Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-11-20
Eloquent and Remarkable spesch Of Rich
HFd O'tsOFman, Esq.
Ty'Eef las 6eeA Decsaed Sy zee EGfe EEee
fiOms.


: grest Democratic mass meeting at Albany, b
? Richard O'Gormsn:
FELLOW CITIZENS On Tuesday next wi
be submitted TO the people Of the State of Ne,
York question as m0mentous as any that ha
2 ever yet claimed the attention of any society Z
1 men since the old world began The grea
American republic exists not fJr itself alone
With lis duration, It's integrity and success tb
best interests OF mankind all over the earth
their affections and hopes-are mysteriously in
terwoven- For eighty years il has lived an
pTospered fT eighty years It has given home
to men of every European race for eighty year
they and their children have enjoyed here free
dom Of thought, of speech Of worship. and O
action which in older communities was deemed
unattsinabie; for eighty years the visions o.
human liberty and progress. dimmed and crossed
beyond the Atlantic. have been turned to Amer
ica for new life and Inspiration.
Only eighty years havs gone by-old men are
living still who saw this republic in its cradle
when the sun Of next Tuesday shall have set
VIII they see it laid in the grave For the ques-
ton then to be determined by you, and through
you by the States which have not vet spoken
IS simply this: Shsll the great republic live or
snail 1t die II any man dreams that this is a
me'e contest Of Psrtie1 for power. he pisisbly
iails to reach the level of this great occasion.
II any man thinks that the result will not affect
him individuGlly-thst he can safely look A. fbe
struggle with folded arms, and stir no finger on
elther sde ne previously neelects his dearest in
teTeSts and bis duties to himself his fellow-citi
z5ns and his country. To take sides in this
great d. bate WAS, until lately, the unauestioued
right and IS still the manifest duty of every
c'tzsn None can hesitate without disho lor-
none can hold back without reprOach
Were foreign toe in fnl march upon your
| city to-nIght-were the thunder of his advancing
cannon booming louder and louder in your says
were the tocsin ringing out that called you to
/ arm IN defense of home ahd fresido aud the
/ dear ones that make home blessed even then
the necessity for action would not be more stern
/ or the shame OF recreancy more damuing than
| that which, in this hour Of greater peril aud
b]acker gloom, should spur, incite. aud inspire
| you now. do not speak as q psrt;ssr tonight
L am hear to plead what believe to be the csuse
Of the nation-to plead for its etegnal interests
and hopes A citizen, come to speak to citi.
zsns--l ask not of what party-of the dangers
that seem to me to impsTil the life of the reUub
he-s life that ought to be dearer to each one of
US than his OVID. an aware that there are cer-
tain persons among US now, protesting to fll
certain otncss unknown to the law and to exer-
else an authority partly Judicial, partly execu-
tive, partly civil, partly military but wholly IN
recognized by the Constitution, and to these
gentlemen, the discussion of national affairs now
may seem practice highly improper and dis
loyal.
Let me not fall under the displeasure of any
provost marshals; Is far as I am CONCERNED let
them possess their souls in patience. ana not
disloyal man. What pledges Of loyalty have
heretofore given is not for me to say Where I
owe allegiance, there pay it with all my heart
Neither king nor kasier, President or provost
marshal can rightfully claim any feslty from me
Lp the Constitution Of the United Ststes-to the
sacred tie that ta3 for eighty years bound aud
kept them sogether-to that supreme charter in
which the nations sovereignty resides-that I,
sud you, and a Of Us are bound to uphold
support, defend, and whososver violates that
charter, or Assents 20 its violation, or yives aid
or comfort TO any man or any party that violates,
evades, or insults it, that man or that party IS.
III my mind Tesliy traitor or an enemy to the
Lepuohc. Ine republic has many enemies now;
dangers threatsn its existence from within an
without, Fellow -eitzsns, do you desire that il
should live and not diel In your own bands is
Its ISOLATION Let me tell you wherein. as think,
10 its chief danger, aud whars lies tie psth of
safety
Every free country has, by reason of rs race,
climate, geographical position or other property,
some distinct character, EOme sssential prnciBls
OF life, on which the secret Of ia strength re-
sides This principle usually finds expTessioA
IN It's form OF government Respect that princi
pie, gusrd it from hurt, keep it sacred from in |
suit, and the nation lives. thrives and prospers
assail 1t, wound it, violate t. and the nation |
surely withers, dwindles, and dies Nov. |
wherein is the seat Of life of this Confederacy /
Of the United States What is the principle Of /
cohesion between them by which SO many divers /
interests, JaTring Ani discordsnt from the first
were, eighty years ago, wisely rsconciled7 2 Il |
IS this, thas to the central power was delegated
by the people only certain spec fed and limited
powers, while all other powers and rights were |
reserved to the States, thus leaving to each one
ample liberty to grow and develop itself after its
own plan-to follow such track of progress and !
civilization as its climate, soil, productions. |
character of its race and people might render /
expedient, without let OF hindranca from sny /
other State, or from all the ether States, or from
any other power on earth. On these terms, and 1
on these terms alone, could any Union be per-
manent, benehcent, or even possible.
To have expected to compel men of so many
different origins of so widely differing climates,
occupations, traditions and modes Of tboDgbt
to adopt che uniform system Of laws, habits and
conduct, would have been utter folly. To at
tempt to enforce such uniformity would have
been mere despotism This folly. this morbiI
desire for eentralisation, is the curse of Euro
pesn politics, and because of it civil war has
been tor centuries the chronic malady of Euro
pean nations Austria strives to compel the
49,.
gary flies to arms. Russian civilization is hate
ful to Poland, and il struggles sgsin aud again
to hing It of. England, through almost all her
colonies and dependencies, demands uniformity
with her Institutions, and submission to her will.
and England, through almost all her dependen
eies, is hated By her side Ireland, occupied
SIX hundred years sg1, bat uncluq1ered still,
ehates and frets against a civilization foreign
and alien to her character, traditions, history
and thoughts, and even prefers exile to submis-
sion.
Al thesa things the great and far.seeing men
to whose Ia,isrt th ughf, m liberation and wise
concession you owe the foundation OF the
Uaion, saw and understood. They marke the
danger and avoided it. and by reserving TO each
State, as the COnstitus Oa does, perfect freedom
tor all domestic purposes, by relieving tie cen
tral government of all control or responsibility
over their internal progress, the grand idea of
diversity ia unity was wisely developed anu
adopted. In that principle the life Of this con-
Of United S ates is to be found
Destroy the rights of the States over their do
meetc concerns, and you destroy the Republic
SatJugate them to ga uniformity, contrary TO
their habits, traditions aad laws assume the
responsibility Of governing them by one cen
trsl power, aud you fall into the European error
and the European nuisanees. Armies and ma
vies, martial law, taX-gatherers dieiators, des-
pots aud revolutions are the necessary and GER
tain results. For such barbsrOus work repub
lie is utterly unsuited.
Our Federal system is a great but delicate
and complex machine Work it according to
It's constitution and it works easily and well
but when abused By unsklful and reckless
hands when driven against its inherent law it
then bse mes an engine Of mischief, all It's
forces become destructive, and, crashing
through the checks which were intended to reg
ulste and guide them, they involve all in ons
common ruin. This is precisely the strait in
which the republic now stands. A party has Of
late years erept into power, bent on making its
will the law of ell tbs Ststes; party deter
mined to crash sRd trample on all rights, NJ
matter how sacred or time honored, that stand
in The way of Its desires q nartv raaklasa Iam-