El 1 jt /audio Paper---poottit to tOolitio j 3Brinitture, ittraturt, e3cituct, Art, foreign, Pooh( nub °Rural jutelligence, tirr. ESTABLISHED IN 1813. THE WAYNESBURG MESSENGER, PUBLISHED BY 1. W. JONES & JAMES S. JENNINGS, WAYNESBURG, GREENE CO., PA Ey - OFFICE NEARLY OPPOSITE THE PUBLIC SQUARE. -Cil va1221/21't Stsacairrion.—Sl 50 in advance; $1 75 at the ex ptration of six mouths; $2 00 within the year; $2 50 after the expiration of the year. ADVERTISEMENTS inserted at $I 00 per square for three insertions, and 25 cents a square for each addition al insertion; (ten lines or less counted a square.) {Er A liberal deduction made to yearly advertisers. ID — ion PRINTING. of all kinds, executed in the hest style, and on reasonable terms, at the "Messenger" Job office. ada g uesbur g Nusiness Garbs. ATTORNEYS. .1 G RITCUIE L.A. PIURMAN. PURMAN. & RITCHIE, ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELLORS AT LAW, Waynesburg, Pa.. trrAn business in Greene, Washington, and Fay ette Counties, entrusted to them, will receive prompt attention, Sept. 11,1861-Iy. .I.A.J. RUCHAN AS BUCHANAN & LINDSEY, ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELLORS AT LAW, Waynesburg, Pa. Office on the South side of Main street, in the Old Bank Building. Jan. 1, 180. I DOW'NEY & MONTGOMERY ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELLORS AT LAW, IrrOtßce in Ledwith's Building, opposite the Court House, Waynesburg, Pa. R. A. M'CONNELL. .1. .1. HUFFMAN. M'CONNELL ELVITIVIAN. 47'7'ORNEYS AND COUNSELLORS A7' LA IV Waynesburg, Pa. airreffice in the "Wright ) louse," East Winn olleriiuns, enlleciiials, arc.. will receive prompt attention. Waynesburg, April 23, 1862-Iy. DAVID CRAWFORD, Attorney and Counsellor at Law. Office in Sayers' Building, adjoining the Post Office. Sept. 11, IS6I-Iy. C. A. BLACK. Jolts PHELAN• BLACK & PHELAN, ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELLORS Ai LAW AnSee in the Court House, Wayuetburg. Sept. 11,1861=1y. PHYSICIANS B. M. BLACHLEY, M. D. krrirsr.cle.N dr. S'ITB.GEON, Office—Blackley's Building, Main St., jJ ESPECTFUI LI announces to the citizens of • L Waynesburg and vicinity that he has returned from .the Hospital Corps of the Army and resumed the prac tice of medicine at this place. Waynesburg, June 11, 1362.-15. DR. D. W. 131IADEN, Physician and Surgeon. Office in the Old Bank Building, Main street. Sept 11, 1861-1 v. DR. A. G. GROSS OULD very respectfully tender his services as a lIT PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON, to the people of Waynesburg and vicinity. He hopes by a due appre ciation of human life and health, and strict attention to ousiness, to merit a share of public patronage. 'Waynesburg. January 8, 1861. DR. A. 3. EGGY RESPECTFULLY offers his services to the citizens of Waynesburg and vicinity, as a Physician and surgeon. Office opposite the Rep:thlican office. Ile hopes by a due appreciation of the laws of human life at health, so native medication, and strict attentine VW business, to merit a liberal share of public patninatte. April 9. Nit DR. T. P. SHIELDS. PRACTICING PHYSICIAN. Office in the old Roberts' lluildink, opposite Day's Book store. Waynesburg, Jan. 1, 1861. DRUGS M. A. hARVEY, Druggist and Apothecary. and dealer in Paints and Oils, the most celebrated Patent Medicines, and Pure Liquors for medicinal purposes. Sept. t t, 0361-Iy. MERCHANTS WM. A. PORTEIi, . Wholesale and Retail Dealei in Foreign and Routes tic Dry GOOl6. Groceries, Notions, &c., Main street. Sept. 11, 16ti1 —ly. GEO. HoSKINSON, Opposite the ( 7 1,1111 'louse, keeps always on hand a large stock of ti.asotaalde Dry Goods, Groceries, Boots and Sloes, and Notions generally. Sept. It, 1661—1 y. ANDRF:W WILSJN, Dealer in Dry Goods, Groceries, Drugs, Notions, Hardware, Queensware, Stoneware, Looking G rasses, Iron and Nails, Boots and Shoes, Ilat4 and Caps, Main street, nun door east of the Old Bank. Sept. 11, 1861-Iy. R. CLARK, Dealer in Dry Grinds Groceries, Hardware, Queens ware and notions, in the fiamiltora Douse, opposite the Court House, Main street. Sept. 11, 1861-Iy. MINOR & CO., Dealers in Foreign and Domestic Dry Goods, Gro ceries, Queeusware, Hardware and Notioos, opposite the Green House. Main, street. • - OLOTHINa - .7 - N. CLARK, Dealer in Men's and Hays' Clothinz, Cloths, Cassi meres, Satinets, hats and Caps. &c.. Main str, et. op. posite the Court House. Sept. 11, A. J. SOWERS, Dealer in Men's andfloys' Clothing. Gentlemen's Fur lashing Goods, Boots and Shoes, Hats and Caps, Old -Dank Building, Main street. Sept. 11, 1861-4 m ..BOOT AND SHOE DEALERS. .1. 