Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-03-20
arms on armor clashlng, bray


larger than q mans hand, has expanded and
uufolded until it covers the whole political hor-
izon, and pours lis crashing thunders over the
whole country. 1t is question of na.lonaii-
! ties that is to be decided. We must not IN.
derrate the strength OF the enemy who is
against Us we must not consider that the
! diff ,ulty is near terminus either, sir. The
enemy is strong in numbers, having almost as
many men in the field as we have, with others
ready to come. They are strong In that pecu-
! liar element of strength-WilI-re oution-
determination. They adopt the language of
the archaDgel, fallen Belzebub, when he was
/ founderng in the sea of burning mari, who,
according to Milton, (and | do not know but
! that there is blood relationship between our
/ enemies and that rebellious spirit) when he
! found himself hurled from the heights OF
/ heaven and his vengeful cohorts were repalSed
and dismayed, addressed his burning hosts
what though the field be lost, all is not lost
/ while there remains the firm resolve aud ua-
/ couQuerable Will So, Sir, when the enemy
/ have retired from place at which they have
! been defeated, they say to the people OF tue
/ country around about, & burn your houses, de-
! stroy your property, leave wasted country
/ for on" invaders TO live upon" Iou reco.iect,
! sir. that address which Howell Cobb and
| other rebels issued to the people Of Georgia =
/ Do you remember how much OF vengeance was
/ in it II reminded man OF Moscow when
/ the Russians determined 10 destroy that beau
! lltul city, TO buTu it down in order to defeat
| Napoleon, that " thunderbolt OF war And
! it is this determination TO rival If they can, all
1 that 5 told in history it is their determine.
/ ton 10 conquer or perish either to be TlctoTs
or corpses, that makes them strike, though
/ they are defeated. Furthermore, this very iu-
! sttu,ion We are discussing TO day has always
/ been their streagl glh-tneir political strength
ecclesiastical streB-th---aad u9w it is their
martial strength. The young gentlemen 60
! 10 the battle field to win epauels and tie
( slaves dig the trenches and furnish supplies =
! You leave the institution of slavery untouched.
and it is On element OF strength TO the enemy;
/ and 50 long IS You leave it uGdistGgbsd i. is q.
/ pregnant source Of power agains. you. The
moment You dis urb it, however, it becomes al
! element OF weakness and danger 10 the foe
I The question is Que of nationality not a cues
( lion IS to the mere extent Of tAe war. I4c
question is this, aud the coatest is based upon
I it: In this country aud on this Continent,
I which shall triumph-freedom or slavery -
/ Strip it of all DISCUSSES, it comes TO that naked
1 question which snail triumph on the battle
/ field, coutro! the pulpit and gnida the country
/ freedom OF slavery That is what we are
/ fighting about. Now, sir, l say frankly that
whatever lies in the way OF saving our country,
( upnoliing our government, suppressiHg eutirs-
! ly and forever the rebellion whatever stands
in the way should be swept aside When
( fire breaks out in the city, when the breath Of
/ the burning element threa tens destruction to
every inaamable material within its range, and
there is no other way to head it of, the Gus
tom is TO go IN advance OF the fire and blow
up the buildings no matter how rich, costly
and antiquated they may be. As slavery kin,
died this FIRE of rebellion and now adds fuel to
its fur7, let it be blown out of existence that
the cOnhagratiOn NAV be stayed and our cita,
del saved. ! affirm With all candor aud cool
ness that sooner than see this gOvernmen.
oyerthrown By these rebels and this country
with all its wide spread interests made subject
to slave domination. l would. had the power,
unClp the magazines OF perdition and sprinkle
every square rod of rebel soil with Rcl fire and
birthstone / would not hesitate at ali - DO thus
TO save the coUulry. Sir, it shall be saved; there
Is 90 doubt about il. And whatever mau. or
whatever institution, whatever interest, what
ever association or whatever plans stood in the
way of the complete aud perPetal salvation of
the country and government | would sweep
all away as the whirlwi0d sweeps the gossamer
/ Am | TO 20 hiding around The pillars Of your
capitol whining about shareholders constita.
lioual rights. when those very pillars are tremb-
. ling to their fall under the ruthless attacks Of
these men? Constitutional rights OF slave
holding traltors-traltors who are s.abbiBg 10
the heart that very document which has hith-
erto shielded them in its mighty embrace =
Sir, they have no constitutional rights save
+ the right 10 die far tksir crirl.s
This question of slavery meets US at every
+ turn. 1T can neither be lodged nor eFaded
/ No Senator upon this floor, belong to what
! party be may, can eva3e it. Il meets the
1 President aud his cabinet, the Secretary Of
War and bis couuselioFs il meets Us here and
il meets Congress in the halls of national legis
Iation it meets US in our diplomatic relations
with foreign powers it meets Us at home and
on the stern aud bloody battle field and I
avow with emphasis, re rzusi sssi H. But how?
Necessarily in oue Of three ways We can
submit to it, be ruled and ruined by it, But
for this mode of meeting it, no sane maa is
prepared. The proposition carries lis seiuta-
ton with il, for it is but o covert mode Of re-
commencing suicide In the second place, We
can continue as we have been doing, fight the
rebellion with one hand and hold up slavery
with the other, until both parties are exhaust
Cd, then settle our difficulties by allowing or
by compelling TIE seeded States to fall back
into the Union with slavery, slave representa-
log and all its concomitsnts as aforetime.
have feared there we're too many men in high
er places who desire this mode of meeting IT,
Bot this would be false aud fallaciols cure
for our existing ills. Let no one delude him
self and Others by pointing 10 this as the path