The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-06-12
THE LOYAL LEAGUE C0NVEN.
TION.
FuIl Report OF Mr. Gerrit Smifia
Speech.

The following is full report, from the
Utica Herald of May 20, of the speech de
livered in the Loyal League Convention al
Utica on Tuesday last j:
This strikes me as a very moliled assem-
blage, politically considered. aad In a Ger
tain point OF view, morally considered also
Here we are, Democrats and Republicans,
temperance men and anti temperance men,
some one thing and some another, and there
are soldiers among US. l see soldiers ap-
piause who have returned from the battle
field wet with the sweat of war, and some
Of them with its blood They have return
ed to receive our benedIctions aud 10 be the
witnesses OF our enduring and deep graft
tude for their heroic defense Of our bleeding
country. Applause Now what is the
object that has had the power to collect this
Heterogeneous assemblage? answer, it is
a common cause. This is the mighty load
stone that has been able TO draw us toseth-
er, IN spite o! our mutual differences. in
spite OF our different views and different
character. There are persons 50 bigoeI
aud SO impracticable as not to consent to
come into common cause. | know Dem
ocrats who, not even to save their beloved
country-l cannot say, however, how be-
loved TO them = laughter there are Dem
ocrats, L say, who, not even TO save this
dear country, will consent TO vote any other
than Democratic ticket and | know Re-
publicans who will not consent to vote anv
other but Republican ticket; and | know
Abolitionists, and | am ashame! Of them,
laughter, and even temperance men, who
will not consent to work with anv other
han ba1r If
thank God for it, are not such. We, though
dtf 1rng from each other at many points,
can nevertheless, when the nation calls for
1t. consent to work 10 yether Now, ask,
what Is this common cause which has drawn
as together just here give me your
special attention. | ask again, what is this
common cause ? Is is to save the Constitu.
ton Oh il is inexpre essibly more than
that. There are many good, patriotic men,
who don't wish the Constitution saved as it
is; they wish to have it altered |, for one. |
would no. have one word of it altered |
have pleaded for it with lips and pen, more
than any Democrat living or dead. would
not have one woid in it altered. Well, if
this common cause is not to save the Con /
stitutiou is it to save the Union ? Oh no
unspeakably more than that. There are
good men and wise men. who do not like I
all the terms of our Union; like them all. !
Applause. l have never taken in my
life, with lips or pen, the slightest exception
TO any of them and probably never shall
Well, is it then the saving of the country
that is this common cause? 1t is not even
! that, for there are many good men who do
not like the present boundaries of our coun-
try. They wish it to be made smaller. For
my own part. every rood of it is dear to my
heart. Applause. would no. have one
star pass from the National flag TAP
plause Not even poor South Carolina i
| Applause aud laughter. l love even
South Carolina. love her for the memory
| Of her noble men who stood by the side OF
our revolutionary fathers l love her for
another reason ; love her for what she
will become again when she shall have
come out OF her presen. degeneracy and
madness. Well, now, if this common cause
which has drawn us together is not the
saving of the Constitution. nor the saving OF
the Union. nor the saving of the country,
| pray what then is itl NY answer will be
and 1T will leap up from all your hearts
to your hps-it is the putting down of this
sccursed and causeless rebellion. Tap
fplause, That is the comman cause that
has drawn us together. And now mark
You we all stand together at this point.
where all good and just and patriotic men
can and do stand with US. Applsusc l-
And then one thing more tha, is the very
point where unpatriotic and selfish men re
fuse. to stand with us. The very point
Aud yet, some of these unpatrio,ic aud
self seeking men, and traitors among them,
are very eager 10 assure US Of their intense
ire gard sor the Union and Constitution and
country.
Knit Ua IL ~, -.
question, '' Are you for putting down the
rebellion 90 they are found wan .iog. That
IS just the only test to apply to them. and
under It's application they fail l recollect
that more than thirty years ago, when Great
Britain was agitated BY the proposition TO
abolish British Slavery. some Qlakers sup
piled themselves with an image Of a knetl-
ing slave, and the appealing question was
running out OF its mouth, Am not = man
aad a brother?' When the candidates far
seats IN Psrlisment would come around to
these Quakers and solicit their votes, and
;ell them of the many fine things they would
do 1t elected-things peculiarly acce ptable
to QnskeIs-'hese cunning Qlakers would
thrust IN the face of these candidates this
lappealing image, and ask them. Can Won
go thats If you csu't 60 that, we can't 90
you just SO do l do with these men.
when they prate about their love for the
Constitution, the Union and the country.
l ask them, and you ask them, can YOU 90
for putting down the rebellion ? II YOU
can't go that, we can't go you. o, why
should We so these vile hypocrites for
such they ars-who talk about being for the
Constitution and the Union. and The coun-
try, and yet go, cot for pn,ting down the
rebellion. the putting down of which can
alone save these blessings TO Us, and the
triumph OF which will rob Us of them all
And now we have before US but one duty ;
our one work is the work of putting down
the re bellion. You have got to come TO Ibis