Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-10-27

Dba Hsmiu to shoulder his inusket in Bangor militia
company Laughter Thus far you may CO. but no fur
Their You must not touch mo-. You must not cnango
Presidents Patriotism requires that Abraham Lincoln
should be exempt from all such casualties And so we are
all to be drummed into voting for him under threat OF
the pains aud penalties of treason Indeed, my friends
this doctrine is getting to be little conla
gous about these tines and from some recent nantes
taons ia my part of the country az ieasthowever
NAV be- here or esewhere-I should suppose it was fast
becoming cherished dogma among once holders OF all
grades both national and Stse that the only true patriot
ism consisted keeping them all snugy in place and that
failure to vote for any or all OF them was little better
than dsloyalty the Government IL is certaRy very
accommodating in our Presidents and Governors and
Senator'S and Representatives thus to save the people the
trouble of an election Laughter If the war only lasts
four years more we snail Prfasp' DC spared inc trouble
My friends if the people are wse they VIII give some
Of their public servants lesson on this subject before
is too late and teach them that the freedom OF elections
too precious privilege to be abandoned at the dctaton
of those who have already enjoyed greater length OF ser
vice. of think than together with
the public welfare and the public safety The progress OF
this terrible war Is leaving its mark on not few of our
most cherished privileges freemen. An overshadowng
doctrine of necessity has obteraed not lew OF the old
constitutional limitations and landmarks OF authority An
armed prerogave has gradually lifted itself to an appalling
height throughout the land But thank Heaven 1t is still
in the power of the people to assert their 10 ar and
free election of their rulers Loud cheers And they
shall do Observation-Disclosures may be the resultno
nober spectacle will have been Witnessed in this land since
it first asserted its title to be called land OF liberty
Cheers Let it be seen that the American people can
90 through Presidential election freely and fairly even
during the raging of civil and our institutions
will have had glorious triumph whatever party or what
ever candidate may suher a defeat But on the other
hand let the approaching election be overawed or over
ruled by force by fraud and our institutions will have
sustained disastrous defeat, whatever may be the result
to parties or to candidates. Applause
THE UNION INMICAL TO THE INTERESTS OF THE REPUB-
LICAN PARTY.
And here eowcitrens, let cay that in tins eager
and desperate determination of the President and his party
prooug their official supremacy at all hazards and even
by the most unbushg exercise OF all the patronage and
power aud influence of the Government IN their own be-
half find renewed for fearing that they cannot
safely be trusted for early restoration of the Union
it was under the Constitution as it s No one can help
seeing that it by for their interest as party
to accomplish that result No one can help seeing that
such restoration under present circumstances, would
give the finishing stroke to that political supremacy which
they eagerly seek TO perpetuate. They themselves,
certainly, not blind Indifferent to the fact that
when the South shall return to it's allegiance their own
party domination is at end. Why we all know how
1t was evenwhen tho Republican party achieved It's rst
and only great by the election of President Lin
coin. We all remember that then their sceptre
would have proved poweress and barren sceptre II
there had been secession and rebellion. We all
member that if the Senators and Representatives of the
Southern States had withdrawn rashly and wantony
from their seats the Republican party would soon have
been in helpless minority in one, If not In both branches
of Congress. They could not have carried measure,
they could not have confirmed nomination without the
cooperation consent of their opponents And does any
i
tomorrow, and back again into the old family
fold they would send any Senators Representatives to
Washington whoever they might be, to sustain the meas
| ures or the mon of the Republican party No, my
friends that party itself plainly that such thing is
within the prospect of belief That party that the
restoration of Union and under the old Constitution
of fathers 10 thus the end and upshot Of their
dynasty How, then; help fearing that they will
willingly, if not systematically, postpone result which is
sure to cut them off from any further enjoyment of
power-of that power to which they cngiDg with
L DhreDZled q
publican party have tbrven and fatened this rebel
hon. and it has brought them such overfowng harvest
of power patronage Offices, contracts aud spois, and
they have become eDamored Of the vast and oversha
downing influence which belongs to an existing admnstra
ton such hour that they danger of forgetting
that their country bleeding and dying their hands
| [Applause
And this suggests to me, my friends idea to which
cannot refrain from giving brief expression You have
not forgotten, sure, that most memorable period
which immediately preceded the Inauguration Of President
Lincoln when the minds and hearts of many good
throughout the country earnestly intent devsng
some mode OF arreng and avertng that terrible struggle
| 10 which were afterwsrd involved. You all
member that peace convention it called which
sembled at Washington February 1861 You all remem
Der the high and ssngune hopes which greeted its
bly, and you have not forgottenno patriot for
get-bow sadly those hopes disappointed For one
have for moment doubted that if the incoming
President and his friends in Congress had given counte
nance and encouragement to that Convention and to the
it proposed the secession would have ended with
South Carolina and the Gulf Statss and should have
Il
rebellion would have been nipped in the bud II would
have been crushed in the egg and the wounds it had
stoned would have been healed up the surgeons cay
frat Intention could furnish the opinions of Of the
best men in country, living and dead 10 that effect
And why, why that Convention repealed and repu-
dated by the ultra wing of the Republican pary7 Why
did they stand idly by hooking at every effort TO prevent
and avert this great and terrible struggle and rejoicing
what they called the glorious future before them7 How
can any one doubt that because the Of the
South aud the withdrawal Of the Southern representation
a to the carrying out Of their cherished policy well
to the distribution Of the spos of victory at Wash
ington myse during portion Of that period company
with friends whom esteem and honor to-day esteemed
and honored these, though find myself differing from
more than one of them We went a. the bearers OF
petition OF fifteen thousand citizens Of Boston for the adop
ton OF measures Of Cancellation and peace 1t not for
me to say, even II knew what views brought back
by Others Of that little company; but cannot forget the
painful impression which left upon my mind that
there were men there and high places too who instead
OF lifting finger to arrest the dreadful catastrophe which
was 30 obviously impending, were floating and gloryiag
the departure OF the successive Southern delegations
as furnishing clearer field for the successful prose
cuton OF their fanatca views and for the
disputed establishment of their own party supremacy
And can it be imagined that such men will be ready
willing to cooperate in bringing back the Southern States
TO their old allegiance to the UBon7 In bringing them
back too be il remembered, not merely with their old
quota of representation but with much larger delegation
the House Of Representatives than they be-
fore enjoyed For, my friends if the Presidents procls-
nation TO have the full Interpretation and sweeping eff
cacy which Of his friends claim for it, the represen
aton Of the Southern Statesater the apporton-
ment certainyis to be not merely the old threeth
principle but on the whole black race, man for man.