Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-10-17
lNueeester 4atIp SPY.
EXTRACTS FROM A SPEECH,
Delivered IN Boston, Oct. Z, 1862, at the OPEN
ing Of the Fraternity Course
BY HON. HENRY WILSON.

| When slavery, in the spring of 1861, stain
| ed the land with the blood of civil war the
| president, by proclamation, summoned the
| thirty-seventh congress to meet on the 4th of
July, and at noon on that day congress assem-
bled to enter upon the mighty task imposed
upon 1t by the national perils. Vacant chairs
in both chambers wildly impressed upon the
mind the gigantic proportions of the rebellion,
and the fearful magnitude of the impending
struggle, and inspired the soul with some
thing OF awe in the presence of events so
transcendent. Few of the chiefs of slavery
were present to dominate, seduce or corrupt.
| The clear headed, practical, dominating Da-
vis-the erratic, reckless, clustering TOombs
| the accomplished, timid, cautious Hunter
the eloquent, polished, insincere Benjamin
the pretentious, pompus Mason-the bold, adj
roit INSCRIPTIONS Sldel-the dark cold,
bitter Clay-the genial, courteous, fanatical
Brown, and their compeers in conspiracy, Sc
dition and treason, plotted their foul, dark,
and Internal work no longer in the capitol of
the nation. But Breckenridge, the chosen
chief of incipient treason, not less guilty than
his absent compeers in crime, was present to
| cavil and criticise, to denounce the acts of
| loyal patriotism, ere he sunk away to strike at
the heart of the country that had trusted and
honored him. The chair of Douglas was va
| cant; lifelong opponents gazed sadly upon
it, for they gratefully remembered that the
closing hours of his crowded life were given
to patriotism, to adjuring his devoted follow
| ers to cling to the Union, and crush the rebel
non WIN the IRON hand OF war. Andrew john
son, banning the assasslns OF the Union in
tennessee was present TO cheer ana to AM
mate by bold and patriotic councils.
Seldom in the history ofnations have states
| bppn called tD tho Darfprmanpa Of hiUbar
duties tnan were the men who were summon
co. py the administration they had placed IN
power 10 leglSlate ior land rent and torn by
discord and stained by fraternal blood They
| entered win brave hearts and resolved spirits
| upon the great work imposed upon them,
WIN unsurpassed ms ueVotloh ana treiess INDUS
| Try Inc administrator asked Tor TOUR nun
ureu Thousand men ana four hundred millions
Oh uollars, ana congress promptly gave 1t hVc
INJURED thouSal q men ana hVe hundred mil
mons OF dollars. The army and navy were
increased, ana laws enacted for the organiZa-
tlon and government OF the military and naval
forces, and for supplying the government with
| the needed means to carry on the war, whose
| gigantic proportions startled and amazed the
| world.
Statesmen of the majority in both houses of
congress clearly saw that slavery was not only
the cause and the motive power of the rebel
hon, but that the ceaseless toll Of its four mill
| lions OF enforced victims enabled treason to
| fill the ranks, feed and pay its armies. They
"ouiu Strleuy strike al tlie Vltals Oh the lnsur-
.ec'lo,' ny coHlSca.iHs inc properly Oh leau,
l"e leo0i9; anu iieclfS i,le slaves VI al reoei
i1S ou' ps uuenoe ue''lanueu 'hey snUuiu
yioiu, az ie"'' iVi ciihe' " the Ooulchs VI
NV 0"uOous anu 1lie leaIs vi the Liiilu. saves
80 uINu " lIoei armies !" eIect loItiiica-
1iohe' uis tlenciies anu rine piIs' out IL was
my uii.ii "i'0i '"S uelIa' vi Dun nun 'h"t
li'goily coulu DC Obtained IN congress tc
Uu"oV may ouo,i saves siiouiu w uecIareo lree
~. 'iiiiiu anu 'he cau'iouS leareu ulaI t.'
Ti'ioh ineh VI the oo!uet staIes "oulu o'
"l"'iheu ny t"e eniahGlPauon Vi the slaVe
useu 10 construct WORKS, Dehihd whlch rene
regions Inisht nurl sh0t ana smell INTO IN
Darea DoSomS Oh our ueVoted sons, Dattlni
lor thelr country uhder the ola nag But I'M
measure, denounced ny the TRAITOR brecken
rluge as inc nrst OF series OF acts iooslhg al
ponuS' pecaii,e inc Ia" Vi tie lalu'
ts tle Iep "I u1 Nv us elsanuc pro,
pol'iois, DIS .!e reoei cohieuer"Gy hiahlIesteu
10 sIeaI hlii.aIy power the ioyau MASSES
wlose lhSunGts outTuh the ueuucuohs Oh
w ny i''iI - PC wa. slavery was
~ i'"i anu 'no roIce VI 'ne reoei-
lion anu 'n I, ~ 'louiu pe crlPpieu ny the eA
| - Q a. - :, :, r"
eiS Vi tne governments 80 tHey haileu ana
meic WY. '"e pioeiani"uoh oi 'ohh " ere
NUM-
Congress assembled in December, instruct
ed by the events OF the war and assured by
the sentiments OF the people. Measures OF
transcendent magnitude pressed for consider
atlon' and to the consideration OF these meas
ureS congress addressed Itself with an indus
Try never Surpassed-no never equaled by any
| congress III the history OF the republic I'm
por'aht measures concerning the army and
navy were passed, a great system OF lnterna
taXatloh was devised ana tne revenue laws re-
FiSGu, ne Iaclnc railroad Dill was enacted
ana that Dehehcent measure; the homestead
Dill, was made the law OF the land. Other
measures Tor the defence, protection, and in
terests OF the country hardly less important,
were matured and enacted; but the browning
glory OF the thlrty-seventh congress was Its
comprehenslve,fa r-reachlng legislation against
slavery, the declared enemy OF the country,
| and the common enemy OF the race. For two
| generations slavery has polluted the national
| capital under the sanction of the nation. On
the day congress assembled three thousand
men, women, and children, fettered by the
| people of this republic, as they held up their
manacled hands could see the stars and stripes
wave over the capitol. Congress, by decis-
| i've maorities in both houses struck the
| shackles from the limbs of these three thou.
|