Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-11-09
Great Speech Of Edward Everett In
Faneull Hall, Boston, October 18th,

THE ALLEGED CHANGE OF POLICY IN THE
CONDUCT or THE WAR,
I This alleged Inconsistency Of the policy now pur-
sued, with that In which the war commenced, Is one
of the grAyest charges against the Administrations
1t Is, however, an inconsistency Of II kind, which
probably never falls TO occur In proraccd wars and
when such tremendous forces political, military and
moral are called into action There are signal cX-
ampcs in our own history well worthy our mcdim-
ton ut the present time, In October, l77l, the
Continental Congress adopted u petition "to the
Kings most excellent majesty Richard Henry
Lee John Adams, and Patrick Henry were of the
committee who drafted II, II commenced Most
gracious Sovereign and after setting forth and
commenting upon the grievances of the colonies, II
declared "Thesc sentiments are eXtortod from
hearts that would much more willingly bleed in your
majestys service and it closed in the following
strain; "That your Majesty may enjoy every ieci-
ty through long and glorious reign, over loyal and
happy iects, and that your descendants may in
herit your prosperity and domnions till time shall
be no more, is, and always will be, our sincere and
eryont prayer About n year and half pass
away, and in pursuance of resolution moved by the
same Richard Henry Lee and on the report of a
committee of which John Adams was n member
Congress after recitng, in the most indignant Ian
guage, substantially the same grievances which
were set forth in the petition to the King and us
marked by every net that can define tyranI is I'M
fit to.be the ruler Of free people, renowned their
allegiance TO the British Crown, and declared the
Independence of the United States.
In 1855 n young Virginia volunteer solicited
through the British Government, commission in
the Royal army, in the war waged for the purpose
Of driving the French from the American continent
AS late 90 VIA tho eon,n indi,'idual with nndimn-
ished feelings of loyalty writing to an officer in
Gen. Cages army in Boston, who had been his com
rade in the old French war, said 81 think | can
announce as fact that it is not the wish nor the in
teres of Massachusetts or any other government on
this continent to set up for Independence On the
18th of the following June this same volunteer Vir
gnia Colonel, George Washington, accepted the
appointment of COMMUNICATIVE of the armies
raised to be raised for the defense of the liberties
of America; and on this very day. this blessed 10Th
Of October the United French and American ar
mics, by the capitulation of Yorktown, put the seal
to the Independence of the United States. odouh
the Congress of 1776 and especially such leaders
Washington, Adams and Lee were accused of in
consistency, not merely by the Tory Journals at
New York, but by the tardier members for many
such there were, Of their own body. BY the Eng
ish historians even of the present day DR.. Frank
lin is charged with duplcity, for having assured
Lord Chatham in January, l775 that the colonies
did not aspire to independence A like inconssten-
cy undoubtedly exists between the policy of the Ad-
mnstraton, when 1t came INTO Office, and which
was expressed in the resolution of July, 1861 and
that which has been forced upon the country by
eighteen months experience of desolating war
The real inconsistency in governments and men, es-
pecally in countries, is that which seals its
to the solemn teachings of Providence, which al
lows the march of events to work no change in our
policy and, if j may compare great things with
small, thinks to extnguish conaagration which is
wrapping city in flames with the same bucket of
water that would have quenchcd it when first kind
ed in basket of shavings.