Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1861-07-06
Speech OF the Secretary Of War.

In Washington, on Tuesday night,
the St. Andrews Society gave q supper
to the Seventy Ninth New York
(Scotch) Regiment. Gen. Cameron
,-as present and make q speech, from
which We take the following para graphs:
The deluded people down South
have strangely reckoned without their
host when they determined to tear
down and dishonor the Americau flag.
They have ,prospered, they have grown
fat and powerful under that flag, but
at last they have become foolish.
They believed that the North and
West would be divided upon the qnes-
ton Of supporting the nationality Of the
United States. How sadly mistaken
they have been all reasonable men
must now see. Gentlemen, we have
now in the field 25O, 900 men. It has
been said Justly that nowhere III the
history Of The world is recorded so sub
lime an uprising Of q free people,
Never was such al army raised in 50
short time.
AppIausc.
There has been much talk Of the
hosts gathered in Christendom to res
cue from the infdel the scpuIchre Of
the Son Of the Living God, but they
were nothing to those increasing ar
mics which threaten just punishment
upon the authors ofan unproyoked and
unholy rebellion. [Great appIansel In
less than three months q quarter OF 8
million Of arm Il men have been pat
into the field, IN response to the call OF
the President, to preserve the integrity
of our free institutions, and before six
months have rolled around, I have no
doubt half million enlisted in the
same movement will be at the com
mand of the Government. Great Ap-
pIauSe.
Thus, those who have been deceiv-
ed by their ambitious politici ans viii
either wisely repert their folIics or
will have to be swept before the indig-
nant and overwhelming army that viii
soon be put upon them. Applause. !
We have patiently forborne the insol-
ence and the tyranny Of the Southern
monarchists for more than genera
ton. The Americans viii bear it no
longer, Applause Observe that
when q Scotchman, or lrIShman, or q
German comes to the United States he
mergeS his own nationality into the
county that adopts him as a son; and
so, when this revolt is suppressed, and
this war is ended, our beneficent Gov
ernlnent Will no longer be perplexei
by doubtful questions. There will then
be no more talk Of Nirginians, Mary
landers, Pennsylyanians pr Mississippi
ans No, gentleman, thank God we
shall then be all Americans. Great
Applause.
| Then there will be no fealty but that
! to the Union and Constitution Of the
! United States; no miserable casuistry
about the doctrine of State rights, and
no attempt to incorporate the hcresy OF
secession into our system [ will say
nothing Of the Administration beyond
this: that, as was said moment ago,
il has at his head a President as hon
est and as upright a man IS ever lived
and I believe this aodr ggiU not e37Q
! 2cit,t his consent until there loW be no
CAUSE left. for aoar Applause.
Talk about the weakness of thi:
Governments, after all these manifesto
tions Of spirit Of our people! Why, ii
is the strongest Government to-day in
the world. It is the Government ot
the people. Every man is here a SOW
ereign, and every man is acting in de.
fense of his own rights, while obedien'
to that great bond which unites US il
!, common brotherhood, and makes ev
cry inch of American soil sacred to tbe
whole people. This army which ha:
| been gathered represents. such people