The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-12-04
Speech of Secretary Seward at Gettys.
burg

Tho evening before the dedication cere-
monies, Baltimore band serenaded the
President, Secretary Seward, and other dis.
tinguishod guests Of the citizeus of Gettys.
burg. After two or three airs BY the band.
mingled in the call for the Secretary, Mr..
Seward made his appearance and spoke as
follows
FELLOW CITIZENS: am now sixty years
old and upwards have been io public life
practically forty years of that time, aud yet
this is the first time that ever any people or
community so near to the borders of Mary.
land was found wiling to listen to my voice;
aud the reason was tina. said forty years
ago that Slavery was opening before tbs
people a graveyard that was to DO filled BY
brothers falling in mutual political combat
| know that the cause that was hurryiDg the
Union into this dreadful strife was Slavery,
and when did elevate my voice it was to
warn tho people to remove that cause when
they could by constitutional means, and 80
avert the catastrophe of civil war that now
unhappily has fallcr upon tho nation, deiu-
| gng it in blood. That crisis came, and We
see the result. l air thankful that you are
willing to hear the at last.
l thank my God that believe this strife
is going to end in the removal of that evil
which ought to have boen removed By peace.
ful means aud deliberate councils. [Guod. !
| thank God for tho hope that this is the last
fratricidal war which will tall upon the coun.
try vouchsafod by lleaven-the richest, the
broadest. the most beautiful, most magnif.
cent and capacious ever yet bestowed upon
people, that has ever yet been given to
a.y part of tho human race. Applause
Aud thank God for tho hope that when
that cause is removed, simply by the opera
ton of abolishing it, as the origin Of the
great treason that is without justification
and without parallel, VIC shall ,hencefor,h
be united, be only one country, having only
one nope, ono ambition and one Destiny
Applause. Then we shall know that We
= are not enemies, but that we are friends anc
brothors, that this Union is reality, an,
We shall mourn together the evil wrough
y by this rebellion.
l. We nro now near the graves of the mil
J guided, whom We have consigned to thei
. last resting place, with pity for their errors
4 and with the same heart full of grief will
; which we mourn over the brother by who's
hand, raised in deieuse of bis Government
that misguided brother per,shed. WheI
: we part to morrow night. lot US remembo
u that we owe it to our country and to man
kind that this war shall have for its con
u clusion the establishing of the principle O
Democratic GovernmeEt-the simple prin
" ciple that whatever party, whatever porto
y of the Union prevails by constitutional su
r. frage in an election, that party is to be r,
10 spected and maintained in power until
D. shall give place on another trial and anotl
y or verdict, to different portion OF the pc,
n pie. [GSbd.l I:you do not do that you al
i drifting at once and rresistbly to the yer
- verge of the destruction of your goverI
" ment. But with that principle this Cover,
IL mcnt of our-the freest, the best, the wise
y and the hsppiess in the world-must b
'e and so far as we are concerned, PRACTICAL
As will be immortal. tApplause.]