Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1860-05-16
Speech OF Rev. Dr. Retlune.

AT the request Of very valued friend, we re.
publish the speech of distinguished divine, Of
eminent ability, delivered at one OF the great
Union meetings in New York 1t gives the Black
Republicans some homo thrusts
| rise, sir not because have the presumption
to think can preserve the attention Of this vast
assembly, after ell the excellent things that they
have heard this evening, at this late hour. But,
| sir | come before this audience to show myself
insignificant as may personally be among the
millions Of this land, and as weak in influence
as my voice may be, when that voice is called for,
and there is u question where stand, wish to
| be rcckoned with the Union now and forever
Yes, sir. | love the Union and when say that,
it is with the wish that if the Union is to perish
| may die first. And, sir, there are many things
that have been said here this evening, with some
of which may frankly say | could not coincide
| am not going to read law to you, sir. 1t is not
my province, and must be excused from accept
ing the theology OF some gentlemen VINO n have IN
vaded mine Sir, when | saw the call for this
meeting, said. I" must be there" Never have
| attended public meeting in any way political
before in my life. And can say with clear
conscience that no man has ever heard me utter
in public single word of party politics, be-
long to higher service, am, by my vows and
calling minister of the gospel of peace. and it
is as minister of peace that am among you to-
night. 1t is high time, when the pulpit Is desc
Grated by appeals to the widest ianaticism-
when men, by the voice of ecclesiastics. are can
onized because they have shown the pluck OF
bulldog with the blood-thirstness of the tiger
that 1t is high time, say, that one who, humble
a myself, believes that the gospel is peace on
earth and good will toward man, y should act up
on his principles. will not enter into any OF
the disputed questions that have been iolsted IN
to our meeting tonight. | have seen discus
sion about the call of this meeting-that there
was first one call, and then it was altered for an
other call-that the same people who signed one
could not have signed the other. neither read
one call nor the other through all | saw IN the
call was the word :. Union, - and that was enough
remember an honest Governor Of Pennsylvania,
whose ancestry was traceabc in his speech, was
appealed to for the pardon of man who had
murdered his wife but the honest old man said,
:. What, pardon man for such crime as that
a man who could take woman, and promise to
nourish and cherish and den kill her! Wy, he
oupht to he 'slIamed of himself" So say here
to night. il any man in getting up this meeting,
or in coming to this meeting, has had u thought
of Democrat, or Republican, or Native American
higher in his mind than Union, he ought to be
ashamed of himself Nor shall have sympathy
with him, except he repent in sackcloth and
ashes You talk of the Union being dissolved
Sir, there has been deep feeling in most of the
speecbes that have heard here this evening
They say if this Union is to be dissolved-Dhen
the Union is dissolved Why, sir, that is what
we logicans call an impossible hypothesis. The
Union is not going to be dissolved. Do you re-
member, cir, that once in old Rome there was
gulf opened across the city; it was widening and
widening, until it Threatened to engulf the whole
of that splendid capital, when one Marcus Cur
thus mounted his stced, fully armed and equipped
and rode toward the chasn, and leaped into 1t,
willing victim to save bis Rome Sir, should
such a chasm happen in our Union, there is not
only one, but there are a hundred Curtii-a hun
dred times ten thousand-who are willing to leap
into it, Divide the Union Where are you 60 4
ing to draw the linel "a voice Mason and
Dixon's line" Mason and Dizon's 6ddlesticks
Do you want to got Which side do you mean to f.
go, ! know where | should 60. ] would be with
that section who holds fastest TO the Constitution
as it's.
c. :r - 40, b.s a r;chf 70 h r,fcrld Of n: