Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1860-05-26
sword in such a cause. TApplauset.

sworn III sucn cause. IApplaHSeI.
No. citizens, this Republic was es-
tablished for the purpose of securing
the guarantees Of liberty, justice and
righteousness to the people and their
posterity. Applause]. That was the,
great object for which the Revolution
was fought These were the principles
mainly, for which the Union and the
Constitution were founded. Slavery is
sectional, Freedom is national. Loud
cheers.
Fellow citizens, need remind this
intelligent and vast audience, need I
call to mind to the intelligent gentle
men who represent the various, States
that are represented on this floor, Of the
manifestation of lawless violence and
tyrrany, such as the world never saw
before in civilized and christian land,
by this spirit Of slavery? Whose rights
are secure when slavery has power to
trample them under foot? Who to-
day is not more free to utter his opin-
ions in the Empire of Russia, or under
the shadow of the despotism of Aus
trla, than he is within the limits of the
Slave States of this Republic? ZAP
plausel. Will their tyrany be confined
to those States when they have the pow
er to force that tyranny upon us? Vol
ces-"No-No]."
Never! We owe the liberties which
we to-day enjoy in the Free States to
the absence Of slavery; and, fellow cit
liens, shall we, in building TIP this
great empire Of ours, in fulfilling that
high and sacred trust imposed upon us
by our fathers-shall we spread this
blightiug, this demoralizino, this inhu-
MANNING institution, throughout the
vast extent OF our borders? Voices
-''No!" OR shall we prcseve this
land as free land to our posterity for
ever? Applause1
These are the principles for which
the Republican party are struggling,
and, fellow citizens, the safety Of our
liberties, Of all that we hold valuable;
demands that we should take posses
sion of this government, and admins
tar it upon those broad constitutional
doctrines that arc recognized for tn"
first sixty years Of the existence Of our
Governlnent-that were recognized by
Washington, by Jefferson, by Adams,
by Madison, by Monroe, by Adams the
younger, by Jackson, by Van Buren,,
even down to the time of Polk, when
those new dogmas we're started, that
the Constitution was established to
guarantee to slavery perpetual exist
ence and unlimited empire.
Involving, fellow citizens, q spirit
Of patriotism and harmony, and trust
| ing that that spirit will guide us to q
Fortunate result in our deliberations, |
will now enter upon the duties which
have deem assigned ne. App|ausel.
The chair then announced Hon. Ed
Hassaurek, Of Ohio; Hon. Theodore
Nj. Pomerov, of New York; Hon. Fl
L. Blow, Of Missouri, temporary See
retarics of the Convention.
After taking their seats, Rev. Z. NJ
Humphrey, of the Presbyterian church,
of this city, delivered the following
prayer amid the profound silence Of the
vast audience:
Oh, Lord, our God, thou art great
and greatly to be praised, and we come
before thy throne to worship and also
to learn thy will. We invoke thy pres
ence and blessing as we gather beneath:
this roof to-day. We praise thee fo'
what thou art, and for what thou hast
done for us. "Verily, the lines have
fallen to us in pleasant places, and we
have a goodly heritage Thou hast
strengthened the bars Of our gates, and
placed our children within them. Thou
hast made peace in our borders, and
filled us with the finest of the wheat
Thou hast not dealt so with any nation
AS for thy judgements, we have not
known them.' But yet we confess that
We have deserved to suffer; that we
have sinned against thee. We entreat
thy forgiveness for our transgressions
and thy protection from the consequent
ces Of sin. We pray for our common
country; we ask that thou wilt deliver
us from the evils to which we are ex-
posed; and that thou wilt help rs to
put away ali those evils which we are
too apt to cherish. Wilt thou bless
our rulers, aud teach them to govern,
i'll the fear of God and in the love OF
man? Let them deliver us tiom cor
luption, from oppression, from violence,
from selfish ambition. Show us the
way Of delivering the oppressed from
the house of bondage, and Of making
this country truly and consistently free.
We claim thy blessing upon this con
ventlQn, and pray that thou wilt enable
all those who are gathered to act, amid
the excitement of the hour, as feeling
their responsibilities to their fellow
men, and as knowing that they will one
> day stand before thee. Wilt thou bless
j lis in al that we do. Wilt tIln,1 1.,,ln