Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-09-10
GRAND MASS MEETING IN FANEU1L HALL

of Faneuil Hall The galleries OF the hall were
| thronged at an carly hour, a large number
being la lies, and long betore the appointed
hour for the meeting the hall was packed with
dense mass, while the approaches were as
| sailed by thousands unable TO gain admission.
| The vast assembly was called to order by Col.
! O. a. Brewster, who spoke briefly, and pre-
/ scented the list of officers of the meeting, CON
! sisting Of Hon. BENGAMIN +. THOMAS,
president, the mayors OF the several cities
in the commonwealth, and some one hundred
others as vice presidents and secretaries, He
introduced Judge Thomas as the distinguished
orator whose voice had not for a long time
been heard within those hallowed walls.
Judge Thomas came forward amid the most
clealcming applause, and soon as order was re-
stored and he was able to make himself heard,
spoke as follows =
Felton, CHisenS You select your presiding
offic, tor the patient Car, and not for the sill
yer tongue, to open the eloquent lips Of others,
and 10 seal his own. Yet, with your leave,
will venture to say a word or two, upon mat
ter with which every heart is full though to
prccede these eloquent friends be but the light
ing OF a candle before the break OF dag. My
convictions as to this war may be simply and
briefly stated
The country had not emerged from the Rev.
Oiution before our fathers became practically
aud thoroughly convinced of the necessity of
a comprehensive, vigorous, stable, national
government that in no other possible way
could the fruits Of the Revolution be secured.
They had confederation in which it was pro
vided that "the Union should be perpetual,
but it lacked the elements of national power
and the capacities lGr national growth. The
people OF the United States, to form more
perfect Union, to establish justice, 10 insure
domestic tranquility to secure to themselves
and their pOsterity the blessings OF liberty,
ordained and established the constitution OF
the United States. They made that constitu-
ton, and the laws made under 1t, the supreme
law of the land, binding states as well as III
dividuals. 1t formed a perpetual Union, with
door iOr new states to come in, but none for
old ones to go out.
Under that constitution we have had for
more than seventy years the best, the most
beneficent government The world has ever
known. Under its benign influences we have
grown TO greatness, from three millions TO thir-
~, from the lakes TO the guilt from the Allan
tic 10 the Pacific. lie, who believes there is
God in history as well as in nature, must be-
lieye lie was with our fathers when the ioun
dations OF this government were laid.
The attempt to overthrow this government
by fraud and violence is, next to the betrayal
of cur blessed Redeemer, the most atrocioys
crime OF history. De Quincy would tell you
| was doing injustice to Judas Iscariot by in
stitutiDg the comparison.
This best OF governments, this moblest of
charities, IS in our hands a sacred trust. We
cannot escape the duty if we would. For its
safe keeping, for its preservation in all its in
tegrity, we are responsible to our fathers, to
our children, 10 humanity, TO Almighty God.
The existence of this national government
is to us the primal necessity of our political
| being. 1t is question whether we shall be
nation or a Mexico, law givers or anarchists.
see no hopes of happiness, of peace, of secui
| itV even, beyond its pale The necessity for
it is written by the divine hand upon the face
OF nature, and in letters OF light upon every
page of our history. 1t is the rock of our sal
walton, and may he who falls upon it be broken,
and he upon whom ii Tails be ground to pow
der.
From the plainest sense of duty then, from
the most obvious considerations of self inter
est and self protection, am in favor OF up.
holding this government the liberty in law"
| which it secures, and the dear and sacred flag
| which IS It's emblem, at every cost Oi time, Of
! treasure, and Of blood. Ii | were sure that this
| war would last as long as the Revolution, it
| would not check in the least degree the alacri-
| ty aud trust with which ! should eater upon
| upon ii. The interests at strike, | do not iesi-
tgte to say, are of even greater moment than
| i'll the Revolution itself.
am in favor OF fighting the issue fairly out,
if need be, to the bitter end not, ! trust, in a
spirit Of hatred and vengeance but in the de.
fence of law, OF social order, and constitutional
freedom.
For the subduing OF this rebellion | am in
favor Of using every necessary power | be-
leve the ordinary and obvious powers OF the
government O be adequate for the purpose;
but, if need be, would throw the government
back upon the great inherent law of sei-pres-
ervati0n. .SdiuS TeipHJlic0 supreme Ter. While
| l would secure to every loyal citizen of the
| United States every and the most legal right
| under the constitution, would use its utmost
| power against treason in the rebellious states,
| or at home. Ii necessary to secure the exist
1 ence of the government / would emancipate
the slave of every traitor between this hall and
the gulf, and hold every inch OF territory UNI
der martial law that would not otherwise lie
held. OF the power OF the national govern
ment in civil war to do both of these things
| entertain no doubt and we are in a civil
war, and the sooner we fully recognize the
fact the better.
But the question is often anxiously asked
me- shall we finally succeed in crushing out
the rebellion! Shall we weld again the
broken bond of Union 1t is not broken. The
cable is submerged 1t is not severed. In
its bosom still course the electric fires which
will yet kindle again the beacon lights of
patriotism on every bill top from Maine to
Georgia.
One thing is plain: we must protect our
selves. The leaders of this insoent rebellion
meant to conquer and not merely divide us.
They have not yet given up that insane
dream. ~ treaty with them would be rope
of sand. They can repudiate treaties as they
have repndiated solemn cOmpacts and honest
debts. We may not trust men who, being
the keepers of the citadel, betrayed it who,
in command OF the ship, sought to scutlle it I;
and who have declared eternal war against the
north star and the ten commandments.
But are there reasonable grounds to believe
we shall restore the Union in its integrity (!
There are the strongest reasons for such a
faith. They lie deep, they exist in the nature
of things. l will advert tn one or two.
The geography of the country will not toler-
ate the division There is no natural dividing
line between the north and the SOUTH The
real north, with soil, climate, natural resources,
capacities of culture and industry akin to our
own, stretches along the highlands so near to
the Gulf that it can catch the booming of its
waves. The soil fitted for slave culture forms
but a small portion of the territory of the
slave states. But even the diversities of
climate and production between the north and
south, so Tar from being causes of separation,
create reciprocal dependence. The natural
! laws of industry trade and commerce. hind