1). COSGRAY, Shot and Shoe maker. Main street. n-arly firnmsite ow "Farmer's :mid Drover's Hank." Every style of `boots and Shoes constantly on hand or made to order. Sept. 11, isai—ly. N. 11. J!leClellan '41191. and Shoe maker, Blatthley's Corner, Main street. - made and Shoes of every variety always oil hall.' or made to order on .port notice. Sept. It, 1861-Iy. GROCERIES & VARIETIES JOSEPH YATER, Dealer in Groceries and Confectioneries, Notions, *Widnes, Perfumeries, Liverpool Ware, &c., Glass of aitaiies. and Gilt Moulding and Looking Glass Plates. far'Cash paid for good eating Apples. Sept. 11, 186l—ly. JOHN MUNNELL, Dealer in Groceries *rid Confectionaries. and Variety Goods Generally, Wilson's New Building, Main street. . Sept - 11, 1861-Iy. • SOOZS, 8 1 . c, . • . , LEWIS DAY, , Iliealittatfchoofald ilitatellattenue Bookg, Station- P aPer'sc O ptn.e i'151.61—E18;." ftof I\"i I)it ILine 4 C ililrA I L O r4 C* , 54( WM. C. LINDSEY SAMUEL MONTGOMERY too proud to show it, and remained standing in dogged silence beside her. I thought, 'What will my com panions say, if, after all my boasting, .1 yield at last, and submit to be led by a woman ? "Whatag rony was visible on my My Father, after an absence of mother's face when she saw that all three years returned to the house she said and suffered failed to move me ! She rose to go home, and I so dear to him. He had made his followed at a distance. She spoke last voyage, and rejoiced to have reached a haven of rest from the no more to me till we reached our perils of the sea. During his ab- own door. sence I had grown from a child and "'lt is school time now,' she said. baby of my mother's (tl,r I was her 'Go my son, and once more let me youngest) into a rough, careless and urge you to think upon what I have headstrong boy. Her gentle voice said.' no longer restrained me. I was of- "'I shan't go to school,' said I. ten wilful, and sometimes disobcdi- "She looked astonished at my bold ent. I thought it indicated manly ness, but replied firmly, •Certainly superiority to be independent of a you will go; Alfrcd.. I command woman's influence. My Father's re- 3'ou.' - 'I will not,' said I with a tone "(1 turn was a fortunate circumstance for me. He soon perceived the spir- defiance. it of insubordination stirring within "'One of the two things you must me. I saw by his . manner that it do, Alfred; either to :drool this displeased him, although for a few moment, or I will l''ock you in your days he said nothing to me about it. room, and keep you there till you It was an afternoox in October, are ready to promise implicit oho bright and golden, that my fhther dience to my wishes in future.' told me to get my hat and take a "I dare you to do it,' said I ; 'you walk with him. We turned down can't get me up stairs.' J; iortUanoluo. THE TIMELY WARNING, A THRILLING STORY a narrow lane into an open field—a favorite play ground for the children in the neighborhood. After talking cheerfully on different topics for a while, my father asked me if I ob served that huge shadow, thrown by a mass of rooks that stood in the middle of the field. I replied that 1 did. "My father owned this land," said he. "It was my play-ground when a boy. That rock stood there then. To me it is a beacon, and whenever I look at . it I recall a dark spot in my life—an event so painful to dwell upon, that if it were not as a warning to you I should not speak of it. Listen, then, my dear boy, and learn wisdom from your father's errors : . "My father died when I was a mere child. I was the only son My mother was a gentle, loving woman, devoted to her children, and beloved by everybody. I remember her pale, beautiful face, her sweet affectionate smile, her kind and ten der voice: In my childhood I loved her intensely. I was never happy apart from her; and she, fearing that I was becoming too much of a baby, sent me to the high school in the village. After associating a time with rude, rough boys, I lost, in a measure, my fbndness for home, and my reverence for my mother; and it became more and more difficult for her to restrain my impetuous na ture. I thought it indicated a want of manliness to yield to her authori ty, or to appear penitent, although I knew that my conduct pained her. The epithet I most dreaded was girl boy. I cotbld not bear to hear it said by my coinpanions that I was tied to my mother's apron strings.