The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1862-10-08
speech of Hon. John Hickman,

Thursday week, in aid of the geneial he's
pitaI at Chester, was woll attended by
citizens from Delaware and Chester coun-
ties, and the neighbering State of Della
ware and Chester counties, and .he neigh
boring State of Delaware. The ladies
had provided literally, and upwards of
five hundred persons sat down to the
entertainment, which had been prepared
by them. After the cloth was removed,
Robert Frame, Esq.,-a lifelong Demo
crat-was called to preside, assisted by
large number of vice presidents and Sec
retaries. Hon. John Hickman made the
opening speech and, upon rising, said it
was after much difficulty he had brought
himself to the conclusion that he ought
to attempt to speak, as he was suffering
severely from indisposition. He then
stated his subject to be:
THE VICE OF THE NATION THE DANGER
OF THE NATION, AND THE SAFETY OF
THE NATION.
l. The Vice of the Natiom.-As
surely, SAID he, as there qcas God in
Israel there is God in history. The
sovereignty of the great Ruler is as dis
tinctly marked in the career of people
as in nature and Revelation. And this
God, who leaves the impress of his power
upon the recorded past, is the Christians
God, whose great attributes are justice
and mercy. Few believe that individual
sins eau 90 unpunished. These are prin-
cipally against justice and mercy; why,
then, should national sins be chartered !?
they arc atrayS against justice and mcr-
cy. Our faith is consistent, and we can
not subscribe to a creed which proclaims
individual responsibility and yet excludes
the responsibility of aggregated individ-
uals or communities. Both are true, or
both are false For, if neither myself
nor my child can Justify an act, so can
not and my child, acting together, or
in unity, make defence. If man cannot
with impunity do wrong, men cannot do
wrong without retribution. The dec
laration does not require argument, 1t is
really syllogism.
1t is a common belief that we have a
Government ordained Of Heaven-that
God was with our fathers in the trials of
the Revolution, and that as He led His
people through the Red Sea, SO He led
them through the sea of blood In that
fearful struggle for the rights of man, our
patriot ancestors were clearly right, but
in their subsequent course they were just
as clearly wrong. In their success they
forgot their Great Deliverer. They
fought for truth and virtue, and con-
quered gloriously; they afterward sub
mitted to falsehood and injustice, and
entailed the damning consequences upon
their children and children's children
In their immortal Declaration the enun-
citation was made, that call men were
created equal )" it was their platform, and
they stood upon it in the face of des-
potc world, and throughout their trials
In their Constitution Of Government they
repudiated their own principles, and
wrote it down, deliberately, that instead
of the lowest being the peer of the high
est, that man was property, and might be
bought and sold, aud used. Can l be
mistaken? !? If am, may God forgive
me! If am not, may He forgive them !!
Read, carefully, thoughtfuIly, disinter-
estedly, if you can, our organic law, the
Constitution of the United States, and
then say whether you do not discover the
sanctions of slavery. | cannot pause to
consider the remarkable suggestion that
the word "slave" does not occur in the
instrument Have we not, through three,
quarters of century, in our legislation,
in our conventions, and in our commuDi.
ties, admitted
/. That the slave population of the
South was represented in Congress.
2. That slaves escaping from service
have to be delivered up to those to whom
their labor was due.
3. That the slave trade might be pro-
hibited after the year 1903.
These provisions were either right or
wrong. If the latter, why insert them ?
If the former, that slaves ought to be
held and be the subject Of representation,
then why look to restriction of the prin-
cipal traffic? The vice-the crime--was
thus made part of our political system,
and we are called upon to answer for it
to pay the penalty.
THE DANGER OF THE NATION.
have indicated what suppose to be
the crime of the nation. 1t may properly
be asked, Chow can this moral fault of
the past affect US at present." To such
a question can only reply thus: read,
aud what read | beliese, and you believe
that secure prosperity does not attend
general depravity. The reverse is the case.
Greece, after having reached proficiency
in arms, skill in arts, freedom of com.