Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-07-08

SPEECH
OF
DEORGE w WOODW ARD,
GREAT UNION MEETING,
ield December IS, 1850, in Indepen'
dcnCe Square Philadelphia.


held December IS, 1850, in Indepen'
dcnce Square Philadelphia
The msqtue was called by tho Mayor Of the
ai,y, at the requcgt VI the Select and Common
Councils, and was held NJ noon, Thursday the l5th
December. 1860, IN Independence Square. May
IN Henry wna called 10 preside, and large mum
b. ot gentlemen offCiated 1s Vce Presidents and
secretarics. The meeting was opened with pray
/. hy Bishop Potter Tho address Of tho Mayor |
a ulyrt The rosolut 0ns were read by John Il. |
tiyers. The -peaReis selected by Committee Of
auncils then addressed the vast cOncourse as
,ruhled IN The Square IN the following orter'-
aI.n Juscpg H. IreersOl, George W. Woodward
hare9 T. Lex, Theodore Guy Ter, and I5oac ha
\ Lurail
We have assembled, fellow citizens, in
pursuance Of the proclamation Of the May
H.. that We may counsel together to avert
ne lauqer which threatens our country" "
4 bat danger is not recent or new. II has
u history And we must glance at that :
70 must obtain q clear view Of the actunl
lgte Of the crisis, before we can give or.
iDrrige intelligent counsel.
4 /, was announced few years nFo that
sne couaic. which had spauug zap an this
tountry between free and s!aye labor was
irepressib,e; that a horse divided against
4 self could not stand that all the States
etJlis Union mas. become free or slave
States
The meaning ot tai, was, and is, that all
! ere to become free Stata as, FOR the soil and
climate Of a majority Of the States are such
tat il never cau become the interest of
ihe superior raco 10 mpiulain slavery in
them Eyery body knows this, and there's
1orc the alternative form ofthe proposition
nyAs only 10 siye il an appearance Of fair
hess and little more rhetorical effect
The fall scope and meaning Of the ans
.nouncemeut are, then, that citizens Of the
United States are o be totally divested OF
the property they now hold in four or five
.mrlloos of slaves, OF the aggregate value
of many hundred millions of dollars, and
that the botits aud domestic condition Of
.the reople-iheir commercial relations,
-md their political rights, in so far rn5 these
interests me connected with the insIilus
ran %, s!ay.4r, ar, to undergo a royoiu,
.tiap
H.s va lhI prediction the voice of an
obscure nnd unhonored prophet, but of a
,l;tzcr whom the people Of the free States
have lust d.sDiaensbed, il a signal man'
uer by comforting On him the highest Of
ncs the, ad 10 give. In so far as their
votes aro be considered as responsive to
.jsonrouucomcnt they are loud amen
oDern answer, so let it he.
Wm4tuislol to tie doubted that null
,,tudcs yoted for the President elect with
other views, and did not intend a distinct
rdo,semon'oi his fayoritS proposition
ypl. os the record is made up, the prophe
~ and the prophet stand approved by O
majority Of ,he people Of the free Stotes
The 'uexorable exclusion Of slave proper.
u from the common territories, which tine
Government holds in trust for the peoplf
Of all the States, is natural and direc
step towards the grand result Of eNtin'
gushing slave property altogether, anc
was one OF the record issues Of The late
election. This policy must be considered
as approved also Not that t.er7 man wh,
voted for the successful nominees mean
toafirm, tEata trustee for several co-equa
parties has right, in law or reason, to ex
clude the property of somo and admit the
OG Others Of the porties for whom be hold
but SO is the record And whilst It
uot 10 De taken as expressing The 1g.arcrss
sense oI the voters, it does, undoubtedly
imply that vast masses Of Northern pee
. pie DO heartily approve, both Of the PROF
ositiou 10 make all Of the States free, an
Of beginning by excluding slavery fror
the territories.
The South seems inclined so to nccep
tho judgment Skc holds tho propert
thst is to be shut out of the territories
That is to be restricted cribbed, and con
ehuod, more and more, until it is final
exunguished Everywhere in the Sout
/. ihe people are beginning to look out fo
means Of seli,defence. Could it be expet
ted that they would be Indifferent 10 sue
erenis as have occurred? PhRt they voul
tiand idle and see measures concerted an
car led forward for the humiliation, soor
4 ~ Or later, Of her property in slaves ?
The law ol self defence includes right
vropeyt as we'd as Of person; and it appea
to me, that there must be time, in Il
4 progress Of this confiet II he indeed i
ropressible. when shareholders may lawiu
ly lsll back on their natul9l rights. ar
employ, in defence Of theirpropSrty' Tha
over means Of protection they posses
can command ] do not agree with Nhe
that she time has arrived get. but u WON
+. be well for those who push on this eonkic