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of all ancient governments. Before its establishment, the science of  
government had been the State itself. Our system reverses the order.  
L The end of the science of government is to be henceforth the welfare  
of the individual. Marvelous has been the political evolution that   N
has raised man from the creature to the creator of governments. The  
_ founders of Ol11‘ republic, selecting thepurest principles that had been  
_ winnowed from the experience of all previous time, erected a federated  S;
representative system, based upon the grand triumvirate of political  
virtues—liberty, fraternity and equality. Hardly was it established  Q
N before eminent. statesmen at home and abroad began to look upon it  i
with distrust.  
They doubted the sufficiency of popular intelligence, and believed  l
r tl1at our system was so framed that the flood tides of Democracy  It-
would rise up and break down the weak fabric. But the trial of  
" popular government stands vindicated by its results. Under its  
benign influence we have advanced from a few straggling colonies to  
the most stable and liberal government ever created by the mind of  
man. Like every nation that has achieved greatness, we have been  
t involved in foreign and domestic war. \Vhen "the uplifting force of  
‘ the American ldea had penetrated the crumbling thrones of Europe,"  
the glittering sw ord of despotism was eager to sever the life cords of  
the young republic. But foreign wars developed the strength and  
patriotism of our people. Yet they had just passed away, when the   .
diverse civilizations of North and South were gathering forces for the  
great fraternal conflict destined to bathe the land in the blood of her  
noblest sons. S  
The conflicting interests of a manufacturing North, and an agri-  
cultural South, could not be harmonized, even though championed  
l by the greatest statesmen the world had ever known. It was a  
question that demanded blood. The soldiers of the North  
poured into the beautiful, chivalrous South, and the awful conflict was  
on. The implements of peace became implements of war. Every  
hill became a fortress. Every valley a valley of death. Every rivulet a  
rivulet of blood. Nothing was seen or heard, but the desolating hand  
of war the clamor of battle, the thunder of cannon as it laid low the  
noblest heroes ever offered to the god of carnage.  
But the clouds of civil dissension passed away. The negro was  
 
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