— From a quiet. home-loving child, I soon became a wild, roystering boy. My dear mother used every persua tion to induce me to seek happiness within the precincts of home. She exerted herself to make our fire-side attractive, and my sister, following her solf-saerifieing example, sought to entice me, by planning games and diversions for my entertainment. I saw all this, but did not heed it. "It was on an afternoon like this, that as I was about leaving the din ing -table, to spend the intermission between morning and evening school in the street as usual, my mother laid her hand on my shoulder, and said mildly but firmly, 'My son, I wish you to come with mc.' 1 would have rebelled, but something in her manner awed me. She put on her bonnet, and said to me, 'We will take a walk together.' I followed her in silence; and as I was passing out of the door I observed one of my rude companions skulking about the house, and I knew he was waiting for me. He sneered as I went past , him. M) pride Was wounded to the . ' quick. He was a very bad boy, but being some years older than myself, he exercised a great influence over me. I followed my mother sulkily, till w e reached the spot where we now stand, beneath the shadow of this huge rock, Oh, my boy! could that hour be blotted from my memo ry, which has cast a dark shadow over my whole life, gladly would I exchange all that the world can offer me for the quiet peace of mind I should enjoy. But no ! like this huge, unsightly pile, stands the mon ument of my guilt forever ! "My mother being feeble in health, sat down, and beckoned me to sit be side her. Her look, so full of ten- der sorrow, is present to me now.— I would not sit, but continued stand ing sullenly beside her. 'Alfred, my dear son,' said she, 'have you lost all love for your mother r I (rid not reply. 'I fear you have,' she continued ; 'and may God help you to see your own heart, and me to do my duty P She then talked to me of my misdeeds—of the dreadful con sequences of the course I was pur suing. By tears, and entreaties, and prayers, she tried to mike an im pression on me. She placed before me the lives and examples of great and good men; she sought to stimu late my ambition. I was moved, but WAYNESBURG, GREENE COUNTY, PA., WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1862. " 'Alfred, choose now•.' said my mother, who laid her hand upor. my arm. She trembled violently, and was deadly pale. 'lf you touch me I will kick you,' said I, in a terrible rage. God knows I knew not what I said. 'Will you go. Alfred r "No !' I replied, but quailed before her eyes. "•Then follow me.' said she, and grasped my arm firmly. 1 raised my foot—Oh, m 3• son, hear me !—I raised my foot, and kicked her—my sainted mother' How my head reels as the torrent of memor3• rushes over me !—.l. kicked my mother '—a feeble woman—my mother ! She staggered back a few steps and leaned against the wall. She did not look at me. I saw her heart beat against her breast. 'Oh, lleav enlv Father!' she cried, 'forgive him; he knows not what he does!' The gardener just then passed the dour, and seeing my mother pale, and al most unable to support herself, he stopped ; she beckoned him in.— "cake this boy up stairs and lock him in his own room,' said she, and turn ed from me. Looking back, as she was entering her room, she gave me such a look—it will forever follow me. It was a look of agony, min gled with the intensest love; it was the last, unutterable pang from a heart that was broken. "In a moment I found myself a prisoner in my own room. I thought, for a moment I would fling myself from the window and dash my brains out, but I felt 4afraid to die. I wa; not penitent. At times my heart was subdued, but my stubborn pride rose in an instant, and bade mu not yield. The pale face haunted me.- 1 flung myself on the bed and fell asleep. I awoke at midnight, stiff ened by the damp night air, terrified with frightful dreams. I would have sought my mother at that moment, for I trembled with fear, but my door was fast. With the daylight my terrors were dissipated, and 1 be came more bold in resisting all good impulses. The servant brought my meals, but I did not taste them. I thought the day would never end.