The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-09-22
POSITION OF THE REBEL Army.

no strategic consequence Bull run is q rvulet which
runs parallel to the Potomac and which is separated
u ny an average distance Of twelve leagues. When
speak OF tho Potomac mean that portion OF the rivers
course which above Washington from there TO Harpes
ferry That is the vertabe Northern line OF defence.
The secessonss have chosen Bull run for their line Of
defence, because Its banks little higher than tho
otner that traverse the country and covered
win thck woods II Offers, besides tho advantage of
covering Manassas, strategic point OF the highest
Importance, because Il is the junction Of two railroads
when lead, one towards the West, through the Ale
ghanies, and tho other towards the South to Richmond
tho present residence Of the President Of tho
ist Congress and government Abats have been con
sruced on all points OF Bull susceptible Of Offering
practicable passages to the enemys columns.
possible that the force Of circumstances may again
place the Two armies In hostile array the same field;
Dut at overwhelming heat renders the great
operations OF war almost impossible and nothing serious
need be expected before the autumn.
GREAT UNION SPEECH OF GEN. WALBRIDGE.
MEETING OF THE FIFTH WARD PEOPLE's UNION Ass0-
. CITATION.
An adjourned meeting OF tho above association, which
has been organized within tho past week for tho purpose
OF placing good Union in nomination for Office with
out respect to party held Thursday evening Fifth
Ward Hotel, Dr. Eager, presiding After the preliminary
business disposed of. large number Of citizens
rolled their members Of the organization which
is one of several tombs erected in the city sacred to the
memory OF old political party and the other hand,
OF the many pillars erected to support the dignity
and power of the throughout the whole Union
While the names being enrolled there sudden
murmurng at the door, and was whispered around that
General Walbridge was present. motion was mme-
dately made to invite him attend the meeting and
committee TO invite him. When General Walbridgc en-
terod he was loudly appauded and being called upon to
make speech, he assented after little hesitation.
General ii. WALBRn,GE was then called upon and pro
ceeded ut length to trace the history o the formation OF
the federal constitution and the benefits had already
conferred, and also TO investigate tho ALLEGED causes
hon. Those causes said he cannot exist in the nonex
ecuton Of the Fugitive Slave law, for that measure has
been legally executed in overy Northern state and
in the extreme Southern States where the rebellion orr
gnated slave ever escape and the border States
the number of gtvcs escaping during the last ten years
is Tint three per cent less than in the decade from 1910
TO 1850 1t ought not to result from the structure of the
constitution, for that Instrument guards with equal
jealousy the rights and interests OF each secton OF the
Union. Nor has any injustice taken place from federal
legislation ON the rights CT the South tx months have
but just elapsed Since the entire Congress of the United
States without single dissenting voice. passed resolu
| ton rocf gnzing the Institution OF slavery as it
exists ia the states and declaring they were willing
| to SEQ the organic law amended that it
never could be charges nthis particular At the adop
ton OF the constitution some OF theSatcs desired to
mex condition that they might withdraw at pleasure
from the federal Union but this authority promptly
denied, and when own state suggested desire TO
annex this condition, Mr. Madison wrote to Alexander
Hamilton that such conditional ratification was worse
than rejection. But if State may scccde, who shall
pay the debt she aided to create? We gave fifteen mil
hous for louisiana; can she scceCe? We gave ten mil
lions for Texas she sccede? Five millions for Flo
rda; can she any OF the balance secede9 They may
and they have attempted it, but they will surely fail,
until every loyal constituioralist has formed with his
own body rampant which rebe secessonst can
prevail until his feet first rests upon patti lots grave
No. fellow citizens the normal condition Of country
is unon We are cmphatcally one peope-speaking the
same language possessing similar forms of State govern
ment, citizens by birth adoption Of free institutions,
and sharing alike in the traditional gorcs which cluster
around the formation Of constt mai fabric We are
and ought to be- one and ndivisible political
munity In tho temperate region Of this hemisphere,
MS well by political as by natural and artificial
Our rivers, mountains plains, lakes, canals and railroads
are all constituent elements of blended whole. The
diversity Of products growing out Of diversity Of eli
mate soil and location, and the stern necessities under
the laws Of trade calling for exchange Of commodities
unity OF interest therefore, In all these relations Of life,
demands unity Of government. lay this down n
| proposition which the experience and observain Of
every man will verify, and which no transc1ndenal
RIGS OF government whether notification secession
successfully gansay controvert. Now, without any
real OF tangible wrongs to redress, find persistent
wicked and widespread instruction, in formidable pro-
portions arrayed against the constitutional government
OF the UDiona government the best conceded to
man. framed by the wisdom of the Fathers Of the Revo-
ton, after the melancholy experience in history the
early republics government productive Of the highest
good, now drawn in peril by the most malign purposes
seeking to destroy and subsutei place Of it what?
