In this great journal of things happening under the sun, we the American people, find our account running under date of this century of the Christian era--We find ourselves in the peaceful possession, of the fairest portion of the earth, as regards the extent of territory, fertility of the soil, and salubrity of climate. We find ourselves under the government of a system of political institutions, conducting more essentially to the ends of civil and religious liberty, than any of which the history of former times tell us. We, when mounting the stage of existence, found ourselves the legal inheritors of these fundamental blessings. We toiled not in the acquirements or establishment of them-- Theirs's was the task (and notably they performed it ) to possess themselves, and through themselves, us, of this goodly land; and to uprear upon its hills and its valleys, a political edifice of liberty and equal rights; tis ours to only transmit these, the former, unprofaned by foot of an invader; the latter, undecayed by the lapse of time and uniform by usurpation, to the latest generation that fate shall permit the world to know. This task of gratitude to our fathers, justice to ourselves, duty to posterity, and love of our species in general, all imperatively require us faithfully to perform. How then shall we perform it? -- At what point shall we expect the approach danger? By what means shall we fortify against it-- Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant to step the Ocean and crush us at the blow? NEVER-- All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with Bunoparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, In a trial of a thousand years.
At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be it's author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide. I hope I am wary; but there is not, there is even now something of ill-omen, amongst us I mean the increasingly disregard for law which pervades the country; The growing disposition to substitute the wild and furious passions, in lieu judgment of the Courts; and worse than savage mobs, for the executive ministers of justice. This disposition is awfully fearful in any community; and now that exist in ours, through grating to our feelings to admit, it would be a violation of truth, and an insult to our intelligence to deny. Account of outrages committed by mobs, form everyday news of the times. They have pervaded the country from New England to Louisiana: They are neither peculiar to the eternal snows of the former nor the holding states. Whatever then their cause may be it is common to the whole country. Such are the effects of mob law, an such as the scenes, becoming more and more frequent in this land so lately famed for love of law and order; and stories of which, have even grown too familiar, to attract any thing more than idle remark.
But you are perhaps ready to ask what has this to do with the perpetuation of our political institutions? I answer it has much to do with it, it's direct consequences are, comparatively speaking, but a small evil; and much danger consists, in the proneness of our minds.
I know the American People are much attached to their government; I know they would suffer much for it's sake I know they would endure evils long and patiently, before they would ever think of exchanging it for another. Yet notwithstanding all this, if the laws be continually despised and disregarded, if their rights to be secure in their person and property, are held by no better tenure than the caprice of a mob, the alienation of their affections from the government is the natural consequence; and to that sooner or later it must come Here is the point of which Danger may be expected, The question recurs, how shall we fortify against it? The answer is simple . Let every American, every lover of liberty, every well wisher to his posterity, swear by the blood of the Revolution, never to violate in the least particular, the laws of the country; and never to tolerate their violation by others. As the patriots of seventy-six did to support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property and his sacred honor; let every man remember that to violate the law, is to trample on the blood of his father. and to tear the character of his own, and his children's liberty. Let reverence for the laws, be breathed by every American mother, to the lisping babe that pratties on her lap-- let it taught in school, in seminaries and in colleges; let it be written in Primers, spelling books and in the Almanacs. let it be preached from the pulpit proclaimed in legislative halls and enforced in the Courts of justice And in let the old and the young the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay of all sexes and tongues and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly upon it's alters. short let it become the political religion of the nation .
They were the pillars of the temple of liberty; and now that they have been crumbled away, that the temple must fall, unless we, their descendants supply their places with other pillars, hewn from the solid quarry of sober reason. Passion has helped us ; but can do so no more. It will in the future be our enemy. Reason, cold calculating unimpassioned reason, must furnish all the materials for our future support and defence-- Let those materials be moulded into general intelligence, sound morality and in particular a reverence for the Constitution and Laws and that we improved to the last; that we remained free to the last; that we revered his name to the last; that during his long sleep we permitted no hostile foot to pass over or desecrate his resting place; shall that which to learn to the last Trump shall awaken in Washington. Upon these proud fabric of freedom rest of it's basis and as has been said of the only greater institution. The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail Against It
Written By Abraham Lincoln delivered January 27, 1838 Springfield Illinois. Lincoln was 28 years old. You can read the entire speech known as the Lyceum Address. This represents about half of his famous speech 22 years before his election as President and The Civil War. I encourage all who may be racially sensitive to read what Lincolns views were on Slavery early in his life. Abraham Lincoln was not a racists' as Joe Biden claimed last year. Lincoln was the 16th President of the United Sates of America and the First President of all Americans
Just Another Pretty Face Tom
