The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-09-22
rosIrIoN on rHR RRpnL AMY,

1t by an average distance Of twelve leagues When
speak of the Potomac mean that portion Of the rivers
Ferry That is the verable Northern line Of defence
The secessonsts have chosen Bull run for their line Of
defence, because its banks little higher than the
other streams that traverse the country and covered
with thick woods 1t Offers besides the advantage Of
covering Manassas, 2 strategic point OF the highest
which lead, one towards the West, through the Ale
ghanes and tho other towards the South 10 Richmond
the present residence Of tho President Of tho secession
list Congress and government. Abattis have been
structed on all points OF Bull susceptible Of Offering
practicable passages to the enemy's columns.
Is possible that the force Of circumstances may again
place the two armies In hostile array the same ed
but at presentan overwhelming heat renders the great
operations Of war almost impossible aud nothing serious
need be expected before the autumn.
GREAT UNION SPEECH OF GEN. wALBRIDGE
MEETING OF THE FIFTH WARD PEOPLE's UNION Asso-
CITATION.
An adjourned meeting Of the above association, which
has been organized within tho past week for the purpose
Of placing good Union nomination for ONCE with
out respect TO party held Thursday evening at the Fifth
Ward Hotel, Dr. Eager, presiding After the preliminary
business disposed Of. large number Of citizens en-
rolled their members Of the organization which
is Of several ombs erected in the city sacred to the
memory OF old political partyism aud tho othor hand,
Of the many pillars erected to support the dignity
and power the throughout the whole Union
While the being enrolled there was sudden
murmurng at the door, and It was whispered around that
General Walbridge was present. motion was mme-
datel to invite him to attend the meeting and
this being carried with applause the Chairman appointed
committee TO invite him. When General Wabrdgc en-
tered he loudly appaudcd and being called upon TO
make speech he asseuted after little hesitation.
General II. WALBRnGE was then called upon and pro-
ceeded length the history tho formation Of
the federal constitution and the benefits it had already
conferred. and also TO investigate tho alleged causes
which are urged by those engaged in the present rebel
hon Those causes, said he cannot exist in the ronex
ecuton OF the Fugitive Slave law for that measure has
been legally executed in every Northern State; ard
in the extreme Southern States where the rebellion
gnated slave escape and tho border States
the number Of fgtvcs escaping during the last ten years
is thirty three per cent less than in the decade from 1910
10 1880 II ought not to result from the structure OF the
constitution, for that instrument guards with equal
jealousy the rights and Interests Of each lection o. the
legislation on the rights CT the South TX months have
but just elapsed since the entire Congress of the United
ton roct gnizing the institution Of slavery as it
exists in the States, and declaring they were willing
to SEQ the :, organic ns LAW SO amended ahat IT
ton of the constitution some OF thcStates desired to
mex condition that they might withdraw at pleasure
from the federal Union but this authority promptly
denied, and when our own State suggested desire to
annex this condition. Mr. Madison wrote to Alexander
Hamilton that such conditional ratification was worse
than rejection. But il State may scccdc who shall
pay the debt she aided TO create? We gave fifteen mil
lions for louisiana; she scceie? We gave ten mil
lions for Texas she sccede? Five millions for Flo
rda; she any OF the balance seccde? They may
and they have attempted 1t, but they will surely fail
until every loyal constitutionast has formed with his
own body rampant which rebel secessorst can
prevail until his feet first rests upon patti lots grave
No. fellow citizens, the normal condition Of country
is union We are cmphatcaly one people.speaking the
same language possessing similar forms Of State govern
ment citizens by birth adoption Of free institutions,
and sharing alike in the traditional gorics which cluster
around the formation Of consttut na fabric We
and ought to be, one and indivsible political CON-
munity In the temperate region Of this hemisphere,
as well by political as by natural and artificial causes
riva MOI log cny md 10
are all constituent clements of one blended whole. Tho
diversity Of products growing out Of diversity Of eli
mate soil and location, and tho stern necessities under
the laws Of trade calling for an exchange Of commodities
unity OF interest therefore, in all these relations Of life,
demands unity of government. lay this down q
proposition which the experience and observation Of
every man will verify and which ,ndenal aga
RIGS Of government whether notification can
successfully gainsay controvert. Now, without any
real or tangible wrongs TO redress find persistent
wicked and widespread Instruction. in formidable pro-
Portions arrayed against tho constitutional government
OF the Uniona government the best conceded to
man. framed by the wisdom Of the Fathers OF the Revou
tion after the melancholy experience In history Of the
coed, drawn in peril by the most malgn purposes,
seeking to destroy and substitution place Of it, what?
