Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-12-05


The City Hall crowded to Overlooking AMIN
last evening by the citizens Of Worcester The
meeting was called to order by City Marshal Pratt
and Col A. b. r. Sprague was elected chairman of
the meeting and Col. John II. Studley secretary
Alter n Strotic song by Mr. Daniel Moore, the
chairman made some Introductory remarks saving
that the retreat Of Meade was owing to lack of men
Shall we heed the call for men! Shall we be recIe.
ant to our country Shall We be recreant to DOS
terity?
KEW. MERRILL RICHARDSON was then introduced
to the audience. He said lie should base his re-
marks upon the inquiry: why is the progress OF
| this war Slow"
First, because war always lasts longer than pso-
pie suppose at the outset lie referred to the rapid
progress made in this war within the past two years
our Nag now floats every state in the Union; the
Mississippi is open from its source to the gulf; we
have pushed the rebels down almost to the gulf
and the western tier of those states have already
submitted to u.s.
Secondly, the work proves harder than any one
supposed. Toombs said ne one north or south ever
dreamed that this war would ever demand one hun.
bred thousand mon. Under Buchanan, that old
traitor if not old granny, the south stole all our
implements of war, and the cabinet so managed
affairs that they sent south all the and ANNA
milton, and scattered our ships; aud Lincoln, when
lie was inaugurRted, had hardly n tool with which
10 work,
Thirdly, We feared the stakeholder more than we
feared the devil For eighteen months we did not
conduct the war according to the laws Of war.
-FOUR MAJOR generals of our army issued proclama-
lions promptly, offering their services in putting
down any negro instructions but exhibited no such
feeling toward the masters. For thirty years we
have stood in awe of the institution of slavery and
the southern oligarchy has done just as it pleased
For fifteen years no publisher of school books
dared to put the word freedom into their publ.
cations and all the pieces which SO thrilled us in our
schoolboy days have been omitted The same thing
has been done by religious societies. The Amer
lean Tract Society altered sixty books leaving out
every word relating to slavery, showing conclusive
ly the power of the institution. The serpent Of
slavery has wound itself about eur schools and our
colleges, and reached the top of church spires,
holding the nation in its iron grasp.
In ancient Rome one citizen holder than the rest
dared to ascend the ladder, broad-axe in hand, to
smash down the avorite idol Of the people, the ma
ton looking on meanwhile pale and trembling; 80
in our day Lincoln raises the ladder aud ascsndst
smite American slavery its death; yet he dared not
give the blow, the American people all fearing
lest the universe should fall, till he could do it a.
military necessity. Within eighteen months the Of.
| ncers of our regiments would leave the ranks TO
KICK negro. But it is all now. (ApplausS)
we have forty colOred regiments in the field
Fort Hudson aud fort Wagner provo the negrOes
ability to tight. Is not this progress?
II this war is righteous war why has not God
helped u.s. some one may ask. God is on the side
OF agriculture, yet the world might starye before
God wouldg give us bushe of corn or a hill of DO
tatoes, if We did not comply with the conditions
uDon which he Dromises suceeax