The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1864-07-19
Speech OfHOn. Samuel ShelIabaP-
ger.


In our last issue We made brief reference
to the speech delivered by Hon. Samuel Shell
labarger, before the London Convention. We
ind the speech reported in full in the Spring
field Republic, and we think we can not do
better than to give it to our readers And
we bespeak for it a calm, careful reading,
by every voter in the county. We are this
fall to vote upon questions Of the mightiest
magnitude. It is theorists Of our govern
ment. In such an hour, it is the part of
every voter to be fully aroused to sense of
the awful responsibilities resting upon
him.
But here is the speech IN full. Mr.. Shell
labarger said:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CoxvEyTToS: You
know well how one, placed in my condition
before You might be inclined as matter of
taste, to omit the formal returning of thanks
to the Convention for the favor you have
just conferred It has come to be so much
a matter of course, and Of form, that one is
rather made to feel like emitting it. But
still, would not only be violating the pro-
/ prieties of the occasion, but would do gross
! injustice to myself, did not express to you
my thanks for this renewed expression of
/ your kindness, bestowed in such a way as
/ to make it peculiarly gratif ying. Gentle
men, trust chat l do not wholly undcresti-
mate the impoT Ttance and responsibility of the
/ position to which your nomination points
/ To be the representative of great and free
/ people at any time, is responsibility enough
for the ablest and the best to assume. But to be
/ the representative Of this people now seems
4 to be a dignity from which the visest might
well shrink; and Of which I may without
any affectation Of modesty, say that am
unworthy.
Having most cordially rendered to the
/ Convention my thanks for this new kind
ness, I ought perhaps here to stop. But will
/ you gentlemen, pardon me for OBTAINING
/ you moment, for the purpose Of making to
/ you suggestion or two What desire 10
say has become perhaps commonplace by
its frequent repetition and yet venture to
repeat il. Itis that the great and transcend
enC obligation Of patriotism to-day is to
rightly realize and apprehend the obligations
and duIies which are upon us as citizens.
and to realize the magnitude of the interests
which are involved in the conflicts in which
we are now involved. And one Of the most
imminent perils upon US now, l think,
comes from the growing familiarity of the
people with the idea Of the ultimate wreck
of the Government and the proportiOnato
lessening Of their realization of the magni-
tude Of such a disaster Why, gentlemen,
we are in daily and familiar contact with
events which, if read about to-day, in his
tories a thousand years old, would startle
the world; and the story of these events will
startle the generations Of men a thousand
years to come.
In Gods providence it has occurred to us
TO live in the age which is to be the heroic
age Of the worlds civilization. mean it
is to be this if the patriotism of this age
shall be found adeg uate to the comprehen-
sion Of the events which are upon it, and TO
the enacting Of the part which is set for it
10 act.
It's this want to tell the Convention.
This is what I want you to tell to those you
represent here. l do not want to say to you
that somebody's party IS in danger, nor that
somebody's candidate sin danger nor that
somebody's State even, is in danger. What
l want TO say is that everybody's Govcrn-
ulsat is in danger. / want 10 impress upon
you that the terrible duty Of the hour-nay,
Of the age-is to arise to the sublime appre-
hension Of the stupendous fact that Liberty
Free Institutions amongst men, are on
trial, and that God has made me and YOU
the tsiers. The duties Of patriotism to-day
are stronger, new, startling This, gentlemen
Of the Convention is a weak and INADEQUATE
statement Of the fact Let US, let the men Of
the North realize it as a fnct, and then let
the earnestness, the endurance, and the de-
termination Of our actions in behalf of the
Government show that we have arisen to
the apprehension of this fact in all its vast
ness ofmagnitude.
Another suggestion I make which is re-
suit Of the one l have made. It is" that the
iRt,griy Of the Union organizations Of the
loyal State, as the means Of their retaining
in loyal hands, the Administration of the
Government Of the United States, and of
the several States is obviously and absolute
ly vitalto our continued existence as free !
Government. This is the simple statement
Of plain fact without exaggcration. I
leave to you TO draw the inference as to what
our duties are in preserving the integrity
and harmony Of the Union organization of /
the loyal States.
And here let me remind you Of what in
substance, you know. The organization in