The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-09-17

highest interests Of civilization, there presses
upon us an earnest obligation to rebuke aDd
clasti.e this enormous crime which is being
ommitted-because it is a rebellion not only
against us but against the very nation tC
which we belong. IL is finally a war of du
ty, because We have assumed to ourselves as
people the special championship not only OF
the tight, but of the capacity Of tbs race for
self government; and that assumption has
been accepted by the lovers of freedom eve
rywhere; and now, with toe nations of tho
world looking down upon us, as from the seats
of some vast ampitheater we have ~ right
to suffer this sacred and sublime cause TO be
stricken down, and crushed upon the battle.
fields of the South and to perish there, amid
tho SCOTS and jccrs of Kings and dcspots.-
(Applause) How auxously have they pre-
dictcd this day How they have longed for
its comirg! la the essential antagonism OF
their institutions TO ours, and in the abhor-
renco which they feel to that system OF gov.
ernment which gives the bonors an fortunes
OF the earth to the toilng millions who are
the architects Of both, how gladly would
each one of them this day build monument
to the skies, if he could only inscrbc upon it
these words: "ln memory OF the great Re-
public OF the United States, founded by Wash.
ington, destroyed by Toombs, Twiggs and
Floyd" What record for humanity would
that be! Fellow citizens, do but utter a
truth which is painfully present to all minds,
that tn disIoyalty which is found in our own
midst, especially at Washington, and in tn,
border States has been fruitful source fdis-
asteT and Encouragement from the very be-
ginning of this unfortunate stragglc. This
evil has assumed proportions of such magni.
tude that its correction has become para.
noun duty upon those charged with the ad-
,ninisi,atian of the Gnvcrnment. Its preva-
leucc has been mar ked by all those treacherics
and excesscs which has been its unfaing
characteristics in other lands and in other
tines. Next TO the worship Of the Father Of
our spirits, the Strongest sentiment Of which
our nation Is suceptiblc, is the love of our
country. When that sentiment has been cor
rupted, like an arch from which the key.tonc
has been splsced, tho whole moral character
seems to tumble in ruin. The public
"ni tho private p'"hgary "f t'air'"~
aud spies, both male and female, has been
vouchcd for by all history and indeed it has
grown Into proverb that "thc man who will
bc,ray iis county viii t-i,ay Li. God. y
(Grcat applau,c.) He will bctray his friends,
his kIuG,ed, and, if need be, the very wife Of
his bosom and children Of his ons. Suppose
that YOU lived 10 one of those cities where
there is a steam fire engine and paid com
pany To operate 1t; aud suppose that your
house was on fire aud this company and this
engine had been summoned TO the spot and
were vigorously engaged in extinguishing it,
and suppose that you discern from time to
time, men creeping out tiom the crowd anG
sticking their knives into the hose, from which
the water wa, seen TO spout forth in all di
rrctlons upon the pavement OF the street,
How long do YOU think the presence OF such
mlscreauts wo.Id be enlurcdl But suppose
that, lsokiug more closely into the faces of
these men, YOU discover that they are mcn-
bcrs Of this iirc company, receiving the salary
to which YOU have Yourself contributed In
the first burst Of your Indignation would you
not feel that their punishment would not be
too great # they were thrown into the flames
which they were thus Indirectly feeding p
Aud yet this has been precisely the condition
of the Government o; the United States
"a voice--"Thats fact.') That has been
from the commencement Of the struggle, its
precise condition. | know there are those
who look with moro liberation upon these Of
ieuc"o which prevail among us than l can
possibly do.
Perhaps | an too harsh; but | must say
this that the men who IN our own midst give
aid aud comfort TO the enemy, either by turn
ishng them secret informant n or by advcrti.
sing thc: cause, or by striving to sow dissen
son among ourselves, OF by l. sidlousIy dis.
suadlng loyal men from entering the military
service, are more yitally the foes of our couu
Try than if they were IN the army of the Con.
fcdcrate States. Applause. The power of
lhs Government can dO much TO correct this
evil, but much more can be done by the crush
ing power Of public opinion, brandirg as in
famous socially aud polcaly disloyaty when.
ever aud wherever encountered. Applause.
Thee men are, morally, at least guilty of the
death of those who fall in defence OF the gov
ernm mt just as much as if they had net
them upon the battlefield with the deadly
weapons of war. In your railroad cars, upon
your steamboats,. in your thoroughfares, in
every business and social circle, diloyslty
should be branded and blasted AS deprous
aud oatb,omc thing. Great applause. Aud,
therefore, my friends, when YOU see these
men, be it upon Change, or be it in the so.
cia circle, and they otter YOU their hands,
look well to them, for if you have the eyes
that have you will see that they are red
with the blood of brave men, your kindred it
may be, who have pershed, and who are per-
lshug still on tbs battle field turn away from
them in disgust and Indignation. Fellow citi.
zens, know there are some, for it is true,
who do sincerely believe that this Republic
the question Of public honor out of question,
out of view that this Republic could be sep
aratcd and that a peace could be patched up,
aud that the two governments Il GREATER could
live on prosperousIy, peaceably as before
No more false or fatal thought ever crept,
scpent-kc, into an American bosom. Great
cheering You might as well tell me that the
boat which has beer turned a rift above the
cataract Of Niagara will have u tranquil voy.
age [Cheers. lfyou will 60 and stand as
many Of us Lave done, amid the ruins Of
crumbhug empires in the old worlj-ask
item, they will all tell YOU it isa delusion;
il YOU will 90 into the cemetery Of nations,
aul hold your ear to the sepucre of those
young and generous and highspirited nations