Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1861-09-04
SPEECH OF HON. DANIEL s. DICKINSON
~ L. Irxu xr1.rr

|
mock to listen to address from the Hon
| Daniel S. Dickinson of New York. B. B
| Emory, Esq, called the meeting to order. anl
the Hon. VIM. NJ. Piatt was chosen President
After few remarks by the presiding officer
and prayer from Rev. Thomas P. Hunt, Mr.
| Dickinson was introduced and greeted witt
| cheers; after which he spoke as follows
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
| Amid all the diversity of sentiment in ouI
| land, there is one subject upon which we car
| agree; and that is, that our country is in
most lanentable conditlon-our Government
| threatened with disruption. our Constitutio or
with subyerSOn, and our institutions with
| overthrow We are met here for the purpose
OF discussing the great interests of comm on
country. and of determining what becomes US
IN an e1igency so trying and so fearful.
meet you here not to discuss Slavery or anti
Slavery. Though and old line Democrat
brought up at the feet of GamaIieI, and ad-
herring with teDacity to the principles of De-
mocracy through an active life, yet come
not to speak to you upon political partiSa n
subjects. come to discuss matter that con-
Germs our Union, one that rises far above and
shoots deeper than party interests or issues.
We have duty, my fellow-citiZens, far be-
yond that of the fathers of the Revolution
We all agree that the grievance is most seri-
Gus. But what is the true way of putting own
what shall term IA rebellion And we can
either right or wrong, justitiable or unjustii-
able-to be approved or condemned, as a
whole. If it is right for portion Of this
country to take up arms against this Govern
ment. ii is right to sustain such action and
II they are wrong, they should be put down by
the power OF the people. [ApplauSel There
is no halfway house in this matter--no tarry-
ing place between sustaining the Govern
ment, and attempting its overthrow. There
is no peace proposition that will suit the case
until the rebellion is first put down. rap
plause. And were in favor, or disposed to
tamper with this rebellion, or aid or counte-
nance it, would go and take up arms with
them. Because, If it is right for them to take
up arms, it is right for them to have armed
aid and assistance. If they are wrong, if they
are guilty of treason, and murder, and arson,
then they should be overthrown by the whole
power of the Government, Applause, and
cries of ''good"]; and put down so that no
resurrection day will ever find rebellion again.
[Renewed applause Now believe am one
OF those who, in former years, thought that
sectional dis Scussions put in jeopardy the we'll
being of the Union. 1 believe now, as then,
that there never was sectional controversy
that Justified this, or any armed rebellion. |
believe this rebellion did not arise out of Sec
tional agitation, but from blind, wick ed,
reckless ambition. And believe it is the du-
ty of every man, woman, and child to raise an
is never to be put down. EAn indistinct voice
IN the crowd-.'Compl omise."l What does
my friend say, "CompromiSe ?'' Well, | will
get at s'Compromise'' before [ get through.
Laughter and cheers | believe in the in
tegrity OF the Union; | believe, in the integ-
riiy OF the Constitution | believe in sustain
ing both by the power of the Government
But they say, You would not coercc IA State 20
No; l would not coerce State. have said
| would not cOerce State-frst, because it is
impracticable; because you cannot coerce a
State. Second, because it would be unjust to
coerce State in its domestic policy if it
could be done. But you may coerce rebel
lion in State until you give that State an op-
portunity to act through its loyal citizens in
its duties to the Union. And | would coerce
rebellion wherever | could find it. You may
not coerce community, but you may coerce
its thieves and murdererS. You may coerce
State criminals, and thus enable the State
and its loyal citizens to fulfill their relations
in the Government of the Union. If we can
sustain our Union, if we can uphold our Con-
stitution, it is not by compromising with re-
bellion it is by putting down rebellion, and
making our compromise with fidelity. Zap
plauSc, and voice-ssThere is your Democ-
racy."l And of all men living, Democrat is
the last man who can take stand against the
Constitution of his country. Cheers A
Democrat lives, and moves, and has his being
of, or in opposition to, the Constitution. He
must stand by the Constitution in all its parts
1t was that doctrine that gave the Democratic
party its pow,r and aScendency in the times
of Jefferson. of Madison, and of that old hero
Andrew Jackson. Just in proportion as the
Democracy has wandered from the Constitu-
tion, just in the same proportion have they
gone down. And if they had been faithful,
and stood fully up to their own doctrines, all
the Abolition parties of the earth, and all the
Republican parties of the earth, and all the
combined powers of the earth could never have
put down the Old Democratic party. TCries
of ssThat is so,'' and cheers | have ever be-
lieved in the justice of Democracy, and be-
lieve in it to-day as much as ever. And be-
lieve it to be my duty to stand upon the RAM
parts of the Constitution, and defend it from
all foes, whether they come from the North,
the South, the East, or the West. TCheers.
Ny fellow Democrats, supposing there are any
such in my hearing, [Cries, ssThere are,''
ssThere are"], suppose Breckenridge had been
elected, Sumner. and Garrison, and Wendell
Philips, aud the Aboitionists of the New
England States generally had started rebel
lion against the authority of the United States,
what would have been done? l would have
done as am doing now. | would have tried
to animate my countrymen to put them down
by force of arms TCheers, and cries of
ssGood.''1 Now, why not treat Southern re-
bellion just as you would have treated North
ern rebellion-Eastern rebellion as you would
Western rebellon-and wherever rebellion
comes from, put it down forever. [Cheers.]
That is my doctrine. | have stood upon that
doctrine in olden times, and will stand by it
now, and if that doctrine goes down will go
down with it. There were causes of irritation
between the sections admit. / deprecated
them, and labored long and earnestly to get
rid of them. But it was not done. Those
causes of Irritation, although they may have
to Southern States to rennest be-