Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-09-03
Speech Of Thomas z. Measher.

At the recent festival for the benefit Of the
families Of the Sixty-ninth Regiment, Colonel
Meagher said;
To me, at all events, the potency of the
National Government, the honor and glory
of the National flag, are Of infinitely higher
value than the Regency at Albany, the Tam
many Wigwam, Mozart Hall, or the Pewter
Mug. Immense cheering and roars Of
laughter. Nor shall outcries on behalf OF
the press, OF the liberty and immunities of
the citizen, restrain me in the active slle-
glance owe the nation and its Executive,
now that the rights and authority of both
are jeopardized. Hear, hear, hesr.l The
integrity of the National domain, the po-
tency of the National Government, the repu-
taton of the National arms, the inviolability
of that tranquil system of election, without
which no popular Government can have
| legitimacy, consistency, and force - these
considerations are far dearer to me, and
| claim them to be of far more vital conse-
| quence, than the liberty to promulgate Sc.
| dition or the liberty to conspire. Immense
| applause.] Such liberties must suceumb TO
| the demands of the crisis the public safety,
the discipline and efficacy of the army, and
the attitude of the revolt. Hear, hear,
hesr1 Within the range of the laws, the
| police, the courts, the proprieties and inter.
ests of the community, let them have full
| swing in the days of peace. Such days have
| their peculiar saHctities; more than this,
they have their recognized and favored
abuses of popular institutions and preroga.
tives; and the fieryest or foulest sheet that is
scribbled in the coal-hole or the garrett as well
as the most faithless> citizen among us, may
be permitted, the one to scatter broadcast
and the other to drop in crevices and cor
ners, the seeds of dissffection against tn
Government, without the Commonwealth
incurripg any detriment. [Hear, hear, hear.
But in time of waT-above all, in time O
civil war-the supremacy of the Govern
ment should be the sole grand Object lou
cries of hear, hear aud to this end martha
law should be the higher law [tremendou
cheers ]-and the only one in undisputet
force. Enthusiastic cries of hear, hear, hear
and cheering.l Who speaks about his right:
| as a psssenger-about his bag of money, hi
chest tf books and clothes, the photograph
Of his wife and children, his live stock 0
bales of merchandise, when the steamshi
has met with a collision, threatens to g
down, must be cleared of every embarras;
mept and dead weight, and all hands ar
summoned to the rescue2 [Hear, hear Yo
know it well. l assert it without fear
contradiction from any quarter, and thos
who have had most latitude and impunitJ
we're they frank and generous would be th
first to own. The National Government ha
suffered more from the patience, the leniency
the magnanimity it has practiced toward il
enemies, and those who are in sympath
and league with them, lhen it has done fror
The courage, the science, the fierce energy {
| those who have taken the field against i
and victoriously shaken the banner of revo
and reputation in its faces. Cries of ''Hea
hear" and loud applause