— Just at twilight I heard a light foot step approach the door. It was my sister, who called me by name." "What may I tell mother from • you ?" she asked. "Nothing," 1 replied. "Oh, Alfred, for my sake, for all our sakes, say that you are sorry.— She longs to forgive you." "I won't be driven to school against My will," I said. "I3nt you will go if she wishes it, dear Alfred;" said my sister, plead ingly. "No I won't" said I, "and you needn't say a word more about it." "Oh, brother, you will kill her, you will kill her, and then you can never have a th - ppy moment." "L made no reply to this. My feel ings were touched, but I still resist ed their influence. .My sister called me, but I would not answer. I • heard her footsteps slowly retreat ing, and again I flung myself on the bed to pass another wretched and fearful night. 0 God, how wretch ed ! How fearful I did not know ! "Another footstep, slower and feebler than my sister's disturbed me. A vcico called me by mime.— It was my mother's. "Alfred, my son, shall I come in ? Are you sorry for what you have done ?" she asked. "I cannot tell what influence, op erating at that moment, made me speak adverse to my feelings. The gentle voice of my mother that thrilled through me melted the ice from my obdurate heart, and I long ed to throw myself on her neck, but I did not. No, my boy, I did not. But my , words gave the lie to my heart, when I said I was not sorry. I heard her withdraw. I hoard her groan. I longed to call her back, but I did not " "I was awakened from an uneasy slumber by hearing my name called loudly, and my sister stood by my bed-side." "Get up, Alfred ! Oh ! don't wait a moment ! Get up, and come with me. 3.lother is dying." "I thought I was dreaming, but I got up mechanically, and followed my sister. On the bed pale and cold as marble, lay my mother. She had not undressed, but had thrown her self on the bed to rest. Arising to go again to me she was seized with a palpitation of the heart, and home senseless to her room." I cannot tell you my agony as I looked upon her—my remorse was ten-fold more bitter from the thought that she would never know it. I be lieved myself to be a murderer. I fell on the bed beside her; I could not weep ; my heart burned in my bosom; my brain was all on fire.— My sister threw her arms around me, and wept in silence. Suddenly we saw a slight motion of my moth er's hand—her eyes unelosed. She had recovered consciousness, but not speech. She looked at me, and mov ed her lips. I could not understand her words. 'Mother mother !' shrieked, 'say only that you forgive me !' She could not say it with her lips, but her hand pressed mine.— She smiled upon me, and lifting her thin white hands, clasped mine with in them, and east her eyes upward. She moved her lips in prayer, and thus she died. I remained still kneel ing beside that dear form till my gen tle sister removed me. She comfort ed me, for she knew - the heavy load of sorrow at my heart, heavier than grief for the loss of a mother; for it was a load of sorrow for sin. The joy of youth had left me forever. "Nly son, the sufferings such mem ories awake must continue as long as life. God ie merciful; but remorse for past misdeeds is a canker-worm in the heart, that preys upon it for " ever. Illy father ceased speaking, and buried his face in his hands. He saw and felt the bearing his narra tive bad upon my character and con duct. I have never forgotten it.— Boys who spurn a mother's control, who are ashameJ to own that they are wrong, who think it manly to re sist her authority, or yield to her in fluence, beware! Lay not up for yourself bitter memories for your fu ture years. MAD DOGS--THE STOY REMEDY. In 1819 one Valentine Kettering, of Dauphin county, communicated to the Senate of Pennsylvania, a sure I remidy for the bite of any ki id of mad animals. He said that his an cestors had already uspd it in Ger many 250 years ago, - and that he had always found it to answer the purpose, during a residence of fifty years in the United States. lie only published it from motives of humani ty. This remedy consists in the weed called Chick-weed. It is a summer plant, Imown to the Ger mans and Swiss by the name of Ganchneil, Bother Meyer, or Bother Thichnerdarm. In England it is called Red Pimpernel; and its bot anical name is Angelica Phonicea It must be gathered in June, when in