consult only as to the best wfans,. under the eircu instances as we find them, to secure the, best ends toward fu ture amelioration. Good government is what we want. This should be the lead ing desire and the controlling object with all. and I need not assure you if this can be obtained that our desolated fields, our towns and villages and cities, n w in ru ins, will s ion, like the Piitcnix, rise from their ahes, and all uur waste places will again, at no distant day, blossom as the roM, This vew should also be borne in mini!, that whatever differences of opinion eiUted before the late lury of the war, they sprung mainly from differences as to the best means to be usr-d, the best iineoT pol icy tu be pursued t secure the great con trolling oojeci of ail, which was good gov ernment. Whatever ma? be SAid ol the loyalty or disloyalty uf any in the late most lamentable conflict of arms, I think I may venture safely to say that there wis on the part of the great mass of the people of fJeor gia, and of the entire South, 00 disloyalty U the principle of the Constitution of the United State, t that system of represen tative government of delegated and limited powers, that establishment in a new phase on this continent of all the essentials of England's Magna Chaita, for the protec tion and security of life, liberty, and pro perty, wiu the' additional recogn!' j1 the principle, as a fundamental trutlif that all political power resides in the people. With us it was 'simply a que;tiou as to where our allegiauce was due in the main tenance of these principles which aath r it v was paramount in the last reort, State or Federal. As fur myself, I can affirm that no sentiment oi disloyalty to these great j nnriple of self-government, recog nized and embodied in the Coutiitution ol tne United States, ever beat or ihrotihed in breast or heart ot mine. To Uieir main tenance my whole soul was ever enlisted, and to this end my whole lif Iu- hereto fore been devoted, aad will cnt.u lue to be the rest 0! my diys, (sod willing. I . tio votioti to t!ie piuij les I yicM to no man living. This much I can sy Ur mytelf. My I n.t say the same lor y-u. and for lite g teat. mm id". people of ticaigia, and tor the great' mas 01 the people ot the en tire South? Wtialeter difltfie uc csiteJ ainng Ut arose fiuu diflerentci as to t!. hfSt and ourest teans of securing tltc-s great ends which was the object of all. It a with jhis view and tl.i pjrpns tl.it cession was tried, i'liat h.s-1 tilil. lit tead of bettering "our conditi -m. riTe:sl ot eitablishmg our hbeitie.s up-n a 'irer foundation,'' we have, in the war tlutcn-u-ed. come well nih losing tSe nh !e of tin rich inheriunce witli. which we -et out. ! I'h is i one of tiie ad rea!ii.au.a of the ! present 0:i this, too, we are illuMra I tint! the lesc'tings ff history. Wars, and fciil W4rs specially, alwa mfMce I'ik r I iy they rldon 'adsat.ce i. ht;e tin-y I u!rl!y en. iu its entire ovcrt'it ' and lie f tuttifi 0 irs ntopptd ju-t nh.irt ol jh a vaiatr'phe. Oar untyaa! er.liv no jitttthir to give up all nope-. f lonatnu I ti i.l lihfrty or't retntcc stops and 1 as . I !. a 1' 1 . I ... 1- -.t.rk in i"o rr us Tinuicaiio 1 aim hi.i.ii-.' .m in the forumnol reaoti and jutite, st.-l-. 'fit t'te arena d arms; 111 t!u c"irts and u.lU f Ugi-liiiosi. instead "I ' i!h lijln ol" battle. I m frank ami cas dol it te.l ing tn right here that m -su.vst hopts, in my jt.dg nent, to these end are in Vi" restoration policy of the IVeMent o! tin United State. I have htliv 1 fr liv erty, littL hope for the success the. greui American experiment of c!ffornm,'r;t. but in the success of the preoer.t eifarts I n aeHtoraticm of the States to their furni?r practical relations in a ci'inni"n Uovern mrn: under the Constitution id' the United States, We ate not w ithout an rncourag- nig example on mis imc in inc mtwi; j th mother country, in the history of our ancestorsfrom whom we derive "in great measure the principles to which we are so much devoted. The truest friends of lib-' erty in England, once, in 1642, abandoned the fa rum of reason and appealed, as we did, to the sword, as the sorest means, in their judgment, of advancing their cause. This was after they had made great pro gress under the lead f Coke, Hampden, Falkland, and others, in the advancement of liberal principles; many usurpations had been checked, many of the prerogatives of the Crown had been curtailed $ the petition of right had been sanctioned, ship money had been abandoned, courts-martial had been done away with, habeas corpus had been re-established, high courts of commis sion and star chamber had been abolished. Many other great abuses ot power Lad been corrected and other reforms establish ed. But not satisfied with tiiese, and not, satisfied with the peaceful working of rea son to go on in u natural sphere, the deni al of the sovereignty of the Crown was pressed by the too ardent reformers upon Charles 1. All eUe he had yielded ; this he would not The sword was appealed to, to settle the question, A civil war was the result. Great courage and valor were displayed on butu sides. Men of eminent virtue and pairiou-m iell in 111 c sanguina ry conflict. The K.uig was Je;o$ed and executed. A tmi oi iiwealth was proclaim ed. But the eud was the reduction of the people of Euguad to a worse state of op pression than 1 he) had been in for centu ries. They retraced tbeir steps after near ly twenty yeais of exhaustioa and blood,' and the lo- ot the greater purtiou of the . Huriis joyed ty them bVfWe. They,, by almost unanimous content, called lur restoration. The restoration came. Charles II. ascended the throne, as unlimited a mot-arch as eei r .led the empire. Not a pieJge was asked or a guaranty given, touching the concession of the ryal prero gative mat had been exacted and obtained I. om his father. The true friends of liber ty, vt lelonu, and of progress in govern ment had .become convinced that tlusc I were t'? o!!'-pnsig ot peace and ot eniigh i it ii'il 1 cac. 1, and not-ot pasioa r.or of Jarnis. llvu-e ol Communs a;id the tloue ot l.oriU were heiicetoith th thea tre d their vperaluUi, and not the fields of Newoirv or M tritu .Moor. Tnc re- Uultoasthai in les thin th.rly years all Oieit ai-CiUtil tigutsaiol privileges, which nad teen lost in tie cnil war, with new securities, were ri'-estaohshed in tiie eu-r- ! metnur-tle tuieiiu it of iCOs, w!k-.i, for all practh'tl purposes, may be looked upon a a bK;j Jlt ss revoiuttoa. Since that tt.ae Kngtand ha.s itiaio till iut'lu-r aid inoie ! iguii st 1 ides tu reform itf ! profit', but I ul oiie ofthes; ha b ea a.iected. by resort j to arias. Cath.dic im.u')-:ttou was car ! ried in Parliament after siMrsu! argu-iient, i against t.ie oosi persistent opposition. ' Kea.-iitii u'ul justice ultimately prevailed. So ii!. fie reu.oai ol tin disability of the iJews; y wi:h tiiei-veithrow ol the rottca-uorc-jgi ; wr.'i the extension cf fia:u'iti.c, aJ ait the iiM.Jificiiio'i of the coin la a ai;d resi.ic!:ons on commerce, j opening f Vay t !lu establishment ot the ; j.rtaeij' t :uc i and n with all U'ie o.. e. gie.it rei. ut by Parliament 1 wliit. 1 li,tc .o dut.ugutshed tiri!i'i l:isto. 'i) ? I 'i iuil cvotury. we not jliotn!gi: I fven in thu rtllefii'i'iie be- If r i, hin, Iroia t'H great ex.uoi'1-' i-fres-1 int..ti.i::t ff !.U but du as the triet.d of li-io-Miy Uiete ilol? Tain H niy hoc,-my on liqe. ft i ;,.uud.d on t'te virtue, j .;t il.e .ce, tid patdotm ol t;e Ameti j can j eopi-. 1 hare n .1 h.st my f iith in the I j'-.''p:c, or in their capacity forv!fg 'um ii- io.-, it. Bat i n theaegi'Mt c , f.ii! quili" 1 ties ef Itamau nature to be bioag'it into act.e an I edkicut txeni- for t'.e f!l;l- I ment of patr?nic hop'1, it is f-iVitial that tie p is-iniiis .t ihe dav shu'ilil -'inside, that the c.tues of 1 . c passio . 'mh.!J not now li discussed, that the c otters wf the lata strife siult not be stirrt.!. Man, by tiatuic, i ecr prune to scan clo.-cljr the errors and defect of hi . f r Ilowmaii, ever ready io rail at the mote in his trot' cr' eve wsiS-
The Durham Recorder (Durham, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 14, 1866, edition 1
1
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