The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-12-03
Speech Of Secretary Seward at aettys-

The evening before the recent dedication
ceremonies at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, g
Baltimore band serenaded the President, Sec
Rotary Seward, and other distinguished guests
II the citizens Of Gettysburg. After two OF
three airs by the band, mingled i'll the calls
for the Secretary, Mr.. Seward made his ap
p%earance and spoke as follows
FELLOW CITIZENS: | am now sixty years
old and upwards; l have been in public life
practically forty years Of that time, and yet
this is the first time that ever any people or
community so near to the borders of Mary
land was found willing to listen to my voice
and the reason was that | said forty years
ago that slavery was opening before this peo-
pie a graveyard that was to be filled by broth
ers falling in mutual political combat. |
knew that the cause that was hurrying the
Union into this dreadful strife was slavery,
and when | did elevate my voice 1t was to
warn the people to remove that cause when
they could by constitutional means, and 50
avert the catastrophe of civil war that now
unnappily has fallen upon the nation, delug-
ing it i'll blood. That crisis came, and we
see the result. | am thankful that you are
willing to hear me at last.
/ thank my God that | believe this strife
is going to end in the removal Of that evil
which ought to have been removed by peace
fuI means aud deliberate councils. tGoOd.
thank NY God Tor the hope that tins Is tue
last Fl, tricitai var which Will fall upon this
uounlry-a uouutry vouelsafed 10y heaven
the richest, the broadcast, the most beautiful,
most magnificent and capacious ever yet be
slowed upon a people, that has ever been Civ
en- to any part Of the human race. Applause.
And 1 thank God for Tie. hope that when that
cause is removed simply by the operation OF
Astonishing it, as the origin OF the great trea-
sou that is without justification and without
parallel, we shall thenceforth be united, be
onIy one country, having only one hope, one
ambition and one destiny. Applause Then
we Shall Know that we are not enemies, but
that we are friends and b. Others, that this
Union is q reality, and that we shall mourn
together for the evil wrought by this rebel
lion.
We are now near the graves of the misgui-
ded, whom we nave consigned to their last
resting-place with pity for their errors and
with the same heartful of grief with which
we mourn over the brother by whose hand
raised in defence of his Government, that mis-
guided brother persisted. When we part to-
morrow night, let us remember that we owe
il to our. country and to mankind that this
war shall have for its conclusion the estab-
fishing Of the principle Of Democratic Govern
ment-the simple principle that whatever par
ty, whatever portion Of the Union prevails by
constitutional suffrage in an election, that par
ty is to be respected aud maintained in power
until it shall give place on another trial ana
another verdict, to a different portion Of the
people. Good. If you do not do that. you
are drifting at once and irresistibiy to the very
verge of tie destruction of your Government.
But with that principle this Government o.
ours-the freest, the best, the wisest and the
happiest in the world-must be, and, so far
as we are concerned, practically will he, i'm.
mortal. IApplause.l