The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-11-03
The Duty of the Hour.

he ever.cautieuss have always though
he sinned on that eide. But have fst
that he was jealous. that he was cara est,
rhathe vas intelligen-, that he was in the
nrsia wise; and that, givehim time enough
if time could be given. he would, without
DOUBT, bnag the thing out successfully. :
II any change was necessary, it was tha
we might put man at the head Of tn
GeverEment xho weuld be more executiyeI,
skillfai. It is proposed to put man there
Is it . man that has seen civil service H,
never saw any. Is it . man that is famous
for energy and pl6mptness of action ? No
bio best friends usaid say that Ia il a
man who is the sRtitheSs of Mr.. Lincoln in
caution Where Mr.. Lincoln is tied with
one knot, be is tied with forty, in caution
Is it q naa who has been successful in
what be has undertaken2 1t lis man who
had two prolonged years Of disaster. It is
nan--whatever may be his private vir-
tqes. and thipk they are many whose
public administration has not been snch As
to make him q fit rival or successor Of Mr..
Lincoln. It is not my wish to indulge in
personalities. l would rather regard both
Gen. Mcclellan and the General in-chief.--
Mr.. Lincoln, as men that represent parties
and principles; but leave it to the judge
ment of even children, and much more of
men of practical experience, whether If the
nation is to be saved and victory is to
crown our arms, Mr.. Lincoln is not, with
the teaching ana experience oftpe last four
years, better adapted to the position he
now occupies than that m1u who has only
been tried, and disastrqesly tried. in mill
tary service.
leave fsr another occasion the discuss.
ion of the actual steps and progr ess of this
war. have desired tonight to bring BE-.
fore this one simple, central issue namely, 1
the indispensable necessity of maintaining
this National Government entire and intact
at all hazards.
And now | say to every young man that
shall cast the first vote in his lifetime, God
signals your entrance upon political life by
an opportunity that does not occur ence in
a thousand years to nan or nation. Your
first vote will be one Of those votes that |
will decide whether this nation is to be a
nation fair and proportioned and victorious,
or whether it shall be like vast rod Of iron
irto a thousand fragments. It is
no smaH th.ng, tobe permitted. by 50 small
\ power AS a. vote A~sss tsdssu q. u,''0 ~"
:------- ou;s Napoleon on the throne.
--fv3 kkSen kkSnnt nthat celebrated iion-huater in A.
rica, of whose wonderful exploits We have
had such thrilling accounts, went into the
desert for his prey, he was often brought
lace to face With one of those most savage
of al, beasts. where his ewR fate depended
upon a single shot. IF that was success
ful. he was savci; il that failed. he was lest.
Now, ye9 are in position where there i
must not be any mistake. You must hit
the lion. You must wake up and be in
earnest. 1t is not political dqty, merely,
it is religious duty. 1t takes the highest
altitude of patriotism. toward which con-
verge the fives Of many generations. All
American history has come to pivotal
point and you stand at the pivot. 1t will
turn one way or the other, asyou vote
Vote, therefore. for liberty; vote fsr govern.
ment; vote for the suppression Of the reberl-
ion; vote for war, which is the right hand
OF Col rs police, chsstising rebellion and dis
obedience.
could ask nothing better than, stand
ing in my dying hour in the very presence
of my God, who gave pe LIFE, and iE the
very front Of that day that is to determine
eternal life, to be permitted to deposit the
vote which is your privilege and mine to
cast 1t the ensuing election for the preser-
yation Of this Government. would fear
nothing. il were to 60 to the other world
directly from the casting Of that ballot, put.
uns INTO it all my Christian hope for this
patton, and an ny love for it. Beyond all
peradventure, methinks could rise and
confront nay Judge as well from the fulfill.
ment Of this duty Of the hour ana af the
age, as from the perforpance of any other
Christian act. Make this q day-of judg'
ment matter, every one Of you. 1t is not {
time for party heat, in the sense of passion
It is not time for partisan zeal. It Is 2
time for men to be men; it is a time for citi
Gems to be patriotic; it is time for Christian
. principles and Christian motives to actuatt
!, every man. See where government goes
see where order goes, see where liberty goes
/. see where justice goes, and be found there
But, II you will not be found there, oh, d.
, not let your patrierehs and leaders be sucl
5 immaculate men as Fernando Wood an
> Vallandigham, eminent for patriotic service
, incorrupt men. virtuous men, liberal minde
r men. disinterssted mea! The men that ar
|, imated the work OF constructing the Oppt
sition Platform--are these men that you vi
entrqst With the destinies and liberties {
!. your country! Was Judas the one I
whom the sacred things Of the discip
band should have been entrusted He ca
ried the bag, and it was the inspiration
2 the bag that ied him to bstray bis Master
and the men that animated the councils oftl
= Opposi ton are men whose history in d
main has not been such as to lead you
o entrust either the bag or the Constitqtiop
their care and keeping.
n am fir,n in the faith thpb '.@.'
al -. 60. !. = - we should b