full bloom, and dried in the shade, and then pulverized. The dose of this for a grown person, is a small table spoonfnll in beer or water. For children the dose is the same, yet it must be administered at three different times. In applying it to animals, it must be used green, cut to pieces. and mixed with bran or other feed. For hogs the pulverized weed is made into balls by mixing it with flour and water. It can also be put on bread and butter, or in honey, molasses, &c. The Bev Henry Mull : lenberg said that in Germany 30 grains of this powder are given four times a day the first day, then one dose a day for the whole week; while at the same time the wound is wash ed out with a decoction of the weed, and then the powder strewn in it.— Mr. Kettering said that he in all in stances administered but oue dose, with the most happy results. This is said to be the same remedy through which the late Doctor William Stoy effected so many cures. ANTIQUITY OF LOAFERS. It may be consoling to some busy people who groan over the loss of time occasioned by the visits of idlers, to know that similar feelings have been experienced ages ago, as is re veal,xl by a curious inscription dis covered among the ruins at Pompeii: The excavations at the buried cit ies of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Poz zerol, and Capua are going on with renewed vigor, under the stimulus of an appropriation of money for the purpose froin the Italian Govern ment. Heretofore Naples had the work under its exclusive care and control. At Pompeii new frescoes have been discovered, and there is an inscription on the wall of what was probably a workshop of some kind, as fbllows : "Otiosis hic locus non est. Discede Morator." This may be trans lated, "This place is not for the lazy. Loafer; depart !" This inscription is as good for indu . strial establishments of modern times, as it was for those of ancient Pompeii. Its discovery is interesting, from the fact that it shows that human nature was the same eighteen centuries ago in Italy, as it is now in America; that there , were lazy folks and loafers who would intrude into workshops, and waste the time or divert the atten tion of the workmen ; and that it became necessary to put up inscrip tions, giving a general warning to all such to depart.—Ece. Bulletin. OUR OWN FAULTS, Let us not be overcurious about the fail ings of others, but take account of our own ; let us bear in mind the excellencies of other men, while we reckon up our own faults, for then shall we be well-pleasing to God. For he who looks at the faults of others, and at his own excellencies, is in jured in two ways: by the latter he is carried up to arrogance, through the form er he falls into listlessness. For when he perceives that such a one has sinned, very easily lie will sill himself; when be per ceives he has in ought excelled, very easi ly he becomes arrogant. Ile who con signs to oblivion his own excellencies, and looks at his tailings only, while he is a curious engineer of the excellencies, not the sins of others, is profitable in many ways. And how ? I will tell you. When he sees that such a one bath done excel_ lently, he is raised to emulate the same : when he sees that lie himself bath sinned, he is rendered bumble and modest. If we act thus,'il we thus regulate ourselves, we shall be able to obtain the good things which we are promised through the lov ing kindness of our Saviour.—St. C/irys oniOnt. In winter, upon the dead mother Garth, iu peace and utter gloom are reposing her dead sons and daughters. After a time, the spring conies, and the mother starts up with a resurrection of her ancient bloom :—And her children ?—yes : but they must wait awhile. ADDRESS, Delivered at the Rufffe Creek Celebra tion on Friday, July 4th, BY A. A. PURMAN, ESQ. PUBLISHED BY itEQ,UEST OF THE AUDIENCE Ladies and Gentlemen :—lf I had consult ed my own inclinations, I should not have presumed to address you on the present oc casion. The habits of professional life rarely admit of leisure for the indulgence ofliterary taste, or the preparation neces sary for a 4th of July oration. And in a science, whose mastery demands a whole life of laborious diligence, whose details are inexhaustible, and whose intricacies task the most acute intellects, it would be matter of surprise, if every hour drawn from its labors did not, to some extent, put at hazard the