Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-11-30
CITY AND COUNTY.
Second Grand Var Meeting at Mechanics Hall
OIL Saturday Evening, NsE 2Slh.

col Isaac Davis, Rev. e A. Walker,
Rev. Samuel SOuther, and Major Nc
CafTtrty.
Notwithstanding the powerful rain, an immense
gathering of the people of Worcester held at
Mechanics Hall last Saturday evening. The house
was completely filled, both on the floor and in the
galleries.
lie meeting was called to order by Ion. Stephen
Salisbury and on motion of George NJ. Rice, Esq, |
Mayor Lincoln was called upon TO preside, assisted |
By large number Of vice presidents.
The president taking the stand congratulated |
tie audience the cheering news just received from
armies, OF the capture of sixty cannon, and over
thousand prisoners, with uncounted stands of
arms, and that Burnside and his gallant army were
rescued from their peril, tapplausel and also that
Tennessee had been so gloriOusly redeemed. He
also alluded to the simultaneous movement of the
army OF the Potomac which was omen that very
soon the final blow would be given to the tottsring
and rotten coniederscy. tApplause) The young
mon were urged to be up and doing if they wished
to take part in the final efforts OF our government
in tile overthrow ofthe conspiracy.
The may or then at length explained the previI-
ions OF the bounty laws of the national and state
governments, showing conclusiyely that the liberal
ty of the government in providing for the benefit
the history of this war or of nations. After music
by the Worcester cornet band the president intro
+ duced to the audience Col. Homer b. Sprague, q
former resident of Worcester who has served under
! Butler and Banks, having volunteered at Port Hud-
son 10 lead the "iorlorn hope" OF thousand men to
storm that fortress, which movement was only pre-
| As Col. Sprague came forward lie was greeteu
/ with loud and lons-coniin"ed applause, and spoke
SPEECH OF COL. sPRAGUE.
/ Abiding to tie many scenes of conflict at Balls
| Bluff, New bern, and Gettysburg, where friends and
loved have fallen the speaker asserted that
| our was the most necessary and unavoidable Of
all which history gyes any record, being waged by
ungrateiul section because it could not sway the
councils of the nation, rule the state. Nor did
,hs southern section OF country refuse enjoy
all The benefits OF our constitution and government
till the sceptre passed out oil their hands upon the
! election OF Abraham Lincoln. 10 pleaAe the south
! we enacted guarantees tor the preservation OF the
institution OF slavery, passed the fugitive slave
/ law, and allowed the thlee-iith representations The
! save trade nOullshcd TIL IeUS, and never till the
| election ri Lincoln was observation-disclosures an
| acknowledged p!rate-hung. Glory enough for one
| man. lAppiause) Slaves have been faithfully re-
| TUNED to their chains even from Massachusetts;
! the government has promptly put down insurrec-
tiois among the slaves, as When Nat Turner melted
an uprising among the blacks or, more lately, when
with hot haste the whole power OF the government
! WAS brought TO bear upon Ohn Brown and his fol-
/ lowers. VIZ gave up territory III oregon anu blaine
but to please the south, embarked the Florida
war, the real object of which was more or less
than to break up the hiding places OF fugitive
slaves. We commenced the Mexican war solely to
acquire additional southern territory We made
ANA broke the Missouri compromise, and all to
please the south. Aud the south, by virtue OF its
corporation, slave owners being the stockholders
elected lis agents to fill the important posts. 1t
was unit III all matters OF legislation, and mo.
nopolized the army and navy.
lie proceeded to show how the rebellion was
aimed at the lie of the nation, and that the Union
could not be solved at the pleasure Of the Seceders
When Uncle sam married the lair young bride of
Louisiana, and built forts sentinels and custom
house us diadem TO her brow, and established |
mint rs her purse, ii was no free-oVe transaction,
but perpetual, everlasting marriage.
lie conspirators had been drawing their pay all |
the while i'll congress, Selling forts ana sIips, and
Uur nation never much as Tilted its finger to pre-
serve lis existence. We know very well why. If |
we had only had pair OF Andrew Jacksonis old
Duuts III Inc presidential chair-Uhe remainder OF
The sentence was lost amid the applause with which
these illusions OF tie speaker were metz
Aeie!e was then made to The assault on Sum
ter IN April, 1851 and TO its heroic defence. Alter
the capture Of that stronghold the cry of Davis
government was, "On to Washington and the con. |
spiracy, whose cornerstone was slavery, and whose
cap-siOne was treason, declared that capital |
should be cleared out, that their stars and bars
should float New York and Boston, and a
voice from the IoOInbs said that the roll OF slaves
should yet he called on Bunker Hill. But as it is
tle last straw which breaks the cumes back and |
the last drop OF water which the cup to over
flow, the spirit OF our nation slumbered no long
en-. oeyehty-fiVe thousand, five hundred thousand,
then 4 million OF men, in arms, to maintain
the honor of tie Union Massachusetts rushed glo-
nously to the rescue and if Connecticut and Rhode
Island waited little longer, it was only that they
might whet their bayone,s all the sharper The
work is now being done thoroughly it will never
have to be done again. tApplause
Noble is the record of this state! No party or po-
liticAl creed has been known since the fall of Sum
ter. Let us forget the past. l have seen wings, |
democrats and repubcans-white and black men |
fight side by side under the same starry flag and |
seen them buried in common grave; ana in your |
bft nd 1 have
soldier OF Port hudson will forget, that Ma
sachuSetls is earning immortal honOrs. Out of |
death comes life, and out OF its ashes and fire our
nation shall rise-rhgnix like-to new life. Pass
round the olive branch. Down upon traitors like |
AN Alpine avalanche! March Tor humanity and
STRIKE for all the world! (Great applause.)
After music by the band and song from the gIee
club, Col Davis spoke follows:
SPEECH OF HON. ISAAC DAVIS
The last time addressed you from this platform,
called upon the young men of this city to initiate
the young men of the Revolution. l also asked YOU
10 initiate the young of the 18TH 2lst and 25th
regiments Tonight offer you some other eonsid-
erations in connection with your duties in this
emergency Iwant nc to go dragged to the
war.
Allusions have been made by the eloonept ofF..r
who has just taken his seat to the subject of slave
ry. ! don't propose to say anything about that
matter. II is AN institution abhor and loatha As
IN institution it is between the upper and neither mill
stone, and will be ground to powder. tGreat an
plause. III this foul plot is erased will forever
shout "glory!n "hallelujah" The present. is the
greatest conspiracy of which we have any account
since the angels undertook to overthrow the All.
mighty All patriots between the ages of eighteen
and orty-Hve, ought topromptly enlist to fill up our
quota. The amount of money offered in the way of
6Ounties has its parallel in the history of ma
tions. Other motives present themselves. The SOL
diers life is the pathway to honor and fame. Had not
Washington, Jefferson and Madison Identified them
selves with national struggle, they would never
have occupied the presidential chair.
Would Andrew jackson have been president if he
had not served his country the field OF battle'
aiording thus an nducement to every young Irish
/ man to copy the example of this Irish boy. What
! hcotchman would not share the honOrs to-day
/ joyed by Ulysses Grant, hero of Scotch descent!
ana let those of our citizens who not legal citi
Gems OF our nation remember the example of La
ta!eite, "ho lett lrsnds and fortune to aid us in
or struggle lorindependence
Those who will not now volunteer need not ex-
z pect any othce for the coming fifty years And il
Hhy Of my hearers in the strife for office find com