The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-09-27

'YlnS northwest, OF the ONO IetFeI, tHOSe
States lad not the forecast, had not the
judgement to surrende the temporary
conveniencies and advantages Of Slavery,
aud to elect, as your ancestors chose for
you, the great system Of free labor. They
chose Slavery, and they have TO drag GU;
for some years yet, not lorg, not so long
as some of 70 will live, but still so long
that they will be a drag and a weight up
or your movements, instead Of lending
Hssistance--they have got to drag out to
the end, their system Of slave labor
You have, therefore, as you see, the whole
J, s~ponsibility. It depends upon y"u.-
You have no reliance upon the Atlantic
States Of the East, North, o. South. You
have the opposition Of the Southern
States on either sides Of the Allegheny
mountains; but still the power is with
ven. You are situated where all powers
have ever been, that have controlled the
destiny of the nation to which they be
louged. You are in the land which pro
duccs tho wheat and the corn, the cereal
grains-the land that is covered with tie
oak, and where they say the slave cannot
live. They are in the land that produces
cotton ana sugar, and The tropical traits
in the land whore they say the white
man cannot labor, in the land where the
white man must perish If he have not a
negro slave to provide him with food and
raiment. Laughter They do, indeed,
command the mouths of the rivers but
what is that worth, except as they derive
perpetual re-invigoration, from the hardy
sons Of The North, that reside around the
sources Of tboso mighty rivers! ZAP
plause
| am sure that in this I am speaking
only words Of truth aud experience. The
Norrhwe>t is by no mcanss 50 small as you
may think it. speak thus to you be
cause l fee. that | am, and during all my
mature lite have been one Ct you. AlJho
of New lork, I am still a citizen Of the
Northwest. r'Good j The Northwest
extends eastward to the base Of the Ale.
ghany Mountains, and does not all Of
Western New York lie westward Of the
Alleehany Mountains? T'Good 81
Whence all the inspiration Of
free soil, which spreads itself with such
cheering voices over all these plains ?
Why, from New York, westward of the
Allegheny Mountains. The people be
fore me-who are You but New York
men, while you are men of TIE North
west? It IS an old proyeFb that pIcn
change the skies, but not their minds,
wien they emi2rate but YOU have chang
"a neither skies nor mind. Applause
I might cali the roll o. Western New
York, and doubt not that when | came
TO Ucrkimer County | should have a re-
spon<e, | certainly have had responses
here from ('ayuga and Genesee- 4 voice
Erie and from Erie; "a voice, eau
bum" and from Auburn; a voice,
Seneca, and from Seneca; "a voice,
Yates" and from Yatcs aye, aye
Loud laughter Bless my soul! /
have been laboring under I delusion all
the time. [ thought | was out here, mid.
way between the Mississippi and tie
lakes, and J find | am standing Cd the
stage in the center park at home. a
voice; ""ight at home Another voice,
land old Oataro And old Ontario
Ne will not forget old Ontario, nor old
Osweco. i or Oneida.
Fctiyw Citizens. | Will add but ono
word more, this is not the business Of this
dag alone. 1t is bot the business Of this
year aldne. 1t is not the business O. the
Northwest alone. 1t is the interest, the
destiny III human society on the cont
nent You are to make this whole son
%;lnent, from North TO South, from East
10 = 9 T., d lind Of freedom and a land Of
happiness. CApp!auss.1
There is no power on Earth now ex
istiDg, no Empire now existing Or as yet
established, that is to equal VI can equal
IN duration the future Of the United
States. Ii is not for yourselves alone,
yoa have the least possible interest in it
It is indeed for these children Of yours
Old JGln Adams, when at the close OF
the Revolutionary War he sat down and
counted uD the losses aud sacrifices that
he had endured and made, reioiced 10 the
establishment of the independence which
had been the great object Of his life, aud
said, 81 have gained nothing. / should
have been even more comfortable perhaps
and more quiet, had we rcmaig. A1der
the British dominion; bat +, ~ chill
drcn, aud for their children Ni-for the
children Of degeneration Il labored
with INC, | feel hat we have done Il
work which entities u to rejoice, and
calls upon US by our success to render
thanks to Almighty God"