Some theoretical league possessing cohesion unity,
to DO separated and broken up at the first caprice or
to sink IN the estimation of the people at home,
! and to be the contempt Of the world abroad
The weakness and imbeciy of such systems have
demonstrated in almost every Our experience
proves IL. Under the articles oil confederation the
then fell to pieces from Inherent weakness was
|
which it had been established. with eley states in
open revolt their rebel sodicry within DDS march Of
the capital their reasonable banner dsccrnbc from tho
Presidential mansion, there is still no occasion for
ccssnry alarm though the necessities Of the demand
the uncompronsng and heroic exertons of every loyal
citizen to give complete triumph great principles of
republican government When contemplate our re-
Sources numbers and the in which we are en-
gagged cannot but believe that the has the
power and the loyal American people the WILL demon
statc to the world that it has the capacity indefinite
duration Cannot government and people, capable Of
resisting any foreign aggression, however formidable
| subdue and qucll wicked and infamous conspiracy
among portion OF their cizens3 We believe they
this position until this rebellion is thoroughly put
| down, ana the old American flag floats again over
every portion of the present revolted territory.
Tho nations Of Europe witnesses of tho struggle and
anxously awaiting the result. It involves the whole
problem OF constitutional representative government
and for all time Let estimate tho resources at our
control and the prodigous growth OF free institutions
ON this continent since ancestors laid broad and deep
the foundations of our expanding republic In the year
l7Ol only ono hundred and sixty years ago, the entire
population in the then eleven colonies but hun
dred and sixytwo thousand souls In 1749 Georgia and
Delaware were added and the number OF inhabitants in
the whole was ono million and fortys six thousand In
176 at the breaking out Of the Revolution tho 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 neither country then made by this
small population, without estimating the cost and the
years struggle Of the Revelation began The close
Of the conflict found the American colonies in debt
the valuation Of money in that day; which, in view
Of the great decrease in value sof the precious
metals since that period by the products
gold discoveries since made and developed, would DO
equal according to tho present relative value Of Money
two hundred and seventy millions Of dollars, or nearly
forty millions annually, and in the annual ratio of
seventeen dollars to each white individual The debt
which Great Britain contracted by that five hun
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 cons
tuonal government Of tho Unon the annual tax upon
Is thpnt
lars each pon the basis peace establishment sixty
five millions per annum, or but three dollars per ndi
vdual, our ordinary expenditures should attain ninety
millions per annum and with prudence and economy the
expenses Of the government may be kept within the for
NOR sum- Congress, couple Of years since, having
pressed the popular will for reduction Of expend
| lures to fifty millions per annum Now, what is our
capacity to defay the augmented expenses necessarily
| growing out Of this rebellion? And let US see II
| we are not abundanty ablo to prosecute this
| conflict till treason Is annihilated, the fede.
| raj authority everywhere re.estabshed throughout
territorial limits and heconsttution again the shield
and protection Of the loyal American people, between the
Gulf Of Mexico and the great Northern lakes between
the Atlantic and tho Pacific. The present peace establish