The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-09-21
Speech by Thomas L. Meagher.
He STANDS BY THE GOVERNMENT - Ii
THRILLING APPEAL TO IRIsHMEN

! Y ork on thursday. 1he orator OF the
day was Capt. Thomas Francis Meagher.
lie commenced with a glowing exor
dium, and paid a brilliant tribute to the
memory o. Capt. Uasgerty, and those
others who fell in the Sixty ninth. After
| speakin in terms OF admiration of and de-
votion to the Federal cause, he continued ::
Will the IIishmen OF New York stand
by this cause cries Of " We will, We
will, l--resolutely, heartily, with inexora.
bic fidelity, despite all the sacrifices it may
cest, despite OF all the dangers into which
1t may compel them, despite of the be-
ieavements and abiding gloom it may
bring upon such homes as this day miss
the industry and love of the dead soldiers
OF the Sixty-ninth, but in some measure to
console and succor which the festivities. OF
this day have taken place? Cries ssof
Yes, yes. For my part, l ask no irish
M IN to do that which | am not prepared
to do. Ch. ers. Ny heart, my arm, my
life, Is pledged to the national cause, aud
to the last 1t will be my highest pride, as
| believe it to be my holiest duty and OBJ
legation, 10 share its fortunes. Applause.
l care not whUt party the Chief Magistrate
OF the Republic has belonged. lear,
hear. l care not upon what plank or
platform he may have been elected. Iie
platform disappears before The Constitu
ton, under the injunction OF the oath lie
took on the steps OF the Capitol the day
OF his Inauguration Loud cheers
The party disappears in the presence Of
the nation Applause and ,is the chief
magistrate, duiy elected and duly Nv, IN
Is bound 10 protect and administer tne
natloncl property for the benefit OF the
nation, SO should every citizen concur with
him III loyal and patriotic action. discard
! the mean per>uasIUIS aud inaXiuIs OF
tie local po!iiicIans- Hear. hear, hea =
and suos tItutIng The natloi.aL lnteIeat- the
national eincieEcy, the national honor, Tor
the seIil>hnesS. The huckstering, Or the
vengeance OF party Enthusiastic cheer
Ing 10 me, at ali events, the potency OF
the national government the Houor and
glory OF the national Nag, are OF infinitely
higher value than the Regency at Albany,
the 1ammany Wigwam, Mozart Hall Or
tie Pewter Mug. Cheenugand laushter
Nor shall outCrIes Oh behalf Ui the liber-
y OF the press. or the liberty and Imuiu-
mites OF the citizen, restrain me IN the ac-
tive allegiance | owe the nation and its
executive. now that the rights and author
lty both are leopardized. Hear, hear.
he integrity vi the national domain, the
potency Of the national government, the
reputation Of tie nat, nIi arms, the IN
yiUlabNty OF that tranquil system of elec-
lion without which no popular government
can have legitimacy, consistency and force
these considerations are Tar dearer 10
ne, and ! clam ii4eII 20 be OF lar more
vital consequence than the liberty u pro
mulgate el.lIon OF the liberty 20 couslire.
~r at applause. Such Liberties must
euucuInb 10 the demands OF the crIcis, the
pubic safety, the discipline and efficacy OF
the army, aId the attitude OF tile revolt
| Hear, her. Within the range Of the
laws the pOi.cc, the courts the proprietie5
and Interests o! the community, let them
have iu.! sw!ag IL the days Of peace
Such days have their peculiar sanctities
more than this, they have their recog-
nIzed and favored abuses Of popuia ineti
tutlOus and preroga,lves; and the fseip.-st
and ioulest sheet that Is scrItbled i'll the
cou!-hOle or the garret. as well as the most
faithful citizen among Us, may be I.eS:Hit
ted, the one ~ scatter broadcast. aud the
o her 10 drop il creyices aud corners. the
seeds OF di=atieciign against tAe govern
ment, without the commonwealth incur +
Ilug any dt;Timeut. Hear hear But
IN TIME OF war-aUOve ali, in time Of ciyII
War-Ihe supremacy OF the Government
should De the sole object loud cheers - .
aud To this end martha! i4w should be the
higher law, and lie only one IN uudi>puted
force. Applause v ho speaks about his I,
right as pa>seli Ser-about bis bag o!
InOuey, his che-t o! boots and clothes, the I
I hOio -rdph OF rIs wife and children, ms /
live stock or bales OF merchandise when
the steamship has met with a collision, /,
threatens to 90 down, must be cleared .
OF every embarrassment and dead weight, /
and ali n nds are sunmond to the rescue |
You know II we'll. assert it without fear /
OF contradiction from aay quarter; aud !
those VINO have had most latitude and iGn
punlty, were they frank and generous, :
would be the first 10 own it, The nat,onsl /
Government has suffered more from the
patience, the len.ency, the magnanIniity
II has practlced towards its enemies, aud
those who are IN sympathy and league
with them, than II has done from the 1
courage, the science, the fierce energy of
those who haze taken the field against it,
and v!ctoriouoly shaken the banner OF re,
volt aud reputation in its face. Cries of
I" hear, hear. The masked conspirators
of the North are infinitely more criminal
and mischievous than the bold and armed
recusants OF the South renewed shouts
OF " hear, hear, and Democrat as | am
4
publ!caulsm OF the Chicago Convention as
a spurious creed having no sympathies
whatever with the men in power, Other !
than those which should subsist between
the citizen and his Recommendations,
hear, hear, Il would promptly aud COR |
daily approve of the severest measures |
the President might adopt to paralze the
treachely which in this and other citis, !
under vai ious liberal and beniticent pre-. |
tences, has been, and is still at work to
undermine and overthrow the legitimate !
masistracy OF the nation. Enthusiastic |
cheers.
Do not speak ia the name Of the Irish I
men OF New Iork-and they are counted |
by tens OF thousands-when speak these !
and declare in favor OF these |
rigorous but imperative Proceedings p |
| Ap lause Were l met with nc gative, !
1 should remind my countryme that the
English arist"cracy-[t three groans (which
is the dominant class in Englald-to
which the navy, the church, the army, al
most exclusively belong and which is, in
fact, the political opinion, the Parliament,
the sceptre and the sword of Engaud-
T" that's so Fl should remind my coun-
that this aristOcracy is airayed
against the Government at Washipgi on
hear, Lear, + and that as it was dead
against the Revolution, out of WHICH arose
the liberties and nationality Of the United
States, so it is now in hot favor of the
revolution which sets at nought those lib
critics, aud against that nationality directs
a fratl ac .dal blow. [Shouts and che ering
A revolution that ha. the fatteryand pat
/, mage of an arIstoc:acy to which for gen.
eratlons Ireland has ascribed Ter social
and political disorders, which
has scofled at and scandalized her before
the world, can surely never havethe heart
and arm of any lrishmep who has learned
the history of the Stars and Stripes hear,
hear, valued the blessings ard prolec
ton they insured, who, in the tustration