Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-07-08

Gov. ANDREW visited Windham, Me-. his
native town, on the Fourth, and received A
cordial welcome. The Portland Press saws
that all Nmdham was out en- H1aSSe, convened
to commemorate their one hundredth birthday
as a town, and to hear one of their returned
sons speak of the past, present. and prospec-
tive of the town and nation. From speech
made on the occasion by the governor we ex-
tract the following =
Now, sirs, didn't come here to talk poll
itics, but suppose, as Elder Rollins used to
say after sermon, Snow, brethren there is
liberty so l must free my mind, and de-
clare to you by all the responsibility that be-
longs to me as a citizen, as a man intending
to do right, that in my sincere Judgment the
people of New England and the free northwest
have got to take this work up, according to
the dictates of their own hearts. We have
got to be emancipated ourselves from the pref
udices and traditions of the past, not from the
p11aclpteS! We must be true to them; bap-
tized with blood recorded in all the testimony
of the fathers, and sanctified with prayer /
don't know as ever dared to despise any man
because he was poor, humble, or black l
know not how we as Il body of men can de-
wv SO 40 W SoploC Illll, anu uOn KNOW
how Maine or any state or nation may so de-
cree.
When traitors have attempted to drive the
ploughshare Of ruin through this land, de
clare that we are driven from necessity to so
conduct our relations to them in this war, as
that we shall stand justified between ourselves
and all who are related to us,-stand justified
between ourselves and God. Short of that
know of no salvation. The unwise, yet [
think well-intended, idea to fight for freedom
and yet to protect the property of rebels in
and over their crouching slaves, is depicting
our treasury, draining the best blood of our
veins, and causing untold misery
But | shall not follow up that line of
thought. l am here simply as Il Windham
boy to extend congratulations with you. No
one Is here to pull me down, to say am too
rash, or to suggest that | may lose a vote, by
saying so and so, but | am at liberty to speak
right out and free my mind. But while gath
cred here on this sabbath day of liberty,
cannot be less broad in my declarations than
the Providence that leads us. Let all who
wish rush against the bosses of the buckler
of Jehovah, but / dare not! In encouraging.
persuading or bidding the sons of Massa-
ehusetts to war, l never had right to
give myself to the slavery of ambition. It's
sad and solemn task which Providence i'm
poses-to carry truth on the pinions of battle
and enforce it with steel-but no men
have the right to plunge families into
woe, to infiict losses, disasters and death on
foes eCeH, unless in maintenance of moral
right. We have a right to destroy, by neces-
sites ofwar, but no right to do it for ourselves,
or that some chieftan or civil leader may gain
applause - that Il nation or party may reap
the reward of what men term glory. Some
things are worse than death or its infection,
and that is why we have the right to fight. |
would have the people make up their minds
to make the rebels black or white and all their
posterity, to see that in the future they are to
become happier and wiser as the result of this |
controversy. Being justified in fighting for
our flag, we will come out glorious and united |
and those engaged against us shall bear wit
ness that it was to our moral principles they |
owe their happiness and future.