Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-06-08
MORNING LEADER.


Speech of Gerrit Smith.
At the meeting Of Loyal Leagues in
Utica last week, Gerrit Smith made a
splendid speech, from which we quote the
following paragraphs;
"I reeoIlect that more than thirty years
ago, when Great Britain Was sgitated by
the proposition to abolish British slavery,
some Quakers supplied themselves with
the image Of kneeling slave, and the ap-
pealing question was running out Of It's
mouth, Am I not q man and brother?
When the candidates for seats in Parlia-
ment would come around to these Quak-
ers and solicit their votes, and tell them of
the many fine things they would do If
elected-things peculiarly acceptable to
Quakers-thsse cunning Quakers would
thrust in the face Of these candidates this
appealing image, and ask them, Can you
GO that7 II you can't go that, we can't
60 you Just SO do 1 deal with these
men, when they pirate about their love for
the Constitution, the Union, and the Coun-
try. ask them, and you ask them, can
you go for putting down the rebellion 2
If you can't 60 that we can't 90 you. 0,
why should we 90 these vile hyporcrites-
for such they are-who talk about being
for the Constitution and the Union and
the country, and yet 60 not for putting
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 ala And now we have before us
but one duty; our one work is the work Of
putting down the rebellion. You have got
to come 10 this point 1 don't allow my
self TO be co-worker with any one on
earth who does not come to this point. The
putting d0wn of this rebellion must be done,
come what will to Constitution and
Union, and even country. TApplause. ]
Can you 60 that2 Applause, and cries Of
yes, yes For hold that our duty to
Justice, in putting down this rebellion, is
infinitely more commanding and absolute
than any duty we owe to the Constitution
or Union, or even the boundaries Of our
country. claim that we are to 60 for
putting down the rebellion unconditional
IL. Can you go that 2-You are not to
say, we will consent to putting down the
rebellion on condition Of saving the Con-
stitution, the saving Of the Union or the
saving of the country; you are to say, we
20 for putting down the rebellion uncon-
uALlUAGlLNF anu AAAhb A1 NAoH WlDAN s-N1S
traitorous enemies will not 20 along with
us. Applause. What some one ques-
tions me, would you for putting down this
rebellion with all the possible risks that
the Union, the Constitution and the coun-
try might 20 down with it'll answer, l
would. I answer, 1 make no calculation
at all at that point. My only duty has
been, from the hrst the putting down Of
this rebellion. And hence, some old Abo-
litionists, perhaps, would ask me, Do you
70 for putting down this rebellion at ali
possible hazards, that slavery may survive
and be stronger than ever I would.
run that risk. TApplsuse. have no
conditions TO make in behalf Of any Of my
hobbies and have not had since the day
the news reached me at PeterborO of the
bombardment Of Sumter. TApplsuse. ]
And now let me here say, thatin my phil
osopby, the putting down Of crime cannot
bring any harm to any good, cannot bring
any help to any evil Hence the putting
down of this rebellion, which is the crime
Of crimes, cannot bring any possible harm
to any good, in the Constitution, in the
Union, or in the country, or in Freedom
none whatever. call it the crime Of
crimes.-Earth has never known greater
crime than this attempt to destroy a nation
which had never done anything TO provoke
that ATTEMPT nation which had always
been, not only Just, but exceedingly partial,
to those guilty of this piratical and murder
GUS attempt. Applause. And now let me
here say, that to make ourselves most ef-
fectiTe in this work, we ought to cult
vate earnestness. Oh what an immense
fFtn GnutFt Tf.z Iro1 uvn-
that -espeetl If all our early generals
I beg your pardon, Mr.. President, I didn't
include yourself laughter you are too
nearly kindred to me that should do that
i say, if our early generals had had but
a tithe Of the earnestness that character
ICES the South and Southern generals, we
should not have needed TO be meeting
here; the rebellion would long ago have
been ended. And there is one thing more
we need to cultivate, and that is resent
ment. Can you go that? "a Yes, sir"
and applause) know there is a send-
mental, namby- -pamby religion, which
takes fright at the idea Of cultivating re-
sentiment.
awe need more resentment to fight the
rebels as we ought to fight them. That
has been our want all the way through.
I recall conversation with that great
and good man, Theodore Parker, which
had few years before his death--a con-
Versstion on the elements in human char
acter. He claimed great credit for our
power of party-hating. That's ike him;
and were he now alive you might be sure
Of having at least one hearty hater Of the
rebellion He would exclaim with the
Psalmist "Do not I hate them, o Lord 2
hate them with perfect hatred" Per-
haps some one would remind me Of the
prayer " Father, forgive them, they know
not what they do" Now hold that this
is entirely compatible with the
highest civilization and purest Christiani-
ty, and entirely consistent with forgive |
ness; but moreover these rascals do know |
what they do. (Great laughter and ap-
plause.} Our Savior had none such in his /
eye when he prayed. (Applause.) They
know what they do, and they do it with a |
hatred and viii, that puts to shame our |
indecision and gentleness. say we must |
90 unoonditionally for putting down the /
rebellion. And let me add, our loyalty is to
be unconditional. We have tried our
Government and we can trust it. ZAP
olause.) do not say that we are bound
o agree with it in all its views, of tariffs
md other things. l do not say we are
jound to approve all its war measures
wen. It is entitled to our loyalty, be-
iause it has abundantly proved itself to be
honestly and earnestly intent on putting
ioWn therebellion."