Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-08-06
NolhitaI,
SPEECH OF EX-PRESIDENT PIERCE
AZ Concord, N. H.. July 4.

My FRIENDS AND FELLOW COUNTRY ,
MEN:-Whle have come to preside at
this meeting, at your bidding, permit me
TO saw that no command less imperative
than your wish on such on occasion,
would have brought me here; and | trust
that in view of the great aggregation OF
personal relations which thirty years OF
manhood life have formed between us,
YOU will recognize in this fact, a warm ro-
ciprocstion, on my part, OF the respect
and affection which, in all that time, |
have never failed to fad on yours We
meet on the anniversary OF day hallow-
ed by solemn memories, and sanctilied as
that of the birth of the American Union |
The Declaration of Independence laid the |
foundation OF our political greatness in
the two fundamental ideas of the obso
lutte independence of the American peo-
pie, and of the sovereignty of their res
pective States. Under that standard our
wise and heroic forefathers fought the
battle of the Revolutions under that they
conquered. In this spirit they establish
cd the Union, having the conservative
thought ever present to their minds, Of
the original sovereignty and indepcnd-
onco of the several States, all with their
diverse institutions, interests, opinions
and habits, to be maintained intact and
secure, by the reciprocal stipuIations and
mutual compromises Of the Constitution.
They were master builders, who reared
MP the grand structure Of the Union, that
august temple beneath whose dome three
generations have enjoyed such blessings
Of civil liberty as were never vouchsated
BY Providence to man; that temple be-
fore whose altars you and have not only
bowed with devout and grateful hearts;
but where, with patriotic VOWS and sac'i-
fees, we have so frequently consecrated
ourselves to the protection and mainte-
nance of those lofty columns Of the Con
stitution by which it was upheld APP
plause No visionary enthusiasts were
they. dreaming vainly of the impossible
uniformity of some wild Utopia, of their
own imsginations. No desperate reform
crs were they, madly bent upon schemes
which, if consummated, could only ie.
suit in general confusion, anarchy. and
chaos. OH no; high hearted, but saga-
cious and practical state men they were,
who saw society rs n living fact, not as
troubled vision who knew that nation
al power consists in the rcconcilement Of
diversties Of institution and interests,
not their conflict and obitcraton; and
who saw that variety and adaptation OF
parts are the necessary elements Of all
there is sublime or beautiful in the works
OF art or of nature. Majestic were the
solid foundations, the massive masonry,
the columned loItincss Of that magnili.
cent structure Of the Union. Glorious
was the career of prosperity, and peace
and power upon which from It's very
birthday. the American Union entered, a
with the assured march of the consciou
offspring OF those giants Of the Revo
luton. Such was the Union, as con
ceived and administered by Washington
and Adams, by Jefferson, Madison, an,
jackson. Such, say, was tho Union
ere the evil times befcl us; ere the mad
ness Of sectional hatreds and animositie
possessed us; ere, in the third generation
the comprehensive patriotism of tn
Fathers had died out and given place T.
the passionate emotions of narrow an
aggressive sectionalism. The Eastern
the land with their farms and manuiac
lures; so did the Middle Atlantic States
with addition Of their mineral wealth o
coal and ircn while the Southern States
with their bright, soft climate and con
genial soil, raised up those great staple
of cotton, tobacco sugar, rice and corn
which are the life of commerce aud man
ufactures; and tho vast regions OF III,
West grew to be the granares Of Europ,
aud America: and stll further on wa,
revealed The land of gold and silver, Oh
the remote shores of the Pacific, These
were the material elements of our nation.
al power; each State with its difference
of interests, operating with the others
to constitute one harmonious WHOLE
And so the various European races. co,
existing here, though differing in blood,
religion, tempcr-the Protestant and the
Catholic, the Puritan and the Cayilier;
yet. by their very different characters,
afforded tho mental and moral elements
of the power of tho Union. Glorious
sublime above all history records of ma
tional greatness, was the spectacle whio
the Union exhibited to the world, SO Ion
as the true spirit OF inc tohStituIo
lived in the hearts of the people. and tn
government was a government OF me
reciproeally respecting ono another
rights, and OF States each moving. planet
like. in the orbit of its proper place j
tho armament Of the Union Then W
were the model Republic Of the worl,
bonored. loved. for feared where'w wei
not loved, respected abroad, peaceful an
happy at home. No American citize
was then subject TO be driven into exi
for opinions sake, or arbitrarily arreste
and incarcerated in military bastiles--
even as hs may now be--not for acts O
3 words Of imputed treason, but il be d
but mourn in silent sorrow over the dee
olation Of his country applause n
embattled hosts of Americans were the
wasting their lives and resources in sum
20 minary civil strife; no suicidal and pai
ricidal civil war then swept like ragin
tempest Of death over the stricken home
q steads snd wailing cities of the Unioi
o. that such a change should have com
over our country in day. as it were--s
If all men in every State Of the Union
Karth and South Eaef and Wat IVA