Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1861-08-28
SPEECH OF NJ. III. CARPEN'
'' w.. TER.

Regiment on their return to Mat.gsn
Zee, August II, 1861.
I TAfter welcoming in appropriate terms
the returned soldiers, and paying trib
ute to those who had fallen on the battle
field, Mr.. Carpenter continued as fol
lows.
In this interval between the return Of
the First and the departure of the Sew
enth and Eight Wisconsin Regiments, we
naturally pause and ask ourselves what
are the ends and aims Of this war? Is
it war fought her partizan purposes, for
private and selfish ends? or is it a war
for God our country and truths If in
this struggle we fall. do we fall "blessea
martyrs" or do we fall the just victims Of
an unholy ambition? e.g ..,.4 ,,'t
This is an important question; and we
ought to examine the matter honesty
and thoroughly. Patriots may say, "Our
country, right or wrong" but in this en-
-lightened age tho moral force necessary
to success is the thought that oar country
is right. q" a.'+ ''~
This is question above all party pol
tics. We should forget that we were
ever separated by party lines. In this
emergency we are all Republicans, all
Democrats, all Americans. Perish every
party distinction, watchword and organs
ization, but live our country.
T. We are struggling, fighting, dying to
maintain the government our fathers es
tablished fer themselves and their poster
ity forever. 1t is no new invention, no
modern theory, we are trying to fasten
Oh an unwilling people. The govern
ment of the United States was ordained
by the free act of the American people,
and every new State that has been admit
ted has been received upon her own re-
quest. The great body of the American
people, in all the States, North, South,
East and West, are pledged by the ho-
lest sanctions to support the Constitution
of the United States. President Lincoln
well said to the traitors and rebels who
surrounded him at his inauguration
"Y on have taken no oath of violate, the
Constitution, and have taken a solemn
one TO support it." fo1t
More than seyenty-seven years this
government has been in full operation.-
What act of injustice has it committed
What man or set of men can tax it with
cruelty or oppression? What State can
complain that it has been pillaged or
plunderedl Unitedly, unanimously we
hove gone on in tide of prosperity that
has turned our heads. We are wild
with our success, mad with our achieve
ments. In the midst of unparalleled in
dividual and national well being, at peace
with all nations, respected by all, our
granaries filled, our fields groaning with
the haryest-with all this . ~
There is "hurrying to and fro; ~
And gathering tears and tremblings of dis
tresS
There is mounting in hot haste; the steed,
The mastering squadron and the gathering
car,
Go pouring forth with impetuous speed,
Swiftly forming in the ranks of war"
And all this, for what? and why? Be
cause slavery is sick with surfeiting, and
pants for fresh fields for her ambitious
schemes. Tolerated, yes protected by
the Constitution, as an existing evil too
deep for immediate eradication: it has
grown, deeper and deeper in it's -hunda-
tons, and higher and higher in its preten-
sions undermining the strength, and sap
ping the power of the Constitution, until
at length it fees itself stronger than the
Government and turns its destructive and
poisonous fang upon the Constitution un-
der which it has grown to such fearful
greatness. This black specimen of the
reptile genus warmed into life 10 our boz
SONS. now rears its scaly crest to wage
a war, in which it may be that it or we
must perish. .-,-...-. .....f .... t...-
| We have undertaken this war and are
now prosecuting it solely to restore order,
and ensure future obedience to the Con
stitution. We would gladly cease our
efforts here, with these objects accomplish.
ed. We would gladly renew onr guar
antee to the Southern States that they
shall be protected in person and proper
ty, as of old. Would gladly do all the
Constitution ever required, and have
peace again. The South can enjoy this
security now. How long it will be IN the
power of the South to make such tsrms,
or in our power to grant them God only
knows. Wars rarely end whore they are
expected to. The Revolution could have
been stifed al its birth, by very little
graceful concession on the part of the
British Crown. The colonies sought. on,
| ly for q redress Of grievances; and would
/ gladly have accepted such favor, and re-
turned to their obedience This the
crown denied; and the colonies could moi
win the result they contended for, with
out shaking the power Of the mother
country to its foundation Before the
colonies had achieved the long sought
for redress of grievances, they had achiev
ed their total independence. Can the
South learn nothing from the lessons Of
historya Or has God decreed the de.
struetion ofslavery; and does be purpose
to accomplish through the folly and
madness of slayeholdersg ss'aH q q tip
If the South expects that we are n,ucl
longer to fight this war with kid glove:
much longer to send armies to the Soutl
but strictly watch them, TO see they dc