The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-01-11
Sgistet1ang,
SPEECH OF
DR.. BETHUNE,
OF NEW YORK.

nights ago, by the Rev. DR.. Bethune,
of that city. We advise all lovers of
the Union, and others, to peruse it
carefully -
Mr.. PRESIDENT rise, sir, not be-
cause / have the presumption to sup
pose that can command the atten-
tion of SO vast an assembly at this late
hour of the evening and after such
splendid Evolutionary efforts as have
been heard from some most able gen.
tlemen, but I come before the audi
ence for the single purpose of show
ing myself cloud cheers) Insight
fcant, as personally may be-(cries
of " No, you are not among the
millions of this land and weak in in
fluence as my voice may be, whenever
this voice is called for, and there is, a
question which its sound can reach, /
wish it to be known that I am to be
reckonedwith the Union-( greatcheer-
ing)-now and while I live. Gre
newed applause, and cries of "Good,
good, good.") And when I say that
it is with wish that if the Union is
to perish may die first (Great APP
plause and roaring noise.) Sir, there
have been many things said here this
evening with which / have not fully
conceded. But I am not going into
all these questions. / do not intend
to read law to you, for it is not my
profession; and must be excused if
I do not go into the theology of some
gentlemen who have invaded mine.
eCheers and laughter But when I
saw the call for this meeting, I said
must be there. Hear, hear, and
good.") Never-never have be- /
fore attended public meeting in any
way political in my life cheers) and
I can say with fair conscience that
no man ever heard me, in any position
of life, utter single word in regard to
party politics. (Cheers. I am by
my calling and by my VOW a minister
of the Gospel of peace cheers and
it is as minister of peace that I am
among you tonight Great cheer
ing.) 1t is time that this should be
so, when the pulpits of the land are
desecrated by appeals to the widest
fanaticism that men can conceive
(The most tremendous applause here
followed, enduring for several seconds.
A voice from the second tier of box
es-The right man in the right place
this time. Il
Another voice on the platform
That's So.
Dr. Bethune-When men are praised
and ~honored because they have shown
the courage of the bull dog with the
bloodthirstiness of the tiger,-(cheers
again and again)--it is high time then
that men who feel themselves impelled
by the belief that the Gospel is peace
on earth and good win towards men,
should act up to the true spirit of that
teaching. (Applause. 1 am not 60
ing to enter, as I said before, into
questions, which I trust may be par
doned for saying, has been foisted into
this meeting this evening. I have
heard of persons who have disputed
about the calls of the meeting, and
some had said that they would stay
away because one call was formal and
the other was informal. daughter J
Now, the call matters very little to me-
| never read through the whole of /
either of these calls. All / saw in
either of them was the word Union
great cheering)-and that was enough.
prolonged applause / remember
on one occasion there was an honest
Governor of Pennsylvania who was
applied to for the pardon of a man
who had murdered his wife, and when
the application was brought before
him in the usual form, backed by all the
influence that could be brought to bear
on the case, the honest old man said
What pardon man for crime.
like that ? For taking a woman to
his home, after having promised and
sworn to love, honor; and cherish her,
and then to take and murder her
why, he ought to be ashamed Of him
sell, Great cheering and laughter. J
And so It is here tonight If any
man, in getting up this meeting, had
any thought Of Republican, or Demo-
crat, or Wing, or American, and not
OF the Union, all | can say is that he
ought to be ashamed of himself
(Great cheering. And what is more,
/ don't want to have anything to do
with him, except meet him in repen-
lance, insackcloth and ashes Cheers
The speeches this evening have been
mostly on the hypothesis of the disso-
luton Of the Union. 1t was always
!" IF the Union should be dissolved I
" When the Union is dissolved y and
other phrases Of similar purport. Now
this is all wrong For my part | re-
{ gard the dissolution, as we loglcians
! say, as an impossible hypothesis. The
Union is not going to bedissolyed, am