Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-09-07
Total,
STIRRING SPEECH OF THOMAS FRANCIS
MEAGuER

On Thursday, festival, for the benefit of
the sick and wounded Of the gallant Sixty.
ninth Regiment, was held at Jones' Woods,
New York. Upwards of fifty thousand
tickets we're sold, aud everything passed of
10 the most pleasant manner. Captain
(now Colone) Meagher delivered the prin.
cpal oration, extracts from which we print
below:
l ask no irishman TO do that which ] |
myself am not prepared to do. Cheers.
My heart, my arm, my life, is pledged to the
national cause, and TO the last it will be my
highest pride, as | conceive it to be my ho.
est duty and obligation, TO share its fortunes.
II Applause. | care not to what party the
Chief Magistrate Of the Republic has belong |
ed. Hear, hear. l care not upon what
plank or platform he may have been elected.
The platform disappears before the Consti
tuition, under the injunction of the oath he
took on the steps OF the Capitol, the day of
his Inauguration. Loud cheers. The
party disappears 10 the presence OF the
nation applause and as the Chief Ma.
gistrate, duly elected aud duly sworn, is
bound to protect and administer the national
property fo. the benefit of the nation, so
should every citizen concur with him 10 loyal
persuusons aud maXims of the local poti
claus hear hear heat and substituting
the national interests, the national efficiency,
the national honor, for the sel6shness, the
hscksterng or the vengeance OF party.
Enthusiastic cheering TO me, at all
events, the potency of the National Govern
meut the honor and glory OF the national
aag, are of infinitely higher value than the
Regency OF Albany, the Tsmmany Wigwam,
Mozart Hall, or the Pewter. Mug. Cheer
Ing and laughter Nor shall the outcres
90 behalf of the liberty of the press or the
liberty and mmuuites of the citizen, restrain
me 10 the active allegiance owe the nation
and its executive, now that the rights and
authority of both are jeapardized. Hear.
hear, hear. The integrity OF the national
domain. the potency Of the National Govern
ment, the reputation Of the national arms,
| the lnviolabity OF that tranquil system Of
election without which no popular govern
ment can have legitimacy. consistency, and
! force-these considerations erG far dearer to
me. and claim them to be OF far more vital
Consequences than the liberty to promulgnte
seditlon or the liberty to conspre. Great
applause. Such liberties must succumb to
tue demands of the crisis. the public safety.
the discipline and efficiency of the army, and
the attitude of the revolt. Hear. hear
Within the range OF the laws, the police, the
courts, the proprieties and interests of the
community. let them have foil swing in the
days of peace. Such days have their ppcn
liar sanctltes-more than this. they have
their recognized and favored abuses of popu
lar institutions and prerogstiyes; and the
herest or fOuiest sheet that is scr:bble6 in the
coal hole or the garret, as well as the most
fauhless citizen among US, may be permitted.
l.L L., l..
to drop 10 crevices aud corners the seeds Of
disaifection against the Government. without
the Commonwealth incurring any detriment
| Hear, hear. But 10 time Of war-above
ALL 10 time OF civil war-the supremacy of
the Government should be the sole object
[loud cheers and to this end martial law
should be the higher law. and the only one 10
uudsputed force. Applause Who speaks
about his rights as a passeDger-about his
bag OF money, his chest Of books and clothes,
the photographs of his wife and children, his
live stock or bales Of merchandise, when the
steamship has met with collision, threatens
to 90 down. must be cleared Of every embar'
rassment and dead weight, aud all hands are
summoned to the rescue? You know il
well. ] assert it without fear of contradic
tion from any quarter; and those who have
had most latitude and impunity, were they
frank and generous. would be the 6rst to own
it. The National Government has suffered
more from the patience. the leniency, the
msgnanimity it has practised toward its
enemies, aOd those who are 10 sympathy and
league with them, than it has done from the
courage, the science, the fierce energy oi
those who have taken the field against it, and
victOriously shaken the banner of revolt anG
reputation in its face. Cries of "hear
) hear"
: The masked conspira,ors of the Moth ar,
infinitely more criminal and misehievous thar
the bold aud armed recusants of the South
[renewed shouts of "hear, hear" and Democra
as | am-[enthusiastic cheers l-srurning the
lepublicaDsm of the Chicago Convention as q
; spurious creed-haylng no sympathles whatever
with the men in power, other than those which
should subsst between the citizen and his Gov
ernment-[h hear, hear, hear il would promptly
and cordially approve of the seyerest measures
the President might adopt to paralyze the treach
cry which in this and other cities, under varisus
I. liberal and bene6cent pretences. has been, and i.
still at work, to undermine and overthrow the
legitimate magistracy of the natien. Enthnsias
tic cheers DO not speak in the name OF the
lrishnen OF New York-and they are counted by
tens OF tbousaRds-when | speak these seR
ments and declare in favor Of these vigorous bu,
imperative proceedings [APplause.] Were
met with negative, should remind my coun
trymen that the English sristocracy -Chree
: groans) (which 10 the dominant class in England
: to which the navy, the church, the army
almost exclusively belong, and which is, in fact
the political opinion, the Parliament the seeptre
and the sword of England-(Thst's SOL should
remind my countrymen that this sristocracy is
: arrayed against the Government at Washington
-(hesr, hear)-and that as it was dead sgains,
the Revolution, out of which arose the liberties
and nationality of the United States, SO il is now
in hot favor of the revolution which sets al
nought those liberties. and against that natonali
. ty directs frstricidsl blow Shouts and cheer
ing) A revolution that has the fsttery and
patronage Of am sristocTacy to which for genera.
tons Ireland has aseribed her social wretchedness
and Political disorders, and which has scofied at
, and scsndslized her before the world can surely
never have the heart and arm of any Irishman
who has learned the history of the Stars and
stripes-(hear, hear, hear)--valued the blessings
and :. o'srttun they insured, and who, in thv