East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-07-15
VOLUME 3.
THE FOURTH OF JULY.
Grafton delivered by WM. II. WELLS, Esq,
"a East sag nav, July A, Is02.

FELLOW CIrrzESs:-None of us assembled here to
day can be unmiudul of the fact that for few years
past the people OF this country have shown tile dis
position rightly 10 observe AMI fully To celeb ate TINS
memorable anniversary. There was tine when TINS
day welcomed and observed as the m jst sacred
festival of the nation when on each return OF this
occas.on tina people gathered together, IN all parts
OF the land, " cOnmclnorat the lOudalloh OF cur
national existence-to recall with gratitude aud
praise the labOrs and sac ces OF the fathers Oi the
kepublic-to contemplate the uninterrupted aud
speudd career OF national advancemeht-to re.
jOice together the abundant peace, prosperity
aud happiness which had their source aud beginning
in the Declaration Uf lndeleudance. Will hot The
historian, VINO, in some caner time than thls sLall
most truly write annals, discover in this recent
neglect OF this anniversary, ONE sign Of that decay
of public virtue winch Is not the least among the
causes Of our present eaamltles
One year ago the people assembled with something
of the old aacrty aud spirit 10 observe this day. But
they did not meet to rejoice The greatest disaster
which can beial any nation, that which all the les
SONS OF history, all the cou els of the fathers warned
Us avert aud avoid had ONE suddenly upon Us not
by OF the people bu Uy the wick, dness and
madness of few. Tie peace that had So long
reigned within bordcls had given place TO evil
war; the radiant banner OF the Republic, which had
never suffered indgnity from any foreign hand had
been trampled on by those who had clj ytd beneath
its protection every national benefit aud every po-
cal right. The Union, the ben, tcient parent of all
blessings had been aSsailCd by the impOuS hands
OF her uugrateiu children, Reused 10y the danger
of the Republic the people of the North obcdient to
the conviction that there was no way To the
tional lite except by unanimous, dctcrmin d, and
armed resistance to the enemies who had once been
their brethren hocked To the standard of the Union
few days had suic' To gather together the forces
that the national authorities then considered ncces
sary for the crisis. On The 4th of July 1861 We
had seen nearly three months Of cvl war Then IL
that those OF who loved our country, who be-
leved that the pcrpetuiy of the Federal Union was
,ul a ~.
dton of our liberties, those of who had not hlS-
ened TO the field, assembled on this anniversary but
not, repeat, with rejoicing The blood OF our
brethren, dead by the hands of their countrymen,
had already flowed. The doubt the gloom, the hu-
initiation OF the prospect weighed on every heart
But in all our anxiety and trouble were sure that
could not do better than to c, together on that
day, To stren1 then our devotion to the Union, and
determination to maintain it, by recalling all that
IL had cost TO offer anew TO the Union our vows OF
loyalty aud love and above all to take cOunS / from
the teachings of he fathers how best we might Gu
dure and overcome the calamity which they had
prayed might never overtakc us how best pass thro'
this great trial aud preserve that heritage OF liberty
which has been our llory aud blessing, and shall be
the gloiy aud bl ssing OF our posterty, rom gene
ration To generation, and from age to age.
But, fellow citizens we do not meet TO day 10 re-
ioice True indeed it is, hat the c'oul which low
cred in sky year ago has rot given way before
the light # peace. True IL is. That the war n on
which had then just entered ha,, since then,
steadily enlarged lis piop rtr'nS, and Sow to a
magnitude which we scarcely dreamed OF, much / SIS
anticipated, year ago The army of seventy thou
sand which we then hoped would suffice for the de-
fense of the U lion, has grown to half a million
History furnishes but few example of such force
raised 10y single nation, even IN vars which IN
volvcd many empires and were in progress for many
years The enthusiasm the celebrity with which that
vast army raised and marshaled into active ser
vice the spontaneous aud sp cndd out ouring OF the
wealth of apcope which has long been tauntcd with
pf la or1p
and aacrity with which the North cast into the strg
gle all its material and moral energies counting uoth-
ing too precious to be given to the cause OF the
Union all these things have been the wonder oi uc
world and will be admired Of all iuture times. We
have seen a year Of constant war. We have no. con-
qucred upon every field the urage aud constancy
Of the defenders OF the Union have not always avail,
for vc:o y, and there have been days OF disaster
and disgrace to arms. But looking back over
the who year we see that although haSty and unwSe
counSels made earlier contests scenes of dscour-
ag,mcnt instead of success fr our cause, yet the
history Of the war; since the forces OF the Union be-
came fully trsanizcd and the Ian of the war was
per ;tcd has been constant progress from vcio y
TO victory, upon land and sea How many are the
feds which recall to-day their names en-
bazoned on the banners Of the regiments that con-
quered there, feds of victory and immortal houor
to all who were thereon engaged, whether they 1--we
to hear the applause Of u er grateful country, or
lie upon the ground made memorable 10y their valor,
mourned by the nation they died to save. Alvanc.
ing by step the army Ol tue OnlOu has
the pac, which wrcstcd by trcachery from the
surpris d and ready North. The activity of tho
navy, the building up of which in so short time
Is no less wonderful than the raising OF the army
has sciz upon those stronghods where the enemies
of the Union vainly thorgIt they were successfully
entrenched, and by whcn they hoped they could
control the commerce cf this continent. The cause
that insolenty proclaimed its confidence in obti /
ing the speedy aud active support of foreign govern
ments, and which, for time, by appealing 10 the
cupidity of commercial nations, and the foreign
hatred of republican institutions, found degree OF
favor abroad, now receives only hesilaing encour'
agcment instead of active sympathy aud ASST tince,
and stands naked in all its defJrmity, condemned by
the moral sense of mankind Its representatives In
foreign aoitols destitute Of position as of re-
sources and instead of being received at courts,
fleeing from creditors at home defeat afer defeat
has deprived the armies Of tho rebellion of that
spring of action, success and suffering and want hav,
produced decentralization and dismay Retiring in
gorousy from every important field, whercon they
hoped aud boz scd tley would make final stand and
repl the advancing army of the Union, they lind nc
refuge except In dispersion and conccalment. The
cause that is doomed Of Heaven wancs to dcstruct-
ion. And are here today TO rejoice hot tn
cause ofhe Union has Gdraneed so far IN its great
tcork of orere1mtng the enemies Of the Union, thai
fo-dav ve can see not far distant the end of III,
struggle and the sure and final triumph Of tn
rtght
But we arc assembled to-day to reflect as well a
10 rejoice The end of the struggle may he near at
hand but its results are To be developed IN the III
ture and these results den an most sc Ius con
sIderation The bearing Of these results upon ou
standing and future growth nation; upon the sta
bility and prospects of republican institutions; th
direction to be given TO the issues Of the war; and th
sprit and method IN which they are to be controlled
for the good of the country, subjects whicl
should engage the most conscientious reflection o
the public mind And cannot better employ th
time allotted to me In the celebratan of this day thai
In directing your thoughts to some Of the conscqucn
of tha of ba los
to some Of the duties and obligations which are i'm
posed on citizens.