The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-07-22


no more States to go out in the insurreetion.
The insarrectionary States have no more SOL
diers to bring into the conflict. On the other
hand, in the loyal States the plow has twice
passed through the ground. and each time it
has yielded the necessary harvest of defend
ers of the Union. The subsoil is deep, and
is as rich in the elements of military strength
and virtue as that which has already. been
twice furrowed It is for the disloyai citizens
to decide whether they will give up the con-
test now, or abide further and more conclu-
sve trial But, fellow-citizens, I have incon-
tinentIy run into speech, and will now stop.
[" Go on, go on" ave want to hear you."
"What of Vicksburg?a]
Yicksburgl Why, that is Just what was
speaking of. Vicksburg fell on the Fourth of
July; and Port Hudson, do not doubt, will
fall before the 4th of August. When both
have fallen, the United States are masters of
the Mississippi. The power that navigates
the Mississippi dominates in North America,
and makes division of the United States of
America impossible Then think that Ros-
ecrans either has by this time or soon viii
have occupied the mountain passes of East
Tennessee; and thus by the two successes the
new slave Confederation becomes divided in
to four separate disconnected Territories
What kind of Confederation will that be?
chain broken into four fragments; and this
is only the beginning Texas west of the
Mississippi. detached from the Confederation
by the Mississippi; and Territories east of the
Allegheny Mountains separated from the Gulf
States by the Federal occupation of East Ten
nessee, will be followed by new and inevita-
bic cases of fracture t.
on have already seen Missouri detach
herself from the Confederacy. Next you will
see Arkansas come into Congress, as you have
already seen Louisiana come there. On this
side of the Mississippi look sharply at the
Old North State, and you will see her pre-
pairing to return into the Union a strange
kind of Confederate State will be seen exist
ing between what remains to the insurgents
of Virginia and South Carolina Two slices
of secession bread made into sandwich by
the intervening slice of North Carolina ham,
with its copnus condiment of mustard Nv
friends, we have seen painful sight. We
have seen thirteen stars of this glorious con-
stelIation shoot in blood and fire from their
S; heres. We are now to see one that will
compensate us for all the pain the former
spectacle has given us.
ave are to see each one of those stars
coming back from its wandering through
chaos of consuming anarchy, and take its
place in the armament to fall from thence, I
trust no more forever I am sure of this,
because in the darkest night of our troubles,
| ] have known two things-first, that these
States could not be altogether extinguished,
and second, that the attraction which breaght
them originally together, however weakened,
cannot be utterly broken Do not go away
with the impression that all these things are
to come to pass without further performance
of duty, and further sacrifice The Union is
to be saved after all only by human efforts, by
the efforts of the people. Those efforts ara
to be made in two ferms-you must vote for
the Union through all discouragements and
alarms and complaints, whether those in
whom you have reposed your confidence are
wise or unwise, competent or incompetent,
successful or orunsuceessful; and you must fight
for the Union, never retreating or giving
ground before the enemy
" You must be prepared to do more You
must maintain your ground here in this Cap
/ ital. When the rebellion ceases let it find us
here to celebrate the salvation of our country
If the Capital must fall before it can be saw
i ed, which have always thought unnecessary
and which now seems impossible, even in that
case, let US be buried amid its ruins For
myself, this is my resolution. If the people
of the United States have virtue enough to
save the Union, I shall have their virtue. If
they have not, then it shall be my reward
that my virtue excelled that of my country
men.
"IfI fall here let no kinsman or friend re-
move my dust to more hospitable grave
Let it be buried under the pavement of the
avenue, and let the chariot wheels of those
who have destroyed the liberties of my coun-
try rattle over my bones until more heroic
and worthy generation shall recall that coun-
try to life liberty, and independence This
shall be my only reward, living or dying. for
whatever l may be abe to do for the deliver
ance of my country from danger, So on the
other hand, that my country may visit me
with whatever censure or reproach for short
connings that may seem to it just, but the
world shall never hear word of fcemplaint is
sue from my lips. s
"This is my resolution. Now, fellow citi-
zens, for yours. What should that be That
resolution must be that you will not wait for
draft or conscription. Ask not whether the enc
my is near or far off. Ask only is therestill an
enemy in arms against the United States
domestic one or a foreign one-array your
selves to meet that enemy. Thus when the
consequent demands, the desolation of your
country or foreign enemy proposes inter-
vene, your answer is ready. will write il
down and deliver it for you, as I have here
tofore. Do you only stand ready to maintain
ii, and if I can do more service in the ranks
than can in being your organ. I will enroll
myself with you. The flag of the Union
mustwave not only in the capital and in the
Free States, so-called, and on the Mississippi,
but must go through the Union until not one
dsloyal citizen remains in arms to oppose it. /"
I "Boiling to death,'' Blackstone says, "seems
l.