The national Republican., 1861-12-24
Flag Presentation at t,HalPs HiIl.
At the review on Halls Hill, on Saturday


Sixty.sccond and Eighty-third Pennsylvania
regiments, by Hon. EDGAR CowAs, he spoke 81
follows:
GENTLEMEN: His excellency, the Governor Of
Pennsylvania, has commissioned me to presen'
to you, In the name of the State, the regi
mental flags" provided for you and the gallan
men under your commands. l am also further
instructed TO say to you. that by the terms OF
the law, directing the Governor to procure
colors for each regiment now In the field for
the defence of the Union, 1t was also provided
that when the war was over, and you had re
turned victorious, (as 1t is the earnest vial
and prayer Of all the people of our good old
Commonwealth that y"u may) your gallant
feats in arms will be Inscribed on these nags
in order that they may be laid away among the
archives Of the State, there to remain Tor all
coming ages, a At memorial Of your vaiOr.
It may be, too, thst when the Republic is
again in danger, these standards will be brought
out and held up before the eyes Of your chill
dren, so that the glorious record emblazonod
upon them may incite them to initiate your
example and emulate your courage In the de-
fence of their country and its Constitution
Let us hope, however, that a long period will
elapse before another occasion will arise So
painful and disgraceful to the nation rs this, in
which we have not only war, but war in its
most terrible aspect-cigil udr-as the fruit Of
domestic treason.
Who could have pred ed that just at ho time
Aons, and its prosperity, there was hatohing 1t
our m idst brood of traitors who would nave
| disgraced the worst country in the world IN
| the worst of times-that they were developed
into full life and energy BY the mild forbe:r
ance of our Government, No reptiles are deval
| oped by the genial warmth If the sun3 They
| qualified themselves for treason to their Coun
| try by the betrayal of their party, and, havins
accomplished the rum Of their political asst.
cates, they were then ready t. attempt the
! -, nf a .va r a
| the Republic. In this attempt they have a..
/ readv desolated segeral great States of the
linton nrraycd the son against the father,
brother against brother, friend against friend,
and threaten, finally, to ciothe almost every
house in mourning. Surely, of all the gren'
| crimes to which the world has been accustom.
ed, this is, of them all, the most stupendous
| crime.
think, too, that before this there has been
no rebellion in the world in which those who
wrong. or seek the redress Of some great griev:
ance. This one. however, rears its hideous and
| brazen front, Offering no apology and pretend
| ing no excuse on the contrary, 1t dsturbs the
world in naked deformity, the depraved Of
spring Of " hearts regardless Of social duty, and
fatally bent on mischief" Indeed, 80 far from
having any good cause for their war upon the
Government; there was pyery reason why the
leaders of It should have been loyal before al
others. They had been the recipients Of iis ia
| yor and had its honors conferred upon them to a
larger extent than any other equal number o
| our citizens. All honorable men would have
been shocked had they stood |. different when il
was In peril, but when they lifted their hands
swallowed up In the enormity Of their treason
These are the enemies You are to meet ant
conquer. From their unho!y domination the
people Of the South must be rescued, and theii
States restored TO their former place in 'ht
Union. Upon this errand Of peace and rescue
| ~ in tho N nf yvor hap
alone can achieve It, and the staff of the cOnsta
BILE is superseded by the baton Of the marshal
| And phsn you carry these flags among them n
the head Of yoqr victorious legions, they vii
public, one and indivisibTe,' and thoir hearts
will swell with emotions Of pride and JOY that
true to their glorious history, they bring tC
the loyal and true everywhere PROTECTION, "a
gratitude will be your nobIest reward, and the
proudest distinct tton YoIr Aearts can covet will
be that Of being hailed In after years 10 one OF
the soldiers on the side If the Republic in the
great war of the rebellion.
What II magical influence that symbol Of our
country's national honor exerts over us all
In the month OF April last the loyal people
we're plowing and sewing in the fields, ham.
mering in the workshops, and trading AT the
| counters and upon the wlaryes, inGredulous
of danger and careless Of the coming storm.
Suddenly the news came like an electric shock
that the rebels'round Fort Sumter had fred on
our flag. Startled and indignant rs if the shot
had been directed against himself, every true
man was on his feet in an instant and the ban.
ner, thus insulted, was Immediately consecra-
ted the idol of the people. 1t WAS every where;
it waved on every house-top; it ruttered in
every breeze, and 1t was conclusive proof of
disloyalty not to bow before it, in the day OF
| its first humiliation. The great heart of the
nation was stirred to its very depths, and its
| beating might be heard in the heavy tramp of
| thousands of armed men 'hurrying 10 the field
| of battle, to wipe out the national disgrace and
| visit dire retribution upon the heads of the sc
who had caused 1t.
Since that time, too, they have shown their
| energy and determination In the most eXtraor.
dnary effort the world has ever witnessed
| Their army numbers nearly 100 600 men, com
pletely appointed in all respects, and armed
with all the terrible enginery of modern war.
| fare. Their navy counts more than 2G0 ships OF
war, carrying an armament of z, $50 guns; and
| the whole of this vast force now stands i'm
patiently awaiting the proper moment to hur
| its masses on the rebellion, and crush it for
ever.
recur with pride to this estimate of ou,
| force; and am sanguine that the national life
| and spirit 1t betokens will yet work out, in a
| long and glorious career, that " manifest desti
ny " the hopeful everywhere have predicted
These are the flags of that " destiny" I,
| they will never be dishonOred. You have botl
| Of you long years ago given a soldiers earnes,
of your fidelity to the Republic. You have
already followed its flag in the conquest of al
empire. One OF you assisted in carrying it il
continued succession of triumphs, from The
Rio Grande to Buena Vista, through Pal,
Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey-9aI nov
names in history, and monuments of a re.
nown In which your share WAS honorable
The other accompanied it from Vera Cruz I,
Mexico, and saw the glores Of Cerro Gordo
Contreras, Molina del Rey, Chepultipec, an,
TaGubaya,, by the way, till it waved finally, il
undisputed mastery, over the Halls of the Mon
tezumas.
Never can they be confded to more doservin.
: hands, Take them; they are still auspiciou
Of victory, and the righteous cause which ha
hallowed them eyer-THE CAUSE OF THE PEOPLE,.
VIII halloW them still. and assure it. Th,
J spirits of your fathers, mighty dead, will hove
over your battle fields silent witnesses of Won
herosm in showing yourselves worthy of sucI
sres. The God of Battles. too, watches owe
the brave and true. His blessing is upon you
and the sheltering wing of His mercy is abou
you and us, to Saye us all by you, in this III,
darkest hour OF the nations peril.
Col BLACK, of the Sixty second, in behalf O