success of its votary. Nor can it escape observation, how much the technical doctrines of jurisprudence, drawn from remote antiquity, and expanding, themselves over the business of many ages, must have a tendency to chill that enthusiasm that lends encouragement to every enterprise, and to obscure those finer forms of thought which give to literature and oratory its lovelier, I may say, its in expressible graces. The consciousness of difficulties of this kind may well be supposed to press upon every professional mind, and they have weighed very heavily upon me on the pres ent. occasion. And I know they will be overlooked by those only whose youth has not been tried in the hard school of experi ence, or whose genius gives no credit to impossibilities. Nevertheless I have not hesitated to yield to your kind invitation, trusting to that indulgence which has not hitherto been withheld from well-meant efforts; and not unwilling to add the testi- mony of my own example and opinions, however humble, in favor of the claims 01 the day we now celebrate. And at the very threshhold, the question arises, so COIIIIIIO7I and embarrassing on occasions like the ',resent—what shall I say, and how shall it be said ? Perhaps under the circumstances surrounding us at the present time, we cannot more profit ably occupy your attention, than by a brief examination of the circumstances which induced our fathers to issue the Declaration just read by our excellent young friend (Abner 'Ross) in your hear ing ; as well as a briefreview of the results it has produced in our country. The 4th of July, 1776, and the 4th day of July, 186'2, bear a remarkable resem blance to each other in more than one par ticular. The fwmer found the country on tiptoe with. excitement, and resounding with the clash of arms in every valley and upon every hill. On that tidy an august body of patriots gave to the country the solemn pledge of their "lives, their for tunes, and their sacred honors," to over throw, by the aid of Divine Providence, the British Government within the thir teen colonies, and to establish in lieu there of a Government founded upon the consent and sovereignty of the people, the equa.lity amen, their capacity for self-government, and the sovereignty and equality of the col onies. And these principles embodied the guarantee to religion and the Church of Christ, that the State should never inter fere with the consciences of men, or the worship of God, or tax the people to sup port any form of religion. But the latter fun:ls...one section of the country in armed rebellion against the Government thus established by our fa thers, and the whole country bleeding at every pore,—the North contending in dead ly conflict with the South—with those who were, lately, her intimate friends,— yea, our fellow citizens,—our fathers, our brothers, and our neighbors. And all this to suppress an unholy insurrection ' against the best human Government ever established on earth, and to maintain that Government, and the laws given us by our fathers, at the cost of a seven years' bloody conflict with the mother countn The Revolution by our ancestors of 1776, which convulsed the old thirteen colonies and baptized the country in blood, was ab sobitely necessary under the existing- cir cumstances; while the Resolution by the South, which is now drenching the coun try in blood, is entirely unnecessary, and highly criminal and wicked, and its au thors and conductors must receive con dign punislummt. In the former case, the colonists peti tioned and supplicated the mother Gov erment for the redress of the most flagrant deprivations of their rights; but they were spurned from the throne and from parlia ment, and denied the exercise of the most sacred natural rights, without any power to alter or amend the Government. In the latter case, the people have the constitu tional right to alter or amend the Govern ment, and the Federal Government had never refused to protect all the constitm tional rights of every citizen until the re bellion by the South, whatever may be said of the legislation of some of the States, or the conduct of individuals. And here we might content ourselves with what we have said, as a justification of the conduct of our prog,enitors on the 4th day of July, 1776, as well as of the Government they established thereafter ; but we prefer to consider at large the causes that led to