Some theoretical league possessing cohesion unity,
to DO separated and broken up at the first caprice
to sink in the estimation OF the people at homo,
and to be the contempt Of the world abroad.
The weakness and imbecity of such systems have been
demonstrated in almost every age Our experience
proves it, Under the articles Of confederation the union
then fell to pieces from Inherent weakness, and
u
which it had been established With eleN States in
open revolt their rebel soldcry within du march Of
tue capital their reasonable banner discernbc from the
Presidential mansion, there is still occasion for
cessury alarm though the necessities Of the demand
the uncompromsng and heroic exertions Of every loyal
citizen to give complete triumph to the great principles Of
republican government. When we contemplate our
sources, numbers, and the in which
gagged cannot but believe that the has the
power and the loyal American people the will to demon
statc to the world that has the capacity for indefinite
duration Cannot government and people, capable Of
resisting any foreign aggression however formidable,
subdue and quc a wicked and infamous conspiracy
among portion Of their citizensf We believe they
can, and we never intend to be driven from
this position until this rebellion is thoroughly put
down, ana the old American flag floats again over
every portion Of the present revolted territory.
The nations Europe witnesses of the struggle and
anxiously awaiting the result It involves the whole
problem Of constitutional representative government
and for all time Let estimate the resources our
control and the prodgious growth OF free institutions
ON this continent since ancestors laid broad and deep
the foundations of our expanding republic In the year
1701 only one hundred and sixty years ago, the entire
population in the then eleven colonies but two hum
dred and thousand souls. In 1749 Georgia and
Delaware were added and the number Of inhabitants in
1775 the breaking out Of the Revolution the thirteen
colonies had increased to two million three hundred and
three thousand whites. and half million Of slaves-in
all not quite three millions combined. Upon principle
that lay at the basis Of freedom tho issue between the
colonies and the mother country then made by this
small population without estimating the cost and the
of the conflict found the American colonies in debt one
hundred and thirty millions Of dollars according
the valuation Of money in that day; which, In view
Of the great decrease in value 0of the precious
metals since that period by the products the
gold discoveries since made and developed, would DO
equal according TO the present relative value money
two hundred and seventy millions Of dollars nearly
forty millions annually, and in the annual ratio of over
seventeen dollars to each white individual. The debt
which Great Britain contracted by that war five
dred and fifty millions Of dollars which she sunk In the
vain effort to destroy the rapidly developing forms Of free
government Now, by the benign workings OF the const
tutiona government Of the Union the annual tax upon
every Individual IN the United States is less than dol
lars EACH upon the basis peace establishment sixty
five millions per annum but three dollars per ndi-
vidua ordinary expenditures should attain ninety
millions per annum, and with prudence and economy the
expenses OF the government may be kept within the
NOR sum- Congress, couple Of years since, having
pressed the popular will for reduction Of expendi-
lures to fifty millions per Now, what Is our
capacity to defay the augmented expenses necessarily
growing out Of this rebellion2 And let US see II
we are not abundantly ablo TO prosecute this
conflict till treason is annihiated, the fede-
raj authority everywhere reestablished throughout
territorial limits and the constitution again the shield
and protection Of the loyal American people, between the