Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-09-21


fattering token of your good wishes an
regard, and to express, with as much warmt
and fitness as my poor words can convey, the
heartfelt, earnest thanks for the distinctio
thus conferred. No form more suited to Il
meaning could have been devised for the 81
or the giving; for, where centre the pride an
the hopes OF an army but around the
Banner p--and, search the green plains Of tt
earth oil over, what hands can be found q
appropriate to bless and consecrate the Banne
Of Freedom and Right as the holy hands I
Innocence, and Truth, and Childhoods
"Your beautiful Banner, Ladies, IS being a
emphatic testimonial of your love for the caus
of Liberty in this land, and of your persons
good wishes to us, certainly need not assur
you, we shall accept, and guard and preserve
with greater gratitude and pride than an
other honor which this community nigh
possibly confer could awaken in our hearts.
ION the earth, Ladies and Gentlemen, ther
are, you all know, elements OF terrible force
the winds, the lightning, the flow of . might
river, and the hidden fire of the earthquake
but there is one more mighty than the winds
the lightning, the rivers flow, or the earth
quake. tits the silent, invisible, all-pelvadin
Bond OF Union which keeps all substances il
nature together the grasp by which God tn
Creator holds all things. So, in the world Q
public sentiment, Ladies and Gentlemen
there are agents Of wonderful powerful
tongue Of the orator, the voice of q might,
multitude, the many eyed Press, and stronger
more terrible than all, that force which ha
given rise to the Republican Party, and which
Daniel Webster called the 'ercitsd an
oroused Indignation of ciuiIised people ;
but. among these all, there is one more mighty
than the orator, the multitude, the Press, o.
an indignant public sentiment-qulet ant
gentle in its influence as the soft distillint
dew but Irresistible and ah'conquering
giving light and warmth to the noblest intel
iects Of the Nation, bending strong hearts
and turning to the right or left, as it pleases
the most indomitable wills. Unostentatious
and unfeared, but felt and houored by all true
men, this gentle but all-powerful influence
sways and guides, this night, the movements
and the destinies of all the civilized nations
that people the face of the globe. Need tell
the name of this powers It's the approving
smile of Woman upon brave and manly hearts
That power, Ladies, is seen, tonight, in
this great and excited assemblage that honor
your Presentation by their presence, 1t will
be seen, henceforth, in the Increased respect
and favor which this public honor, bestowed
by you on this Company. will procure for
them in this community and this State. 1t is
seen In the generous and enthusiastic fire
which your smiles have kindled in the hearts
of this favored Company, and OF oil this
assemblage, for the cause Of Free Speech,
Free Homes, and Free Men.
"We take your Banner, then, Ladies. We
take it, with all reverence and pride, from
these young and lovely hands. We take it
as the offering of Iowa's fair daughters to the
cause of Liberty. We take it as token OF
the trust which you repose in the manliness,
the bravery and the truth Of Iowa's sons.
We take it as the generous mark of your
and kind feelings towards my
comrades.
"With these assembled Hultitudes as wit
the pure and holy stars, rs they
listen, standing silently up there, upon the
plains of Heaven, carrying their ever-burning
lights, which have famed for ages, and will
blaze for the everlasting years to come. in
honor of the same cause in which we have
lighted ours, in the grand torchlight procession
of the Universe the Wide Awakes of the
skies as witnesses, my companions and l
solemnly pledge our word of honor that we
will preserve your gift pure and unsullied as
it comes from your hands; that we will see
that, by no act Of ours, it shall suffer any
stain, or blot, or tarnish; and that, now and
forever, ve sasssr eternal tlelity to that sacred
cause in schose name you haoe giuen 1t.
Your young speaker, whose sweet and
childish tones still linger so pleasantly on the
ears of all who heard her, that mine seem
doubly harsh and discordant, has bid us
Guard 1t till our homes are tree.'
We will so guard it, with the help Of Him
who, we firmly believe, is, in this contest,
fighting for US the battle of Truth and Justice,
and sorely troubling the enemy, that, as we
trust, in next November, it may be honorably
hung aloft as trophy, not only of battle
fought, but Of victory gloriously won and
so that these young girls who sc gracefully
represent you will not have grown up and
taken your places before our principles shall
have completely triumphed in all this broad
land, and peace and fraternal feeling shall be
restored between all its sections, and our
National Oolors shall float from one end OF
the Union to the other, over land whose air
shall be too pure for q slave to breathe ); and
which shall then in truth be named
"'The land of the Free, and the home Of the
Brave.'"
The silk flag offered as prize to the largest
and best drilled Company of Wide Awakes
in Auscatine county, outside of tho city,
having been awarded to the Goshen Company
by committee consisting of the officers oi
the Mascatine and Washington Companies, G.
W. Van Horne, Esq, on behalf of the Mssca
tine Wide Awakes, presented it with the
following remarks, ......
!" "Wids Awakes of Goshen township: I
salute you in the name, and on behalf Of the
Wide Awakes of the city of Muscatine, with
their last fraternal g Getting ere the occasion
which will make SO pleasant page in the
political history Of this county, and which
has been so largely indebted to you for its
euccess, shall have fastened to its close.
eliminated by desires kindred to, if not
Identical with, those which fred the hearts
Of tho Fathers of the country in achieving
its independence, the Republicans of this
couuty- EeSoItou APoA 4oAutnS OIL t4t.o"1"p
ment, for the purpose of comforting on
masse upon the fearful crisis now overshad'
owing the nation, and, also, to signalize to
the country by their glowing camp fires that
they are ,sow armed, equipped and ready fol
the momentous struggle Of 1860. The
Company whose organ I have the honor to
be upon this occasion, emulous of the feel
ing pervading tie ranks of the party
resolved upon not only contributing theil
services to the general success of the En-
campment but also upon demonstrating in
some special manner their devotion to thos,
great principles which, with the inaugura
ton Of President Lincoln, we desire to se,
inseparably interwoven with the future
policy and admins tration Of our Nationa
Government. In debating upon the nature
and character of this, their special Offering
it was held that, while it should possess in