Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-12-14
LOCAL NEWS.


The opening lecture Of the "Associstion" course
was delivered last night at the Smithsonian, by
DR.. Brownson, Of many-sided fame.
Senator Sumner, Postmaster Clephane, and
other gentlemen were on the platform, and the
lecturer was introduced TO the audience by the
patriarchsl-bearded Rev. Jehn Pierpont, well
snS ernsdt1 EnSfanS Tn@
Mr. Pierpont, IN explaining the object Of the
lectures said the lecturers were not drilled a. TO
what they should say, prior to taking the stand,
but were LEFT free to speak, and the hearers TO
receive or reject the sentiments uttered, rs they
might elect.
&c then humorousiy introduced the speaker for
the evening as a man who had seen many sides of
many subjects, Jgreat laughter, Joined In by DR..
Brownson,l but who was always sure 10 interest
his bearers whatever the subject he treated upon.
en Of bis ~y snd but thought pO iniIea
ton might be found for changes Of opinion when
those changes were made In the honest search for
truth.
In regard To the remark that the lecturers OF ths
course 'were not to be drilled he would say
that anybody who attempted to drill him would
find him very refractory and undsciplined SUBJ
ject. daughter In treating upon the Ma
tional Crisisn he would emphasize the word
national. He believed this TO be a nation be-
cause 1t Is recognized by foreign nations, has
nag and motto, has exercised the functions Of
nation, and discharged a nations obligations; and
not that II was a confederated league to be dis
solved at will, az was held by those who had ap-
pealed from the last reason-from the argument
OF ballots to the argument Of bullets. He wished
TO know whether this was the capital Of the
tion or the capital of the District OF Columbia
whether he was here At home, on native soil;
sPesking 70 his own people or to the people Of a
He proceeded to argue with no little cogencv
the question Of citizenship opposed to the
States right theory, and in this connection asked
are the people In this District citizens Of the
United States? Are the people born In the Ter
ritories citizens Of the United States, They are
certainly recognised as such In passing from the
Territories into the States. The Constitution and
Union has been called a compact, and, IL Is said,
that the founders Of the Constitution looked upon
II In the light Of contract-but IL should be re-
membered that at the time the Constitution was
prevailed, that ali governments were founded on
contract. The founders Of our government did
not mean to deny that ours is 4 marion.
We are nation In that we are composed sub
stantially Of one people living ALWAYS under one
government. Yet he believed In State rights
rights that the State did not take from Govern
% long as States are loyal to the Government As
individuals may lose civil rights by abusing
them, 30 NAV states He liked the system Of
State lines and the emulation Il induces Were
the seeded States integral parts OF a whole or
not! They say not, that there was a league only
Admit that 1t was only cont-act-like all other
partnership contracts, all the contracting parties
must agree to dissolution ere 1t is valid In any
view secession was a crime, breach Of faith. We
have got to decide this now by war. War Is
looked upon by many folks as the greatest Of all
evils. But there Were worse things than war
War Is only terrible effort Of nature to elimi-
nate disease gradually approaching the seat OF
NE and threatening dissolution. The condition
OF the nation is far less calamitous than its con-
diton four years ago. War 10 only justihable
when II Is wsged to redress wrongs and secure
an enduring peace. When tustiaable tits sacred
and holy. ltwas one Of these desperate remedies
that physicians call heroic.
-Four years ago the slave interest was In full
power, with combinations enabling II to rule the
nation. With reckless Young America at the
North. under the lead Of Fernando Woods and
New York Herald's acting under the slave inter-
est we were Fastening TO ruin through loss Of In
tegrlty, public and private. Far-sip hted men
well nigh despaired Of the Republic. We were
losing sight Of the fact that there are worthier
things on earth than mere material prosperity
War revives and regeneratesa natien. war would
purify our political atmosphere, and give US a
nation Of heroes The highest on the list Of hu-
manity were ever the martyr. in religion; next
were ranged soldiers dying in q ing for a noble
cause These sacrifices will do more to rejuven-
ate and invgorate the nation in three or four wears
than century Of peace. We need the correction
this war, but Its causes; and now Iet IL Be toar;
not mere mimic fray, but stern, determIn ned re-
lenuess war Our soldiers must not only have the
courage 10 de, but the courage to kill. He want
cd no war carried on upon peace principles
EiIher give up the war, and call ourselves pol.
Hoons and towards, or work in earnest, and
And damned be he who hrst cries hold enough,
This war was brought on by slavery. Which
shall we sacrifice, the nation or slavery. The
war should not be prosecuted for the destruction
OF slavery, but If IL stood In the way, let slavery
perish; but the Union must be preserved He
would Hght for his liberty, and what he wished
for himself he would give to others, be he white
black, red, yellow, or coppercolored.
He was not an abOlitionist but he would say
that we owe IL more to the abolitionists Of the
North than to any other cause, that the slaves
have net become desperate las deprived Of hope
OF deliverance) and risen in Instruction.
The abolitionists have been called fanatics.
Are they 50 In any other sense than all live men
are to dead men; all disinterested men 10 sell
hsh men; all heroic men to towards, But let
this question be settled forever, and settled that
the eternal niger should be heard no more In our
politics. When the rebels were VIII pped. or came
blck, he would insist on their full rights with
no niger thrown into the scale. As far as our
forces advance, we should advance TO govern and
protect both black and white within our lines
He would then have, not despotic Government,
but strong Government, which should yet be-
come, in fuller sense than ever before, the pride
and glory Of the whole earth.
The lecture was warmly applauded throughout.
Sumner, but that gentleman failed to respond,
having apparently no impromptu remarks COM
United to memory for the occasion.
The leeture:room wa, tsstefully and profu.ely
decorated with national fags, and hne band Of
music was In attendance.
soldiers have occurred since our Last report:
Private TIFFANY company II, Twenty third
New York volunteers, at camp.
b. Bridge, company g, Sixteenth Indiana vol
unter,, at Patent once Hospital.
A. Fhedling: company Nineteenth Indiana
volunteers, at Patent Once Hospital.
Francis Moran, company e, Second United
States cavalry, At Circle Hospital.
John Harrigan, company H, Third United
States Infantry, at the Circle Hospital.
J. ID. Bidewell, company II, Fifty-second Penn
sylvania volunteers, at Columbian College Hos
pital
N. v. FLANDERS, company X, Second wiscon-
sin volunteer
Jacob Everle, company b, Thirty first Pennsyl-
vania volunteers
Ira Scott, Rsagan's Battery, Fifry-sixth New
York volunteers.
slmons Gibbons, company B, Fifth Pennsylva-
mia Reserve corps at Camp Pierpont
John Baker, company j, First Pennsylvania
Reserve corps, at Elizabeth Hospital.
Patrick Rooney, company B, Seventy seventh
New York volunteers, Naval Hospital.
Sergeant smith McCoon, company r, Tween
tIeth New York militia, at camp.
Abraham Buckley, company j, Twentieth New
York militia, At camp.
yno. Dumas, company A Independent Michigan
volunteers, At 81 Elizabeth Hospital.
Henry Brown, company Z, Sixth United States
N,F. - Wal Ela.rs 81