the separation, as well as the character of the Government under which we live, and our duties as citizens of this great republic. Thus, my audience, the nature and character of the British Government and its effects upon the colon ists, when properly understood, must for ever stand a complete justification to the sires of 76 for the Revolution. That Gov ernment is founded upon the hereditary right of kings and not upon the consent of the governed, and the inhabitants are sub jects and have no voice in the original for mation of the Government, and no power reserved to themselves. But the king and parFament are supreme in all mat ters whatsoever in the realm, and in a governmental point of view are omnipo tent. In other words, in the British Gov ernment, the king and parliament are the fountain of all power, and the people have • no power except what they have wrung from the Government by the sword. The • Government controls the people, and not the people the Government, and it treats them emphatically as subjects and not as its masters. And in a spirit of arrogance and tyranny the mother country exercised .over the colonists all this oppressive pow', er, and it claimed the right to bind the colonies in all matters whatsoever, and asserted this right for a' number of years and by a series &the most oppressive and. tyrannical acts. Thus she altered the fundamental forms of the Government of the colonies, refused to assent to laws nec essary for their good, denied to them rep resentation, and Imposed upon them taxa tion, obstructed the administration of jus tice, protected offenders by mock trials, made the military superior and independent of the civil power, and deprived them of the right of trial by jury ; awl to compel the colonists to submit to these enormities and usurpations of power she declared the colonies out of her protection. And to remedy these evils the people, as we have already observed, established a General Government of limited powers, re serving the right and providing the mode in the Constitution itself, to alter or amend it whenever they might deem it proper.-- But the several colonies, and afterwards the States, reserved to themselves and to the people all the power not delegated to the General. Government by the Constitu tion. Prominent among these was the right of the States to alter, amend and regulate their local institutions in their own way, to suit their own interests, or their own tastes, provided they did not violate the Constitution of the National Government. Here the people are the source of all governmental power, as in Great Britain the King and Parliament are ; and the Government eau exercise no power except, what the people have dele gated to it. This examination of our Gov ernment, and of the Government against which our ancestors rebelled, proves the justice and the necessity of the course of the Revolutionists, and the awful wickedness ie absence of any necessity for the ne on of the South a,rainst the Gove:n !tient. In the former ease, the people form ed no part of the government except its its subjects, and as such could neither alter nor amend it, nor redress their grievanc es by any power they had in the government; but in the latter case the rehellionists form ed apart of the government, with the right equal to their numerical strength to have an alteration or , ..simendment of the gov ernment for real or imaginary grievances, NEW SERIES.--VOL. 4, NO. 7 or to control the legislation of the country, in the same proportion. Through the me. (Bunt of these privileges which our ances tors acquired for themselves and for us, we are enabled to put the proper estimate upon them and their achievements by the revolution ; and estimated by this stand- and their deeds have erected for them a monument as high as Heaven itself, and their history stands identified with the progress of the Church of Christ. I speak this with reverence and with godly fear. They divorced the Church from the State, taking the power from wicked men, by human legislation, to determine the , quantity and goality of faith necessary to make a true follower of Christ. I have no hestitancy in saying that all who will take the trouble to examine the history of the trials in England by the civ il power of all those charged with heresy, will at once appreciate the wisdom of the founders of our government in separating Church and