Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-02-20
JOURNEY OF THE PRESIDENT ELECT.


panied by a large concourse to the depot,
where nearly l 200 citizens had already col
lected. After he had shaken hands with
number of friends he took his stand on the
platform of the car and spoke as follows:
My FRIENDS: No one not in my position can
appreciate the sadness 1 feel at this parting.
To this people l owe all that L am. Here |
have lived more than quarter of a century
here my children were born, and here one of
them lies buried. l know not how soon |
shall see you again. A duty deyolves upon
me, which is perhaps greater than that which
has devolyed upon any other man since the
days of Washington. He never would have
succeeded except for the aid OF Divine Provi-
dence, upon which he at all times relied. l
feel that | cannot succeed without the same
Divine aid which sustained him, and in the
same Almighty Being l place my reliance for
support | hope you, my friends, will all
pray that | may receive that Divine assist
ance, without which l cannot succeed, bnt
with which success is certain. Again bid
you all an affectionate farewell.
loud applause and cries of stwe will pray
for you.''l During the speech Mr.. Lincoln
betrayed much emotion, and the crowd was af-
fected to tears. The train left precisely at
half past eight, and reached Indianapolis in
y
welcomed by Gov. Morton. An immense crowd
followed him to the Bates House, where he
responded to their demands as follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE STATE OF INDIANA:
| am here to thank you much for this magnlf-
icent welcome, and still more for the very gen
erous support given by your State to that po-
litcal cause which l think is the true and just
cause of the whole country and the whole
world. Solomon says, ssThere is a time to
keep silence" and when men wrangle by the
month with no certainty that they mean the
same thing while using the same word, it
perhaps were as well if they would keep s-
lence. The words s'coercion' and ''invaslon"
are much used in these days, and often with
some temper and hot blood. Let make
sure, if we can, that we do not misunderstood
the meaning of those who use them. Let us
get the exact definition Of these words, not
from dictionaries, but from the men them
selves, who certainly depreoate the things
they would represent by the use of the words.
What. then, is ''coercion" WHAT'S 'sinvaSion! ~
Would the marching of an army into South
Carolina, without the consent of her people,
and with hostile intent towards them be inva
sion | certainly think it would be s'coer-
cion - also if the South CaronianS were
forced to submit. But If The United States
should merely hold and retake its own forts and
other property, and collect the duties on foreign
places tchere they ucere hdbitualiy rioiated could
any or all these things be .sinrGsi0n'' or c0er-
cton ?'' Do our professed lovers of the Union,
but who spitefully resolve that they will
sst coercion and invasion, understand that
such things as these on the part of the United
States would be coercion or invasion of
State If so, their idea of means to preserve
the object of their great affections would seem
to be exceedingly thin and airy. If sick, the
little pills of the homeopathist would be much
too large for it to swallow. In their view, the
Union, as family relation, would seem to be
no regular marriage, but rather a sort of free
love arrangement, to be maintained on pas
sional attraction. By the way, in what cou-
sistS the special sacredneSs of State !? |
speak not of the position assigned to a State
in the Union By the Constitution, for that by
the bond all recognize. That position,
however, State cannot carry out of the u
nion with it. / speak of that assumed prim-
airy right of State to rule all which is less
than itself, and to ruin all which is larger than
itself. If a State and county, In given case,
should be equal in extent Of territory and e :
quail in number of inhabitants, in what, a
matter of principle, is the State better than
the county +? Would an exchange of names
be an exchange Of rights Upon principle,
on what rightful principle, may State, being
no more than one-fftieth part of the nation in
| soil and population, break up the nation and
|
| ion of itself in the most arbitrary way What
mysterious right to play tyrant is conferred
| on a district of country with its people by
merely calling it State Fellow citizens, l
am not asserting anything. | am merely ask
ing questions for you to consider. And now
allow me to bid farewell.
At 10a O'Clock on the 18th, Mr.. Lincoln and
suite started for Cincinnati At all the sta
tions, crowds of people had collected and ex-
hibited the most profound enthusiasm at the
appearance of Mr.. Lincoln. The train arriv-
ed at the appointed time at the foot of Fifth
street, Cincinnati, which was literally blocked
with people. The locomotive was once COM
PEELED to stop. The crowd was so great it was
impossible to get out of the way at the depot,
and it was found necessary to bring the mill
tary and police force into requsition to clear
! it away. The reception was an era in the his
tory of Cincinnati. Mayor Bisop introduced
and welcomed the President elect to Cincin-
natl Mr.. Lincoln took seat in barouche
drawn by six white horses amid the deafening
cheers of vast concourse of people. The
procession took up its march, passing through
the principal streets amid the cheers of men,
and the waving of flags and handkerchiefs by
the ladies', to the Burnet House, where it ar
arrived at 5:15, which Mr. Lincoln entered a.
mid deafening cheers-Mentor's band playing
s'Hail Columbia and ssStar Spangled Banner
After few moments rest Mr.. Lincoln made
his appearance on the balcony, accompanied by
Mayor Bishop, who made short Introductory
address. Mr.. Lincoln then spoke as follows:
have spoken but once before this in Gin
-. ftao@z t.,H-