The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-03-05
Great speech by Charles ID. Drake.
ESQ.,. Of -. Louis. Delivereo ne.
0nre the I.Ouinville Convention.
AusPICIoUs PROSPECTS.

AJSPlCIOCS PROSPECTS.
The presence Of this Convention in this
city betokens progress, signals deliverance,
and heralds freedom; progress in patriot
ism and fraternity, deliverance OF the wnlte
mans mind and conscience from long
thraldom to despotic system OF human
Slavery, and freedOm-unirersdt freedom
tn the American black man after more
than two centuries OF bondage. The great
mission of the ninteenth century to Ame-
rica approaches its fruition; and the first
centenary Of American independence.
which many here may live to witness, will
resound with the reioicings of white and
black men, over land from which the
stain Of Slavery has been wiped out. we
could not have come here in peace three
years ago on such an erraEt; we snail not
need to come again three years hence; Tor
before that day the mighty work Will be
done, and every foo: OF American soll, pu-
rifed by fire and blood, will be libertys
cOnsecrated home for all the ages to come.
[Applause.l
Such is the glorious prospect as we stand
to-day on this lookout Mountain OF
time, and high above the clouds through
which we have fought our way to its sum
init. peer into the near future from which
the vail is being rent. Simple words and
few in the expression of emotions beht this
hour. We should first ascribe to Him the
glory whose mighty arm has thus far held
the American nation up, and whose pur-
pose that the wrath Of man shall praise
Him was never more manifest IN the his
torv of nations than in the swift vengeance
He is taking OF the idols lor which the
aristocrats of Slavery shrouded this land
in GLOOM But as there is no night IN
heaven, so man can make no gloom on
earth that Omnipotence cannot pierce Inc
sun is rising: the n!lsts OF error are driitihe
awav; the nation throws OIL the shackles
and ei,lavement of Slavery; and to-mor-
row. as it were, the noontide of freedom
will blaze over country where no man
shall ever again be called, or be, u slave
(Great cheering.
sLAyEgy.s ) RELATION TO THE NATION.
But l am no. here 10 speak 10 kentuck.
ians. so much as 10 Americans. Nor do
come to speak Of Kentucky Slavery, sc
much as American Slavery. This war mas
stripped the Slavery question OF It's local
and State character, and made it u national
matter. The point is no longer whether
Slavery shall be local institution, ou,
whether it shall he ut all. The issue ls no
now whether State policy, State Constitu'
tons and State laws, shall protect and per
petuate Slavery in spite of the nation; bu
whether having proved itself traitor, ant
stepped itselfto the very lips in the blood o
patriots, the nation shall permit it to live
The other day this question could not have
Treason and rebellion have left no ''sacret
soil" of Slavery on this continent. Free
dom to assail Slavery is now as irrefragibl'
right as freedom TO worship God accord
ing to the dictates Of conscience Slavery
is one and indivisible, and to assail it il
Missouri or Maryland is to assail it in Ken
tuckv or Tennessee. What it knows il
one place. what it feels in one place. wha
It does in one place, what it demands il
one place. it knows, feels, does and de
mands, in greater or less degree, in ever,
other place Of its dominions. Everywher
Il knows it's own interest before any other
feels and asserts its own unscrupulou
powers. does its own work of domination
and aggression, and demands its own su
prene aRgrandizement. Everywhere it i
an aristOcrat; everywhere the foe of tn
poor, and the companion and favorite Q
the rich; everywhere ambitious, selfis
and rapacious; everywhere intolerant an
proscriptive; and, as the history of tn
past three years has verified, everywher
that it dared, cruel, bloodthirsty an
treacherous. In one word, II IS written
blood all over this land that Slavery IS
PUBLIC ENEMY; and the whole mass
loyal Americans proclaim IN voice hk
mighty thunderings that Slavery snaii =
DESTROYED: and it will be destroyed, not
revolted States alone, but IN Missouri, |
Maryland, in Delaware, and In kentucK.
too.-[Great applause.
Treating Slavery thus as publlc enein
1t seems to me now, as it did not on the l:
OF January, 1868, that the President OF IN
United States in the proclamation whic
made that day perpetually memorable
came short OF the stern demands OF the tre
meuQOuS Qxirpncy ho ST rove to meet.