New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-11-28
THE REBELLION.
ITS ORIGIN AND MAIN'SpaISG.
SPEECH OF CHARLES SUMNER
Before tue Young Mems Republican Union
of Newly orIs, Nov. %, 1861


;o Was nm address from the Hon. Charles Su her'
AN the Rebellion. Its Origin and Mainspring. Long
hafore the honr az which the meeting was caneu'
MOS, ~ the available space in the hall was occupied
N,,w,bs,anding the rain, the proportion Oh lanes
% lorcor than we have ever before seen on such
Z an occasion. Upon the platform were many dlstln'
Ruisbed persons.
So'elock CHARLEs ROGERS, President Of the
younp Mems Republican Uuion called tbs meeting
a. order and the following list of officers was elected
The name of George 0pdyke corning first on the list
..f Vice Presidents was received with marked ap-
plause: -
P,,,ideEt-WM CURTIS MOVES.
T,o ye,idenfs-The Hon George 0pdke Oliver Johrson
be Kew. o. B. FTo,kngbam David Dudley tield DeIteT
Fsirbank NJ D., Ruins Andr.ws, tho Hon j. Ray inond
C Cowdm Henry C. bowen Edgar Keehem. the Hon. hsn-
on tih the Hon Henry B. s.aTS9 the Hon Hon., ~ A J9n n
Pr.S Franeis Liebor, ws.hnstos Smith mr.
eeorse Denison, Edward Gilbert Siismund Lsssr Wa
Aus- Butler. James B. Richards D., james 5 ore6os'
Charles Rogers.
WV. CURrIs NoYEs, on taking the chair, drew
parallel between the assault upon James Otis and
that upon Charles Sumner. In each case the victims
were friends and defenders OF universal freedom.
Bat the parallel did net extend in the more recent
case to the impairment of the intellect which the
only mere earnest conviction that humin Slavery
was only evil, and that it should be forever ead-
Gated. ECheers, and cries Of Brayo."l History
bad s retlbutons and the actors in those tragedies
had passed away under the scoTn and contempt Of
mankind. But there were two OF these, the
highest in station and bastst in conduct,
who were now awaiting the punishment
of their crimes within the shadow Of Bunker
Hill Monument Igreat cbeeringl, which indig-
nsntly fIowns upon them from base to summit
Renewed cbeers In the loyahy Of the present,
continued the speaker, behold the promise of tie
future, when all traitors like them shall meet SINH
BAR doom. Still devoted as well to the cause of bis
country and to the freedom Of the oppressed the adj
yoeate and friend Of all of whatever RAJ K, or condi
ton or color, the scholar and pbiiauthroTist, the
martyr and the statesman, has come agaIu among
US; and it ia with equal pride and pleasure that
present 10 you the Hon. Charles Sumner cheers =
not OF Massachusetts, but OF the United States Of
America, one and udivisible. [Grest cbeering.l
Mr.. SUMNER now came forward, and after the
subsistence oe applause, spoke as follows:
ADDRESS OF THE HON. CHARLES SUMNER.
FELLow-CITIzEss OF NEw-YoRK: In the pres.
snee of such an audience, genial and almost 50
4estive in eharacter-assembled for no purpose of
party Of politics, in the ordinary sense OF
chat termI incline naturally to topic of tera-
ture-of history of scienee-of art-to something al
beast which makes for Pesce. But at this moment,
when our whole continent is beginning to shake with
fhe tread of mastering armies the voice refuses any
such theme. The ancient poet, longing TO sirg a
Achilles and the house Of Aureus found that he coza
only sing Of love,-aDd he snatehed from bis Tyre ~
t,osdy string Alas for me the case is all changed
I can spcak to you only OF but do not forget
that if l speak of War it 10 because unhappiy War
has become TO us the only way of Peace
The Present is too apt to appear trivial AID uAui-
oortant, while the Past and the Future are grand.
Rarely do men know the full significance Of the Pc
riod IN which they live, end we are all inclined TO
sgh for something better in the way Of opportunity
such as was gyendo the hero Of the Past, such
o. our imagination allots 10 tbe better hero Of the
su:are Bal there is no occsrpn fer sach rerining
now. There is nothing In tie psg-snd il is Diff
II imagine anything III the Furthermore III
.Biring thar our Present. Even with the curtain (
vet lightly lifted is easy TO that events
now gathering, which, in their development, must
constitute the ttrd great epoch IN the history of this
Western Hemisphere the first beng its discovery
By Christopher Columbus, and the second being the \
American Revolution. And now it remains to he \
ssen if this epoch Of ours may not eurpss, in gran
oeur either OF two predecessors that the fame Of
the DiscoveIer and the fame of the IiteIator--of
Columbus and Of Washington NAV be eclipsed by
the mild eful seuee beamug from act Of eodlike
Justice, which, within its immediate Influence will
create new Heaven and earth, while In
other lanGs its life giving exainple Will be felt-so
longs men ttrpggl. for rights denied; 30 long as
any human being wears a chain.
War is always an epoch. Cnhappily history
counts by wars. OF these some have been wars OF
ideas--like that between the Catholics and Hugue-
acts in Franco; between the Cstholi = and Protest
outs in Germany; between the arbitrary Crown of
Charles T. and tie Puritanism Of Oliver Cromwell;
and like that between our Fathers and the Mother
Country, when tie Declaration Of lndepG nderce
was put in Issue. Some have originated IN questions
Of form; come Ia the contentious of fanies some
in the ickcness OF princes aid some II the machi-
nations Of poliicisns England waged war On Hol-
land and Of the reasons openly assigned was Nh
offensive picture in she Town Hall of Amsterdam
France hurled her armics ecross the Rline, carry
ing fire and slaughter into the Palltiaate, and in
yolying great nations In most bloody conflict, aud
all this wckcdness las been traced 10 tie int gue
O. Minister, who sought in is way 70 divert the
attention of lis Sovereign. Bat we are now III the
midst Of War, which, whatever may lie the rea-
assigned by the unhappy who began it, or
by those who sympathize with them elsewhere, has
IN Origin and handspring clear and dehtite as
to be beyond question. Ideas are sometimes good
aid sometime. bad; and there may he u for
Evil as well IS well as for Good. Such was that
earliest kebeliion waged by The lleu spirits agaiost
the Almighty Tbrole; and such alto is that now
waged by tie fallen Slave-martels Of our Republic
against the National Government.
Ii YOU will kindly li-ien shsll now endeavor to
elmask this Rebellion, IL Its Origin and Mainsping.
h. is only whoa these are known that you can deter
uiDe how the Rebellion lie 20 testreated. Your ef-
forts will naturally be covered By the character OF
the adverse force--Whe her regarded motive
power or disease. A stean.-engine Is stopped at
once by stopping the steam. ghastly cancer which
has erapylgd the very ftres of tUe imau frame and