[85] of the Revolution to victory, he would command us, in the name of the hosts of patriots and political martyrs who have gone before, to strike for the defence of the Union and the constitution. Mr. Dix closed his remarks amid the most enthusiastic applause. The Chairman then read the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:-- Whereas, the Union of the States, under the guidance of Divine Providence, has been the fruitful source of prosperity and domestic peace to the country for nearly three-quarters of a century; and Whereas, the constitution, framed by our Revolutionary fathers, contains within itself all needful provisions for the exigencies of the Government, and, in the progress of events, for such amendments as are necessary to meet new exigencies; and Whereas, an armed combination has been formed to break up the Union, by throwing off the obligations of the constitution, and has, in several of the States, carried on its criminal purpose, and, finally, by assaulting Fort Sumter, a fortress of the United States occupied by a slender but heroic garrison, and capturing it by an overwhelming force after a gallant defence, thus setting the authority of the Government at defiance, and insulting the National Flag; and Whereas, the Government of the United States, with an earnest desire to avert the evils of civil war, has silently submitted to these aggressions and insults with a patient forbearance unparalleled in the annals of history, but has at last deemed it due to the public honor and safety to appeal to the people of the Union for the means of maintaining its authority, of enforcing the execution of the laws, and of saving our country from dismemberment and our political institutions from destruction; therefore, Resolved, That the Declaration of Independence, the war of the Revolution, and the Constitution of the United States have given origin to this Government, the most equal and beneficent hitherto known among men; that under its protection the wide expansion of our territory, the vast development of our wealth, our population, and our power, have built up a nation able to maintain and defend before the world the principles of liberty and justice upon which it was founded; that by every sentiment of interest, of honor, of affection and of duty, we are engaged to preserve unbroken for our generation, and to transmit to our posterity, the great heritage we have received from heroic ancestors; that to the maintenance of this sacred trust we devote whatever we possess, and whatever we can do, and in support of that Government under which we are happy and proud to live, we are prepared to shed our blood and lay down our lives. Resolved, That the founders of the Government of the United States have provided, by the institution of the Supreme Court, a tribunal for the peaceful settlement of all questions arising under the constitution aid the laws; that it is the duty of the States to appeal to it for relief from measures which they believe unauthorized; and that attempts to throw off the obligations of the constitution, and to obtain redress by an appeal to arms, can be considered in no other light than as levying war against the United States. Resolved, That the Constitution of the United States, the basis and the safeguard of the Federal Union, having been framed and ratified by the original States, and accepted by those which subsequently became parties to it, is binding upon all; and that any resumption by any one of them of the rights delegated to the Federal Government, without first seeking a release from its obligations through the concurrence of the common sovereignty, is unauthorized, unjust to all the others, and destructive of all social and political order. Resolved, That when the authority of the Federal Government shall have been re.established,and peaceful obedience to the constitution and laws prevail, we shall be ready to confer and co-operate with all loyal citizens throughout the Union, in Congress or in Convention, for the consideration of all supposed. grievances, t:he redress of all wrongs, and the protection of every right, yielding ourselves, and expecting all others to yield, to the will of the whole people as constitutionally and lawfully expressed. Resolved, That it is the duty of all good citizens, overlooking past differences of opinion, to contribute by all the means in their power to maintain the Union of the States, to defend the constitution, to preserve the national flag from insult, and uphold the authority of the Government against acts of lawless violence, which, if longer unresisted, would inevitably end in breaking down all the barriers erected by our fathers for the protection of life, liberty and property, and involve the country ia universal anarchy and confusion. Resolved, That a committee of twenty-five, to be nominated by the President, be appointed by this meeting to represent the citizens in the collection of funds and the transaction of such other business in aid of the movements of the Government as the public interests may require.
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[85] of the Revolution to victory, he would command us, in the name of the hosts of patriots and political martyrs who have gone before, to strike for the defence of the Union and the constitution. Mr. Dix closed his remarks amid the most enthusiastic applause. The Chairman then read the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:-- Whereas, the Union of the States, under the guidance of Divine Providence, has been the fruitful source of prosperity and domestic peace to the country for nearly three-quarters of a century; and Whereas, the constitution, framed by our Revolutionary fathers, contains within itself all needful provisions for the exigencies of the Government, and, in the progress of events, for such amendments as are necessary to meet new exigencies; and Whereas, an armed combination has been formed to break up the Union, by throwing off the obligations of the constitution, and has, in several of the States, carried on its criminal purpose, and, finally, by assaulting Fort Sumter, a fortress of the United States occupied by a slender but heroic garrison, and capturing it by an overwhelming force after a gallant defence, thus setting the authority of the Government at defiance, and insulting the National Flag; and Whereas, the Government of the United States, with an earnest desire to avert the evils of civil war, has silently submitted to these aggressions and insults with a patient forbearance unparalleled in the annals of history, but has at last deemed it due to the public honor and safety to appeal to the people of the Union for the means of maintaining its authority, of enforcing the execution of the laws, and of saving our country from dismemberment and our political institutions from destruction; therefore, Resolved, That the Declaration of Independence, the war of the Revolution, and the Constitution of the United States have given origin to this Government, the most equal and beneficent hitherto known among men; that under its protection the wide expansion of our territory, the vast development of our wealth, our population, and our power, have built up a nation able to maintain and defend before the world the principles of liberty and justice upon which it was founded; that by every sentiment of interest, of honor, of affection and of duty, we are engaged to preserve unbroken for our generation, and to transmit to our posterity, the great heritage we have received from heroic ancestors; that to the maintenance of this sacred trust we devote whatever we possess, and whatever we can do, and in support of that Government under which we are happy and proud to live, we are prepared to shed our blood and lay down our lives. Resolved, That the founders of the Government of the United States have provided, by the institution of the Supreme Court, a tribunal for the peaceful settlement of all questions arising under the constitution aid the laws; that it is the duty of the States to appeal to it for relief from measures which they believe unauthorized; and that attempts to throw off the obligations of the constitution, and to obtain redress by an appeal to arms, can be considered in no other light than as levying war against the United States. Resolved, That the Constitution of the United States, the basis and the safeguard of the Federal Union, having been framed and ratified by the original States, and accepted by those which subsequently became parties to it, is binding upon all; and that any resumption by any one of them of the rights delegated to the Federal Government, without first seeking a release from its obligations through the concurrence of the common sovereignty, is unauthorized, unjust to all the others, and destructive of all social and political order. Resolved, That when the authority of the Federal Government shall have been re.established,and peaceful obedience to the constitution and laws prevail, we shall be ready to confer and co-operate with all loyal citizens throughout the Union, in Congress or in Convention, for the consideration of all supposed. grievances, t:he redress of all wrongs, and the protection of every right, yielding ourselves, and expecting all others to yield, to the will of the whole people as constitutionally and lawfully expressed. Resolved, That it is the duty of all good citizens, overlooking past differences of opinion, to contribute by all the means in their power to maintain the Union of the States, to defend the constitution, to preserve the national flag from insult, and uphold the authority of the Government against acts of lawless violence, which, if longer unresisted, would inevitably end in breaking down all the barriers erected by our fathers for the protection of life, liberty and property, and involve the country ia universal anarchy and confusion. Resolved, That a committee of twenty-five, to be nominated by the President, be appointed by this meeting to represent the citizens in the collection of funds and the transaction of such other business in aid of the movements of the Government as the public interests may require.
Van Nostrand. New York, New York. 1862.
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