Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-02-23
Thrilling EIoquence.

AhEiIiHuB EiO4uehces
The following touching passages are
contained in the speech Of the Hon Mr.. Bo-
teller, delivered in the House on tha 25th
ult We honor the head and the heart from
which they proceeded. The incidents
narrated cannot fail to moisten every eye
by which they are perused. The language
employed for the purpose is the language
Of elevated patriotism:
"The district which represent, and the
county made famous by the raid of Brown
was the first in all the South to send sue
cor to Massachusetts,. In one of the m ost
beautiful spots in that beautiful county,
within rifle shot of my residence, at thebase
of the hill, where glorious spring leaps
out into sunlight from beneath the gnarl-
cd oak, there assembled on the 10th of
July, 1775, the very first band of South
ern men that marched to the aid of Mas
sachusetts. They met there and their ral-
lying cry was, "a bee-line for Bostenp
That beautiful and peaceful valley mad
never been polluted by the footsteps of a
foe; for even the Indians themselves kept
it from the incursions of the enemy. 1t
was the hunting range and neutral ground
of the aboriginees. This band assembled
there and "a bee-line for Boston was
made from thence.
Before they marched, they made a
pledge that all who survived would assem-
BILE there fifty years after that day. Itwas
my pride and and pleasure to be present
when the fifty years rolled around. Three
aged, feeble, tottering men-the survivors
OF that glorious band of one hundred and
twenty-were all who were left to keep
their trust, and prove faithful to the pledge
made fifty years before to their compan-
ions, the bones of many of whom were
bleeching on the Northern hills.
Sir, l have often heard from the last
survivor Of that band of patriots the in
eidents of their first meeting and their
march; how they made some six hundred
miles i'll twenty days-thirty miles day:
and how as they neared the point Of des
tination, Washington, who happened to
be making a reconnaissance in the neigh
hood, saw them approaching, and recog-
nising the linsey woolsey hunting shirts
of old Virginia, rode to meet and greet
them to the camp, how when he saw their
captain-his old companion in arms,
Stephenson, who stood by his side at
Great Meadows, on Braddock' s fatal field,
and in many an Indian campaign, and
who reported himself to his commander
as "from the right bank of the Potomac"
he sprung from his horse and elias ped
his old friend and companion in
arms with both hands. He spoke no
word of welcome. but the eloquence of 81.
lence told what his tongue could not ar
ticulate. He moved along the ranks,
shaking the hand Of each man, and all the
while-as my informer tells me; the big
tears were seen coursing down his manly
cheek Aye, sir, Washington wept! And
why did the glorious soul of w Washington
swell with emotion? Why die he weep?
Because he saw that the cause of Mas
sachusetts was practically the cause of
Virginia, because he saw that their citi-
zens recognized the great principles invol-
veI in tho contest. These Virginia vol.
unteers had come spontaneously. They
had come in response to the words OF
Henry, that were leaping like live thun-
der through the land, telling the people
of Virginia that they must fight, and fight
for Massachusetts. They had come to
rally by Washington's side, to defend
your fathers firesides, to protect their
homes from harm. Well, the visit has
has been returned! John Brown selected
that very county as the spot for his inva-
| sion; and as was mentioned in the Senate,
! the rock where Seeman fell was the very
: rock over which Morgan and his men mar.
, ched few hours after Hugh Stevenson s
command had crossed the river some two
miles further up.
May this historical reminiscence rekin-
| die the embers of patriotism in our hearts!
Why should this nation of ours be rent
in pieces by this irrepressible conflict
The battle will not be fought out here
When the dark day comes, as come it
may, when this question that agitates the
hearts of the people can only be decided
by the bloody arbitrament of the sword
it will be the saddest day for us and all
mankind that the sun of heaven has ever
shone upon.
trust, Mr.. Clerk, that this discussion
will now cease. TRUST that all will make
an effort by balloting, and by succession
OF ballotings, to organize this House. !
trust that we will go on in our efforts,
day afterday, until we do effect an organ
ization, and proceed to perform the duties
which we were sent here to discharge; that
the great heart of our country will cease
topulsate with the anxiety which now eau
ses it TO throb. and that we will each, in our
appropriate spere, do what we can to make
ourselves more worthy of the nestimable
blessings which can only be enjoyed by a
free and united people.
, A gentleman missed two pounds ofvery
| fine butter which he had kept for special
occasion, and charged the cook with hav-
: ing stolen it, She declared the kitten had
) eaten it. and that she had inst caught her
: finishing the last morsel. The gentleman
Immediately put the kitten in The scales,
and found she weighed only a pound and