Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 44.djvu/19

 Rh it claimed not in vain. Beneath the sway of this unholy triumvirate, justice was forgotten, intolerance was established, private morals were ruined, public virtue perished. All feeling of constitutional restraint passed away, and all sense of the obligation of an oath was forever lost. The whole machinery of government degenerated into the absolute rule of a corrupt numerical majority. Already the weaker section was marked out for destruction by the stronger, and then came disruption and overthrow. Since then tyranny the most absolute, and perjury the most vile, have destroyed the last vestige of soundness in the whole system.

Our new system is designed to avoid the errors of the old; certainly it is founded on a different system of political philosophy, and is sustained by a peculiar and more conservative state of society. It has elements of strength and long life. But at the threshold lies the question I have already stated. Can it legitimately afford the means to bring the war to a successful conclusion? If not it must perish; but a successful result must be achieved. It must be destroyed not by the hand of violence, or by the taint of perjury. It must go out peacefully, and in pursuance of its own provisions. Better to submit to momentary inconvenience, than to injure representative honour or violate public faith. In the whole book of expedients there is no place for falsehoods or perjury. Let us, on the contrary, assiduously cultivate the feeling of respect for constitutional limitation, and a sacred reverence for the sanctity of an oath.

Seeing, therefore, gentlemen of the House of Representatives, that we are custodians of the nation's life, and the guardians of the Constitution's integrity, what manner of men should we be? How cool, how considerate, how earnest, how inflexible, how true! Having no prospect in the future, save through the success of our cause, how regardless should we be of all selfish views and plans of personal advancement. Selected by the people to take care of the State in this time of difficulty and of trial, how ought we to dedicate ourselves in heart, mind, soul and energy to the public service. Neither history has recorded, nor song depicted, nor fable shadowed forth, higher instances of self-devotion than ought to be shown in the conduct of this Congress. It is not allowed us to pursue a course of obscure