State, and in leaving the wor ship of God to our individual responsibili ty to Him ; and in this the Church achieved one more victory over infidelity. Let no one say that these results are the least of the blessings of the Revolu tion, or rot in the smallest part. of the his tory of the patriots of that day. hi a civil point of view, this Government lifted the people from the low condition of sub• jests to that of citizens; the people reserv ing the largest amount of individual liber ty consistent with the public good, and es tablishing the Government to protect their lives, their lawful acquisitions, and their reputations. But to prevent the encroach ments of the Government upon the indi vidual rights and liberty of the citizen, they declared in the Constitution that every one charged with the commission of any crime shall have a speedy public trial by a jury of the country—coMpulsory pro cess to compel the attendance of his wit nesses—the right to confront his accuser ; and, if convicted, shall not. suffer a wuel or unnatural punishment, or have. an ex cessive fine imposed upon. him. And they further declared in the Constitution that every citizen should have the right to the free expression of opinion -•—the right to peaceably assemble and petition the Gov remnent for redress of his grievances—the absolute exemption of the person of every citizen from arrest, unless upon the oath of another charging him with a commis sion of' an offence against law—the exemp tion of every citizen from the unreason able search of his castle or seizure of his papers, or of his private property for pub lic use unless upon just compensation ; and of the writ of habeas corpus, to bring his body, when imprisoned, before compe tent authority, to inquire into the cause of his commitment. Thus, my audience, you see the people were so careful of the right of personal lib erty, the freedom of speech and of the press, of their dwellings, and private pro perty, that they declared the government should have no power over theni, unless it could clearly show the abuse of the priv ilege, and the forfeiture of the right in a trial of the alleged offender by due course of law. But the founders of the govern ment were nevertheless willing to accom modate the progress and development of the country, either in her increase in com merce, her advancement in learning, the development of public morals, or any of the necessary changes incident to time; and therefore provided in the Constitution the mode of changing it, so as to accom modate any or every interest. Hence, with this indisputable right to change the government or correct its abuses, any attempt to secede from the government is without any warrant in the Constitution, and the overt act accompanied with force is treason, and the people stand pledged, each to the other, to preserve the govern ment from the violence thus offered to it. as well as to protect each other from the encroachments by the government upon their reserved rights. In the former case it is treason ; in the latter it is perjury --thus violating the Constitution. These funda mental principles which our fathers made the corner stones of our government, may and doubtless do sound trite in your ears, and perhaps many are ready to ask why detain us here with such dry legal pro positions Y llut, my friends, (for such the people of this community have ever bean to me,) at this perilous hour with our government it' I had the voice of thunder I would proclaim theen, so that every citizen in "the Union fiEl it was" might hear, and I would to God I could awaken the attention of every citi zen in every section of this Union to their value, and that I could induce them to love them, submit to th em, and practice them in their lives; then would this ac cursed rebellion, now raging in our land, tall to pieces in a day. Indeed never was there a time when a careful examination of our rights and ditties as citizens were so much demanded of us as at the present time, when their ehtire overthrow is 'threats rued by a most gigantic rebellion; and even some of them by those who profess reverence and obedience to them all.— The men who have the nerve to defend the Constitution front the attacks of her enemies in these days of wild excitement well deserve the name of patriots. Aist those brave volunteeis who Lava CI
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers