Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-01-22
GREAT. SIP PEECH
HON. c. /. YAI.LANDIGAAM
TH "a, WV a. R
Dslivsred n the HYyss ,gg RsPrsssnis
Hi8 ttves OF ahe ut1tfodt Sfar1a an
die lam JannarT, iAAa.
lFrom The Congregational GLOBE, January ID


ity Of the people, who, for six years, have in.
trusted me with the Office Of Representative
Loyal in the true and highest sense Of the
word, to the Constitution and the Union, they
have proved themselves devotedly attached 10
aud worthy Of the liberties 10 secure which the
Union and the Constitution were established
With candot and freedom therefore, as their
lRepresentotiye, and with much much plain
ness OF speech bat with the dignity and de.
cency due TO this presence propose to con.
slider the STATE OF THE UNIoN today, and to
inquire what the duty is of every public man
aud every citizen in this the very crisis Of the
Great Revolution.
Ii is now two years, sir, since Congress az.
sembled soon after the Presidential election.
a sectional anti-savery party had just sue
ceeded through the forms OF the Consultation
For the first time a President had been chosen
upon platform of avowed hostility to an in
sttution peculiar to Hearly one.half of the
States Of the Union, aud had himself pro-
claimed that there was an irrepressible con
ttict because of that institution between the
States aud that the Union could not endure
a"part slave aud part free" Congress met,
therefore, in the midst Of the profouudest ag.
itation, not here, Only, but throughout the en-
tire South. Revolution glared upon us Re
peated efforts for concihation and compromise
we're attempted in Congress and out of it. All
were rejected by the party just comiug into
power except only the promise in the last
hour of the session, and that too against the
consent OF a ma ority of that party both in
the Senate and House, that Congress-not the
Executve-should never be authorized to
abolish or interfere with slavery ia the States
where it existed. South Carolina seeded;
Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi Lou
Sisians and Texas speedily followed The
The other slave States held back Virginia
sdemandeda Peace Congress The Commits.
sloners met and, after some time, agreed upon
terms Of final adjustment But tne,her in the
Senate nor the House were they allowed even
respectful consideration The President
elect left his home in February, aud journey
ed toward this capital, iesting as he caule;
proelaiming that the crisis was only artificial,
and that nobody was hurt He entered
this city under cover of night and in disguise
On the 4h OF March he was inaugurated,
surrounded by soIdiery and, swearingt TO sup.
port the Constitution Of the United States,
announced in the same breath that the plat.
form Of his party should be the law unto him.
From that moment all hope of peaceable ad-
justment fed But for little While either
with unsteadfast sincerity, or in premeditated
deceit, the policy Of peace was proclaimed
even TO the evacuation of Sumter aud the
other Federal forts and arsenals in the Sc
ceded Statee Why that policy was suddenly
Abandoned, time will fully disclose
But just after the spring elections, aud the
secret meeting in this city OF the Governors oil
several Northern and Western States a fleet
oi----vessels carrying--men, was sent
down ostensibly to provision Fort Sumter
The authorities of South Carolina eagerly ac
cepted the challenge, and bombarded the
fort into surrendered, while the feet fired moi
gun, but just as the flag was struck
bore away and returned to the North, II was
Sunday the l4th of April, 1861 and that dAy
the Presidents fatal haste and without the
advice or consent OF Congrss, issued his proc.
lamatiOn dated the next day, calling out sey
enty-hye thousand militia foe three months to
repossess the forts, places and property seized
from the United States, and commanding the
insurgents 10 disperse in twenty days Again
the gage was taken up by the South, and
thus the flames OF a civil war, the grandest
the bioodiest and gaddest in history, lighted
up the whole heavens, Virginia Forthwith se-
csded North Carolina, Tennessee and = Ar.
kansas followed. Delaware, Maryland, Ken.
tucky end Missouri were in blaze OF aeita.
ton, and, within week from the proclama.
ton, the line of Confederate States was trans
ierred from the Cotton States to the Potomac
and Rlhostfo the Ohio and the Missouri, and
there population and fighting men doubled
IN tbs North Vest too, the Astoru ragged
with the fury OF hurricane Never in .histo
ry was any thing equal 10 it Men d womsr
and children, native and foreign born ChureE
and State, clergy and layman. were all swcp
along with the CURRENT Distinction Of age
sex, station, party, perished in an instant
Thousands bent before the tempest and here
and there ouy was one found bold enough
foolhRrdy enough 1t may have been, 70 bsaC
not, and upon him IL fell as a consuming fire
The spirit OF ofpersecution for oppnions sake
almost extinct in the Old World, now, by som,
mysterious transmiPration, appeared inear
nate inthe New Social relations we're disol
yed friendships broken up the lies of iami
ly and Kindred snapped aspuder, Stripes ant
hanging were every where threatended, some
times exeepted, Demonstration was invoked
slAnder sharpened bis tooth falsehood crushe,
truth tp the earth reason fed madnes,
reigned ENot justice only escaped to the skies
.. but peace returned 10 the bosom of God
whence she came. The gospel OF love perish
ed; hatesat enthroned, and the sacrifices o
human blood smoked upoA every alter l ..
But the reign Of the mob was inapgurateC
only to be supplanted by the iron domination
of arbitrary powers Constitutional limita
ton was brolEep down babeds corpus fell; lib
g, erty ofthe press, Of speech, of the person, o
TaaItg, of traYel, Of fone own house, and OF re
ligonj the right 10 bear arms, due process o
Law, Judicial trial, trial BY jury trialat all sy
cry badge aud npniment Of freedom in reput
Gcans g0verDment or ikingiy gogerBment--a
went down Al q blow the thief law officer o.