Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1861-10-11
Speech Of Hon. John sherman,

county, held 10 Mt. Gilead Sept. 9Th,
Hon. JoHr SHERMAE made speech upon
the present posture Of our national at.
fairs and the duty OF citizens in relation
thereto. II was not political speech. -
We should be glad to give IL entire, but
our space will admit only of the conclu-
ding portion, which is as follows:
What then is left to us9 II you 90 on
and cultivate your farms in peace and
quiet: If you enjoy the fruits of your in
dustry unmoved by the dangers around
you; il you go to your rest at your usual
hour, and rise in the morning to your
various avocations and labors what then
becomes Of your country II the armies
which the rebels by force OF drafting, by
appeals to sectional pride, have gathered
along your borders for three thousand
miles, are unresisted by physical force,
what will be the result2 We shall be
subiugated and our country broken up
We might as we'll haul down our flag
and submit TO the yoke. There is no way
10 meet force but by force. Providence
will help those onlyiwho help themselves.
And, in my judgment the providence
of God has taken higher view of this
contest than many of have yet dared
to do. | sometimes think see beams Of
light coming from where l would have
hardly breathed the thought year ago
No man was more sincere, more honest
in his determination never to interfere
with the institution of slavery in the
Southern States than was. Ny opinions
are still unchanged. But sometimes l
begin to think that the Almighty Provi-
dence that controls the actions of men ac-
cording to His own will, has permitted
this terrible and overwhelming calamity
to come upon us, in order to point out TO
us the seat of this disease. And if it be-
comes necessary for us, in. order to pro-
tect our government, in order to vindi-
cate our flag, to allow our military au-
thorities to emaucipate the slaves upon
whose labor this rebellion rests, then l will
say--let Gods will be done. (Cries of
"Amen! amen!") do not think that as
a member Of the Senate have any pow
er to interfere with slavery where it now
exists. And these men can never forfeit
the benefit of their local laws 10 that re-
spect except by their own treason. By
our laws. and by the laws Of all countries.
treason is punished with death; and it
may be punished by con6scation and the
loss of property. When man takes up
arms against his country, ordinarily he is
subject to the loss Of his life and proper
ty; and if by losing his slave, that slave
becomes free man, with a right to bis
own wife and children, and the benefit Of
his own labor, who will weep? Not l.
Cries Of "Not 1. mot l."
Now do not misunderstood me; do not
misrepresent me. repeat to you in all
candor. say as have said before, that
in times Of peace and quiet and harmony,
Congress has no power to interfere with
this question. But no man North or
South has ever denied the doctrines that
when man takes up arms against his
country he forfeits his life and his prop
perty TO the will Of the loyal people Of the
country.
This war must be prosecuted, and it
can only be done successfully by resort to
physical force. Almighty God viii not
furnish you with guns and ammunition
and men and horses, without effort on
your part. You have the power to sub
due this rebellion. When you can con-
vince me that eight millions of Southern
men, women and children, weakened by
the presence of four million Of slaves,
can subdue twenty millions of free labor
ing men such as we are; then you will
convince me that this Government can be
overthrown. II we perform our duty
like men, II cannot be done.
And more than that, who is there here
so base and so mean, who will not respond
to the call Of Kentucky? Kentucky, though
a slave State, bound by sympathy and all
natural and family ties to the Southern
States, now calls upon us for help against
the enemies of our country. In that
dark and gloomy hour, which many Of
my old friends here remember so well,
when Ohio was threatened by the Indians
and British, when portion of our soil
was in their possession, when men were
killed Oh their farms and by their fire.
sides, and the call from Ohio went forth
for help, Kentucky sent over her gallant
soldiers for our defense. We have now
the opportunity to repay the debt then in.
Cured. | tell you now 10 all earnestness
that unless the loyal men of Kentucky are
sustained they will soon be overwhelmed.
There are differences Of opinion in Ken
lucky. it is true, but the great majority
Of the people are loyal three -fourths Of
both branches of their Legislature are
loyal. Their people love this country,
this Government. They are mostly ag-
ricultural, farming people, as you are;
raising such products as you do. They
have slaves among them, creating some
sympathy with the Southern States. But
the majority = wo-thirds, aye, three
lourths Of them am told are cordially
loyal to the government. They are now
threatened by rebels from Tennessee,
Mississippi and Arkansas, and they call
upon us for help, and il we do not help
them, then we are our towards and
slaves. Any man who will talk 10 me,
in this hour of peril and danger, about
politics, would, while his neighbours
house was on FIRE. stop to talk about his
belonging to a different church than be
does.
No, these are times when men should
rise far above all party matters, when
men are called upon to perform grand
tragedy in the history Of this world
We live 10 an historic age; we are crea-
ting history Of events in this country