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

made by the attack of an unprincipled south.
! ern Junto and the event of the ordeal through
| which she Is now passing, the issue of the
impending crisis. will decide whether the
Star Spangled Banner" shall be thrice
more glorious to those who succeed US or the
last melancholy record of departed greatness.
The peace cry following the present evil COM
motion, will determine, while not yet star
IN that blue field is dimned, nor hue in those
bright stripes deadened, whether every shred
In its texture shall recall to our minds des-
| ponding 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, rejuvenated
and purified by that which was prepared for
| her winding sheet. Such Ladies, is the d.
lemma in which our country is placed, and
! upon the issue OF the approaching conflict de-
| ponds all that to US as Americans is great
land good-our liberty-our country vindica
Fted, and the honor Of our couRtry's flag un-
! furnished. Since therefore, you have cho
| sen the latter as the n0blest standard beneath
| which to pledge US, and to which American
minds are now turned with earnest sulicitude
1.-The civilized world contemplates with aux
lety, let me assure you all that the Slemmer
Guards will strive to prove themselves worthy
Of the trust. This flag will ever be dear to
them, on account Of the blessing they yet
hope to enjoy under it, and as 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.. r. B. Hoover,
performing a number of highly creditable
military man9uvres.
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. McMurray, which we publish
at the request Of many of our citizens who
were gratifcd auditors Of the speaker:
Ladies, Gentlemen and CAaRyea Of the
Sunday SchoOIS-I am happy to greet YOU
here on this 4th of July, 1861. Never has
this birthday Of the nation dawned upon US,
fraught with scenes of such thrilling interest
| and fearful import, as that we now commcm-
crate as the Sjth anniversary of American In
! dependence. And whate .er the issue of the
| present conflict OF arms it will not be less
memorable than that on which the thirteen
colonies, IN solemn convention, issued the
declaration which has Just been read. That
was a Sanguinary and blrody conflict of sew
Ell years for natunai etiSt1Hce; this for nation
al preservation. That to achieve our liberty;
tins to preserve, perpctuate, and hand down that
| liberty 10 future p0sterlty.to millions yetun
born. For whatcverminur issues may be raised,
{ tl { -, 4 Al
Ct tie Nation. 1t is 4 question Of Selfpres
ercatt0n-of government or no government
union or disintegration, order or anarchy, lib.
erty or despOtism. 1t is to decide whether we
have country, Or neither the flag of the Re,
public waves over mere organized anarchy
the sure precursor Of military desp0tism.
Already, indeed. has the 50 called govern
ment of the Confederate States violated the
great fundamental principle of popular liber
ty, in refusing To submit tAeir bogus constitu
ton to the popular vote, Ignoring the s0rcr-
eighty If tie people; AMI upon its ruins they
may soon establish AN oligarchy, or monarchy,
or autUcracy-any form of government they
choose.
The fathers Of the revolution believed they
had founded goceJEMcHt-a Union indisSo
lubc, powerful and perpetual and 50 far an.
eXampled and unparalleled in the sublime
ment Of prosperity, and greatness. But let
it now be severed, and it is no longer the
same Union no more than house divided
and torn asunder Is the same house the gov
ernment Is no longer the same government
the United States Of America no more a Ma
ton among the NationS-its Constitution
shattered and broken-itS prestige gone--its
pride ana glory faded, witherCd as IA leaf of au-
tumn. 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
heart ?"
Recognize the Southern Cunfederacv, and
you at once endorse secession as q State righH,
such it is claimed to bc-a right uadey tie
Constitution; and you inscribe On that instru
ment It's own death-warant; you commit po.
lit!cal suicide. Secession antagonizes the
government; and if one succeeds the other
must fall. There can be no other logical re-
suit. The offspring Of an unholy am bition
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 'merc rope Of SaHd;" to in
corporate into its very texture an element of
Sc!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 hstory-blot out
the memory Of the patriot fathers our heroic
dead-ignore the great principle Of mans ca
pacity for eltgovernment-libel 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 a by-
1c0rd and Sc0rH among the nations; we must
meet the issue squarely, nobly-if need be,
flight 1t ont to the lQst'-at all hazard, at all
cost. at all sacrifice. If we acould be what
we have been, nation of fieemen, a nation
nnSnrrinn tho nn,,an n -. -