The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1859-12-30
NO.25

pose OF invading Englanu'Or rance, there
is abundant law to punish that act, and tc
arrest the offender in the prosecution O.
the crime but in the Union there is nc
law to punish the fact that citizen O
Ohio, Pennsylvania or Massachusetts en-
cages in fitting out an expedition of pri
vate war and invasion and bloodsheG
against the State of Virginia. There is
no law to forbid it. 1t would seem that
our forefathers, in emitting to provide fol
for it, had acted as we are told the old re
publics did in regard to the crime Of parri
eide; they did not believe that anything
SO abomnible could occur in the United
States, and therefore they provided no law
to punish it,
Now, gentlemen, what would you think,
and what would be your condition, if such
an invasion of slaughter and of murder
were attempted by citizens Of Virginia in
Massachusetts,? Would you not think it
strange that you had no protection, by any
law whatever, against such an act? that
you were living in the Union not for the
purpose of enjoying its benefits, but only to
be subject to hostile inroads from other
States? Would younot think that strange
extraordinary, incredible, intolerable 3
What would you say ifthat state of things
went on year after year, even for gener-
alton almost? What would you say if in
the State of Virginia, there were organized
bands of invaders, armed by subscription
societies in Richmond, who entertained in
their hearts the sentiment of hatred which
would cause them plant those arms at your
heart if they could reach it Would you
not say, gentlemen, open war is better than
war in disguise2 In open war We could
at least meet our enemies face to face, and
with the possible chance Of gallan. death
in brave encounter with the foe; but to be
slaughtered treacherously at midnight and
to have no remedy for that by the laws of
the land, gentlemen, that is an impossible
state of things to continue in the United
States. And let us not lay the flatterng
JUNCTION to our souls that we may, in the
State Of Massachusetts,, continue to organ
ize expeditions of rapine and treason and
murder against the State of Virginia,-I
say, let us not lay that fattering JUNCTION
to our souls.
Nay, We ought not to do it. If We are
men, if we have a spark of honor in us. if
we are not utterly corrupted,perverteG and
! lost to every sense of honor, we shall say,
and ought to say, it is mean, it is indies
cribably. unspeakably mean, to insist upon
! enjo,in the benefits of the Union without
! participating in its burdens, and treacher-
Gus to demand the execution of the bond
of Union by the State Of Virginia, and not
execute it ourselves; it is hyporitical to
approach and say, art thou we'll my
brother!' for the purpose of stabbing him
under the fifth rib say it would be mean,
treacherous, hypocri ical, to pretend that
! this state of this is to continue, and there.
! fore we are here assembled to discounte
nance all such sentiments, all such passion,
and all such criminal enterprises on the
part of the people of the northern States
against those of the southern.
We vaunt the greatness of the United
States our memories are filled with the re-
miniscences of the glories of the Revolu-
ton; We look back upon Washington,
the Greenes and the LincoIns of the days
of the Revolution, and we say that these
! heroes ard demioods are not the heroes
and demigods of Virginia or Massachusetts
but of the United States. We are one ma
ton. We are one in constitutional bond:
we should be one in heart and patriotic
devotion. Shall we not be Shall we in
| Massachusetts, continue to nourlsh the senti
ments of mutual rancor and hostility upon
an abstract question wholly beyond our
reach and authority: five DO so, gen
Il I. IL,
We know that not only must this Fed
eral compact break by its own weight; we
know not only that the time has come
when we shall all have to say farewell tc
the glories of the Union, farewell to the
vaunted glories Of the American Union
but when there will be the more terrible
and dismal spectacle of civil war upon our
own soil in Massachusetts. For, gentle
men, when We look forward to the conse
Quences of disruption of this Union, is
the North then to invade the South for the
purpose Of carrying on an armed prosecu
ton Of these objects OF interference with
the institutions of the South! Will The
North undertake tEat9 Gentlemen, if th'
North does undertake that it will sacrifice
everything of peace and honor for delu
sion and shade Will the North do it
Gentlemen, are there not gallant and pat
riotic men enough in the State Of Massa
chusetts, who, if any such traitorous pur
pose should be attempted againstthe South
a war of invasion for the destruction o
the Union and the Government OF th
, Union.-are there not men enough here
f seize the traitors by the throat loud erie
of "Ye,, Yes" and great applause,) an
+ saw. "You must walk over our bodies
, YOU shall not engage in this fratracidal, 81
!, icidal. civil war with your fellow citizen
f in another State e say that, wheneve
, this state Of things approaches, that wa
!. will not be upon Mason and Dixon's line
. but it will be here upon the soil OF Ne'
England, and between those who hate tn
. Constitution of .he country, between thos
who declare that the Constitution is COZ
n enant with the devil and a league wit
5 HE'LL say there will be war betwee
: them and those who are devotedly attacl
;. ed to the Constitution and determined 1
= all hazards to maintain the Union. (A
n pause.
1 Now, gentlemen, have long enou2
= occupied your attention. will, howeve
il suggest one other train Of thought Of
A. 4 a tn tho orr