Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-06-16

success. and the men who opposed its
formation did not desire its success. And
| am bold to say, without OBTAINING you
on this subject, that for all the outcry
about our violations of the Constitution,
this present living generation and this
present Union party are more thorough
ly devoted to that Constitution than any
generation that has ever lived under 1t.
[Applause.l
But the idea which wished to carry
out as the remedy for these troubles and
sorrows, dreadful as they are is this;
This fearful truth runs through the
whole history of mankind that whatever
else may be done to give stability to an
thority, whatever else may be done to
give perpetuity to institutions, however
wise, however glorious, practical and
just may be the philosophy of 1t, 1t has
been found that the only enduring, only
imperishable cement of all free institu-
lions has been the blood of traitors. No
Government has ever been built upon
imperishable foundations, which found
atoms were not laid in the blood of trail
tors 1t is fearful truth, but we had
as well avow it at once, and every lick
yOu anu iCpCi yOu Nil, W.
cry battle you win, dreadful as it is to
do it, you are adding, it may be a year,
1t may be ten years, it may be century,
it may be ten centuries to the life Of the
Government and the freedom of your
children. [Great APPLAUSE Now, pass
ing over that idea, passing over many
other things which it would be right for
me to say did time serve and were this
the occasion, let me add-you are I'm
ion party. [Applause.l
Your origin has been referred to as
having occurred eight years ago. In one
sense it is true that you are far older.
than that. | see before me not only
primitive Republicans and primitive Abb
olitionists, but | see, also, primitive
Democrats and primitive Wings, print
tive Americans and, if you will allow
me to say so, | myself am here, who all
my life, have been a party to myself.
Laughter and applause, As Union
party, | will follow you to the ends of
the earth and to the gates Of death Zap
piauseE but as an Abolition party, as
Republican party, as Wing party, as
a Democratic party, as an American par
ty, | will not follow you one foot. lap
plause. But it is true of the mass of
the American people, however you may
divide and scatter, while this war lasts,
while the country is in peril, while you
call yourselves as you did in the call of
the Convention, the Union party, you are
for the preservation of the Union and
the destruction of this Rebellion, root
and branch.
INa. thot fbn ffhiraarn
yention itself was understood, and / be-
leve it virtually did explicitly state that
they would not touch slavery in the
states. Leaving it, therefore, altogeth-
er out of the question how we came
where we are on that particular point,
we are prepared to go further than the
original republicans themselves were
prepared to go. We are prepared to de-
| mand not only that the whole territory
| of the United States shall not be made
slave, but that the general government
| of the American people shall do one of
the two things, and it appears to me
| that there is nothing else that can be
| done. either to use the whole power of
the government, both war power and
peace power, to put slavery as nearly as
possible back where it was (for although
that will be fearful state of society, it
is better than anarchy, or else to use
the whole power of the government
both of war and peace and ali the prac-
teal power that the people of the United
States will give them to exterminate
and extinguish. Prolonged applause
| have no hesitation in saying for my
self that, if / were pro -slayery man,
i'll believed this institution was an or
dinance of God and was given to man.
/ would unhesitatingly join those who
demand that government should be put
back where it was but | am not pro
slavery man. | never was. unite my
self with those who believe it is con-
trary to the brightest interests of all mer
and of all government, contrary to the
spirit of the christian religion, and in
compatible with the natural right o
men. Join myself with those who say
away with it forever Applause land
/ fervently pray God that the day may
come when throughout the whole LAND
every man shall be as free as you are,anC
as capable OF enjoying regulated liberty
| will not detain you any longer. One
single word you will allow me to say ii
behalf of the state from which [ came
one of the smallest Of the thousands o
Israel We know very well that GU
eleven votes are of no consequence in tn,
; presidential election we know yer,
well that in our present unhappy condi
ton it is by no means certain that W,
are here to-day representing the part,
that will carry the majority of the vote
in that unhappy state. know yer,
well that sentiments which am utter
ing will cause me great odium in tn
state in which was born, which | love
, where the bones of two generations 0
|. my ancestors and some of my childrel
are, and where, very soon, shall la
, my own. know very well that m
! colleagues will incur odium if they in
/ dorse what | say and they, too, kno,
it. But we have put our faces towar
the way in which we intend to go, an
! we win go on to the end. If we are t
' perish, we will perish in that way. A
: have to say to you is, help if you can
: if you cannot believe in your heart
! that we have died like men. [Grea
r cheering.l
| ~