The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-04-26
SPEECH OF GEN. sICKLEs.

WIZ 1AC - - AnhOm NAOm~-s NO
South Nearly Worn Out---lts
Last Man and Dollar Engaged
1.-THE Vital Importance Of the
Struggle, Etc. ..s,
A very large concourse of people as
sembled yesterday afternoon on the
Campus Marcus to listen to Gen. Sick
les, the hero of dozen battles. He
was introduced by Postmaster Howard.
The General, who was received with
much applause, said:
FELLOW -CouNTRYMEN. LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN OF DETRoIT-This is my
| first visit to Detroit regret that the
state Of my health and the unfavorable
weather prevents my saying all that I
would desire. j am proud to address
the people of State that owes not a.
soldier to the armies of the Union. 1t
rejoices my heart TO stand upon sois
alike honored by citizens at thome and
brayely represented on the battlefield
by the heroic soldiers of Michigan
When, in 1851, l deemed it my duty
to rush to the defence of our Govern
ment, received from Michigan hun,
ndred as gallant men as ever shoulder
ed q musket. !. Since then have had in
my command two Michigan regiments,
the Sd and 5th, and it is proud privil-
ege to me to bear testimony to their
bravery. / can tell you what their
modesty forbids them to say. / can
tell you that, in the opinion of the la
mented Kearney, under whom they,
served, troops never more fully came
up to the.standard of what they should
be, than do some of the Michigan regi-
ments.
am glad to meet you under such
bright auspices for our cause. The
Union cause is to-day nearer its glori-
Gus triumph than it has ever BEEN
The heart of the nation is shown in the
Sanitary Fairs all over the country, in
which man, woman and child are unit,
ting to send relief so the soldiers
The clovep foot of nation you will, to
be sure. sometimes see. but only when,
you see Copperhead. Up to the be-
ginning of this war had never seen a
chance of being rebel in aparty with
out being one myself 1t is national
impulse to an American, to an Irishman
and to German to sympathize with
rebellion and to oppose authority
But when studied the cause, when /
saw that all the rebellions of history
with which / sympathized were just
and for freedom, in behalf of the many
deprived of their rights, againt the fav-
ored few, | saw that the rebellion of the
South was the first instance in history
of rebellion for slavery, and against
liberty. There was not throb Of my
heart which could sympathize with
such a cause. This is candid states
ment of the process through which /
passed. i am one who for many years
have struggled to maintain the consti-.
tutional rights of the South with the
Union. But the past cannot be recall
ed. Affections once ,dishonored can
not he revived. Do you tell me, We
who cry for peace, that the destruction,
of property and life, incides to this war,
is the assault of Northern aggression?
1t is not trne. 1t is not the abolition
lists who have abolished slavery. 1t is
due to Southern foley alone. "Peace!"
say some, and peace say i, but peace
with honor, peace with liberty, and no
other peace. The South can have pea
ce when it lays down its arms and sub
mits to the Government which WASH
ington founded. Until then, there can
be no peace. When we remember that
the South has conducted the war with
out regard to kind feeling, that it has
ignored all amicable feeling, whether
coming from our public meetings, from
our press, from our church, or from
any source, it is to the everlasting hon.
or Of the North that no community in
our whole section is animated by hatred
to the South. This war has not its orr
gin in the passions of loyal men. 1t
has been forced upon us without reason
and it is maintained by US without pas.
sion. Although formerly Democrat,
/ am yet an American, and therefore /
support my Government. / give up
no political principal / support the
lawfully chosen President of the Unit
ed States, and if the South were faith
full to the country, it would do to say
just what / am doing.
The future Of our country lies with
you and our armies. know the army
will do its duty. The rest lies with
You. One Of two things must newt
ably occur. We must either put down
the rebellion, or the rebellion will des-
troy constitutional liberty. If the
South succeeds, which it can never do
unless the North falters, it will, on the
one hand, ally itself with Mexico, un-
der the patronage Of France, and with
England the foe of American institu-
tions on the other. Then it will become
an aristrocracy, and subsequently, per-
haps, monarchy. There will then, be
constant border war, compelling us
10 maintain large standing army
The South will then be nucleus for an
alliance Of European powers against
this Republic, which must in that case
necessarily fall But if we succeed in
putting down the rebellion, we shall
plant republican liberty on a rock,
against which all waves Of hostility, Of
intrigue, Of sedition will forever dash
in vain.
The war cannot last very much long.
er. Our resources are abundant, but
the means Of resistance Of the South
are fast falling. The very barbaTism
with which they are fast failing. The
yer barbarism with which they are
opening this campaign shows their des;
cription. A people expecting the sup
port OF the civilized world Gould not