The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-06-18
Speech Of Hon Hannibal Ham
lin

Speech Of Hon Hannibal Ham,
Lin.
BEFORE TIE CANAL INVENTION
The Hon. Hannibal Hamlin, delegate
from the State Of Maine, and Vice President
Of the United States, in taking the chair,
spoke as follows:
GENTLEMAN OF THE CoSvENTron -.
/ tender to you my cordial thanks for this
expression of your confidence and respect,
in selecting me to preside over your deliber-
alton. Relying on your courtesy and your
CO operations, assume the responsibilities
which you have devolved upon me. You
hane met, gentlemen, at period of time
remarkable in the history Of our c,untry.--
Obedent to the call of prominent citizens in
different sections Of the country, you have
come together in this marvel of city, that
sits like queen on the borders of this
mghty lake, to deliberate on questions that
are important only in the existence of the
Government under which you live. [Loud
applause. And there is one fact that chal-
lenges remark. At time when war,
with its red wave, is deluging our land, and
VIII n brave. noble hearts and strong arms
h,ve gone forth to defend the integrity of
the common country, and to perpetuate the
national existence, this vast concourse of
people has assembled, representing all the
varied interests Of the broad land The fact
speaks language mere significant than
any that can utter. 1t announces that we
are here to prepare for the necessities of the
future. [Bravol
But . few years since, the people of this
mighty central portion of the country were
numbered almost in units, and it's CONNER
cial statistics found no place in commercial
records. And what do we find to-day p
Why, gentlemen, you count your commerce
by the half Thousand of millions, and your
population by tens of thousands. The sa.
gacity of that statesman Of whom the EN-
State may well be proud, and in whom ev-
cry American citizen has also his pride, did
effect the opening up of the then little COM
merce of the lakes--small, as compared with
its present--and you have lcome to-day to
initiate his emample, and to initiate, trust
those works that are commensurate with
the demands Of to day. [Applause.l. Let
me tell you, gentlemen Of the centre, that
you have no deeper interest in the matter.
and have no greater stimulant to act on,
than we from the far East have. fCheers.
We have met at time when we haye learn
ed, in variety ofways, what are military
necessities. You, as wise men, hare come
here to-day to prepare for the military ne
cessities of the future, if any such shall
arise. [Applause.] A population ON these
inland seas, and along your mighty rivers,
lives with no guns to protect their homes 81
their property. Is there not necessity
nay, have you right to send up that de-
mand to the General Government, that
must be answered. [Applause.l You
know, and know, that by our treaty stipu
lation we are not allowed to maintain any
armament on our Western waters You
know, and know, that there are channels
of communication northward, by which ma.
val and military ornaments may be sent in
to the Northern Lakes, by Great Britain,
wEiie we have no countervailing facilities.
And it seems to me that he who looks as
statesman, or he who loves his country,
can hardly fail to come up to the necessities
or the occasion, and to say that he will have
those facilities which military necessities in
the future may require. Applause More
thar that, when added to military neces-
sity, which leaves no doubt as to the wis.
dom of what you propose, the measure
opens new channels to your commerce, and
facilitates the transportation of your vast
commerce to market, then the subject which
has brought you together is worthy of your
wisest consideration. But when you add
the two together, military necessity and
facilities, who is there in all this broad land
who win say, with the lights that we have
before Us, in what has already been done,
that our Government will not, at the appro-
pirate time, and to the extent of its means,
give helping hand to openup the vast re-
sources of this great country. [Cheers and
applause.
Gentlemen, invite you attention to the
deliberation ofthe questions that shall come
before You. ! trust, ps know, that y on
will bring coolncss, care and candor to
those deliberations, that you will rise above
all local interests and come up to the impor.
lance Of the occasion.
Do that, and, this shall be the starting
point and this the starting hour. in long.
and great, and glorious career of the mighty
West. 1t will give us increased military
strength. 1t will add new facilities to com
merce, and It will bind us still closer to-
gether in harmony, in peace, in Union and
Liberty forever. Loud Applause.
vRspss N n~s UNSs~n