Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-07-10

made by the attack Of an tipnriu,itJad 0,.l
ern Junto, and the event Of the ordeal ,L,ona
Whlch She Is now passing. the issue ,f n
impending crisis will decide wbetber RI,
Star Spangled Banner" shall be tbric,
more glorious to those who succeed US or tn
III, last melancholy record of depart ted greatness
Ihe peace cry following the present evil com
motion. Will determine, while not vet a sta
IN that blue field is dimned. nor hue in thos
bright stripes deadened whether every shire,
IN It's texture shall recall to our minds des
pohdIng recollections of the past, or whether
our country, Phoenix like, shall rise from the
corruption which internal foes and foreign
parasites have heaped upon her, reiuvenateC
and purified by that which was prepared foI
! her winding sheet Such, Ladies', is the A.
lemma in which our country is pIocad and
upon the Issue OF the approaching conflict de
pends all that to us as Americans is oroo,
and gond-our liberty-our country vindic,,
ted, and the honor of our country's fac nm.
tarnished. Since, therefore, YOU have cbo
sen the latter as the noblest standard heneath
when to pledge US, and to which American
minds are now turned with earnest sulicitude
ana the civilized world contemplates with anx
lety' let me assure you all that the Slcmmer
unarus VIII strive to prove themselves worthy
OF the trust This flag will ever be dear to
them, on account Of the blessing thew vet
hope to enjoy under it, and as Il memorial Of
your kind regards. In return, ladies. let me
tender you the most cordial thanks Of the
company, whilst / assure YOU that next to
their country the Slemmers will ever be most
loyal to the ladies Of Lewistown.
Subsequently the company paraded
through town under Lieut. Il. b. Hoover,
performing a number of highly creditable
military maneuvres.
At six o'clock in the evening our citi.
zens generally, with the Sabbath Schools.
assembled in front Of the court house,
where several national airs were sung and
an eloquent and patriotic address delivered
by Rev. Mr.. McMqrray, which we publish
at the request Of many of our citizens who
we're sratifed auditors of the speaker:
LadieS, Gentlemen and Children of the
S"itdoy SctooLs-I am happv to greet Won
here on this 4th of July, 1861. Never has
tins birthday Of the nation dawned upon us,
iraught with scenes Of such thrilling interest
and fearful import, as that we now commem-
orate as the o5th anniversary Of American In
dependence. And Whatever the issue Of the
present conflict OF arms it will not be less
memorable than that on which the thirteen
colonies, IN solemn cenycLtiun issued the
declaration which has just been read. That
was Sangulnary and blpody conflict of sew
en- years for national existence: this for nation
al preSeyratt0n. That to achieve our liberty.
this toprcserve, perpetuate, and hand down that |
liberty 10 tuture posterity--to millions yetun |
born. For whatever minor issues NAV be raised |
the great Issue OF the present struggle sthe life |
y the Nation. 1t Is a question Of ysIfDyss /
"Eatt3H-ot government or no government, .
IHlon or dISlutegration. order or anarchy. lib. /
.riy or despotism. 1t il to decide whether we
nave country, or y neither the flag of the Re !
'uolc waves over mere organized anarchy /
the sure precursor of military deSpotism. |
Already, indeed. has the 50 called govern /
5rea "a Sii. St2taF u s. Yiqlfffn nber" b!"
Y, i'll refusing to submit their bogus constitu
ion to the popular vote, ignoring the sote'. I
igmy of the people; and upon its ruins they /
may soon establish an oligarchy. ormonarchy, +
y autvgglcy-any form Of government they
choose.
The fathers Of the revolution believed they
lGd founded gorsJameVt-a Union iadisso
able, powerful and perpetual and 50 far un .
.Xampled and unparalleled in the sublime f.
march of lis progress in every material ele .
rent Of prosperity, and greatness. But let .
il now be severed. and it is no longer the /
same Union; no more than house divided .
md torn asunder is the same house the gov
.rument is no longer the same goVernment;
he United States Of America no more a Ma /
ion among the Nations-its Constitution .
,hattcrcd and brukeu-its prestige gone-its !
pride and glory faded, withered as leaf of au-
umn. The question, therefore. is, shall the /
Union be preserved? Shall this government /
be sustained? Or shall we substitute for it |
the fatal doctrine and hydra Of Secession
that fog Of the brain, and poison at the |,
aCart?"
Recognize the Southern Confederacy, and
you ut once endorse secession as State right, !
such as it is claimed to bc~-a right aItds7 tic
and you inscribe on that inStru
ment its own denth- warrant you commit po-
litical suicide Secession antagonizes the
government; and if one succeeds the other
mast fall There can be no other logical re-
suit. The offspring of an unholy ambition
and lust for power, it means to degrade and
destroy this, the only free Republic in the
world 1t means nothing less. and its tri-
umph will have no other effect it is to make
the government a 'Btere rope Of SaRd;" to in
corporate into its very texture an element of
se!f destruction.
| repeat, the question is one that involves
the life or death of this great nation and un-
less we are willing to obliterate the most sub
lime record on the page of history-blot out
the memory of the patriot fathers, our heroic
dead-iguore the great principle of mans ca
pacity for lfgovernment-libe the Ameri-
can name-falsify our accredited love of coun
try, and the prestige of American valor-de
moralize national sentiment, and degrade our
selves in the eyes of the world, to be By
acOrd and a scorn among the nations; we must
meet the issue squarely, nobly-if need be,
flight 1t out to the laSt''-at all hazard, at all
cost. at all sacrifice. If we acould be what
we have been, a nation of .tresn3sn, & nation