Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1862-07-22
Spsech o. Gen. Rousseau.
At q bauquet given 10 honor of ,b

on the lIrh ult., the following toast was
drank amid o.: vociferous cheerius:
"OUr guest and friend, G,ncrai Rous
se1a. " hea treason raised its hiieous
head, he was among the foremost to meet
II. lie rallied bis countrymen to repel
1t from the soil Of our State, and on the
field of Shiloh bis va.or has made him
still more distinguished. Kentucky views
with pride the conduct Of her sou, aud We
viii cherish his fame as one Of the wels
Of the State. As citizen OF Louisville,
we can not forget a memorable night in
September, when our homes and fresiles
were threatened, and bis sagacity had pro-
viied a serried front to defend Us against
an invasion which many insisted was only
IL Imagination"
To this toast, James Guthrie, Secretary
Of the Treasury under Pres. Pierce, made
a reply, in which he referred to Gen.
Rousseau in these words:
"Upon the election of Mr.. Lincoln,
when South Carolina threatened, some
citizens of Louisville met TO raise a warn
ing voice against hasty and inconsi1erate
action, and asking forbearance and just
trial of the new Administration before
condemuing it. In that meeting a COM
mit,ee on resolutions was appointed, ma
jDrity Of whom we're favorable TO Seces-
sion and joining the South. AT that
juncture, Gen. Rosseau was found man
Of decisive action, aud, by adding to the
number Of the committee, We were enabled
not only to overpower the Secession ee-
ment, but to carry cut resolutions flVor-
able to the Union. From that day,
Rosseau never faltered in his devotion;
he was eyerywhere feeling the sentiment
of the city, and streu gthening It's loyalty
was present at every fig-raising, aud en-
copraged those patriotic demonstrations, to
rally the Union men and cheer them on
until the stars and stripes waved from
every square of the city. When counsel
failed to reuuite the North and South,
Gen. Rousseau saw the danger of the
bloody issue of arms, and was the first to
raise men to defend the city and State"
Gen. Rousseau's speech, after the re-
marks of Mr.. Guthrie, in which he (
slludes to the army Of Gen. Halleek, is all I
the more suggestive, in view of bis expe- |
rieucc among the brave men composing it,
He said /
"That army, 10 its intercourse with the I
SecessiOnists, is pleading for fel,e under
the cid Government, Offering our
Southern brethren all th'y ever had,
and claiming nothing except in com.
mon with them. But :he negro is in the
way, in spite Of all that can be done
or said. Standing before the eyes Of the
Secessionists, the negro hides all The bless
ings of our Government, throwing a black
shadow on the sun itself n a had been
arg oiher ,l-cies of PraPrr,y that stood IN
tie ray, the army, prorol.cd as Il has J,ca,
r5uld riH,ay,y haee seen as qaicls deS,ruc-
tim. Vet, with all its conservatism and
patriotism, the army has grown weary of
ihIs insane cry Of 'Abo,itioDism' as a cause
iJr breaking up the Government. | have
warned our Southern friends of the dan
Ear Of continuing it much longer; and
Tel. You, tonight, that, If this war cou-
;ilues a year from ibis day, there 'eW not
Js slJuc on his cOHtiReR The great
revolution will take care Of itself-the
dead will burg its dead-and those who
are causing all the bloodshei and desola.
tion around Us, under the false pretence
that we dosire to free their negroes, will,
if they persist one day, find sIaeery sn.fid
Ouf, as yoa ,r2u3 sRpg out a candle. 1t
is not worth our Liberty. 1t is not worth
all the precious blood now being poured
ont for freedom. 1t is not worth the
river. No; We must still have
our Goyernment-ifao not as Il nor IS, ,rjh
slaoery IN 1t, still ,ce must hare our Coz
,rnmeat Ii,e can not be s'aues 10 .jcf.
DlUis & CO. We mHst and acW be free.
We must have the free navigation Of the
river; and if slavery gets in
the way Of any of these rights, Why slav.
cry must get out of the way. That you'd
be the last resort, and should be sorry
to have recourse to it; but am for the
Government of our fathers, against all
things and every ybOdy. While the liber-
ties Of the people are secure under it, as
they ever have been, | would allow moth
ing but death to prevent my uph9lding it.
10th as you may be to decide, you will
sooD, as believe, be called upon to do So
In spite of your entredtjes, NE issue pW be
cruelty thrust upon you, and yoH gU Be
forced to decide GeiUsea sl1Ue5y and your
vices and children. l will not consent to
become a slave, that negroes may be KEEP,
slaves. Southern man as | am, | would
to-day fight for any of its rights, Slavery
included. But, sirs, | will net sacrifice
the happiness of my wife, children, and
friends, the welfare of my beloved State, I
and the glory Of my country, on an altar
dedicated to the Ebony IDOL When l
see placed on one side Government
formed by the poblest men the world has
produced, the legacy of Washington to the
human race--a glorious country, filed
with happy and enlightened people, aud
admired or feared on every spot that is
trodden by the foot Of civilized man; and,
on the other, country rent into insignif-
cant fragments, engaged in continual
wars with each other, each on its knees
begging assistance from some foreign
monarch against rival fragment, an ob-
e