The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-09-13
Speech or Hon. j. A. KassOn.

The following speech Of JOHN A.
KAssoN, of Iowa; delivered at Chicago
at the grand Republican Union Rally
in that city, on Thursday Sept. lst.,
we copy from the Tribune:
He was glad to be in this presence
tonight where the clouds of disunion
which have lowered so darkly over the
cityiof Chicago during the last few days
have been dissipated by the hghtenings
from your patriotic eyes, and the thun-
der of your patriotic cheers. (Applause)
-Four years ago that party met in
convention and the issues before the
country were very different. Since
then all has been changed. Secession
has become theory established and
carried into effect by large portion of
the so-called democracy. The right
has been asserted and carried out by
State after State, and war has been
raised by our enemies to maintain it
The Union convention denies the right
and denounccs the war its assertion
has inaugurated against us. But this
democratic" platform neither denies or
denounces it.
A public debt has been created to
pay our soldiers and sailors, and defend
the integrity of the country. Its evil
dences are held by independent farmers
and mechanics, by men of moderate
means, and men of wealth all over the
country, by widows and orphans.
The, Union convention declares the
national credit must be maintained, and
the requisite burdens will be cheerfully
borne by the people. The democratic"
convention is silent on the subject, ex-
cept where it falsely suggests that the
resources of the co ntry are impaired.
The governmentuand the Union con-
vention have asserted the right to en-
force the obligations of the constitutions
and laws upon rebels and traitors by
force of arms; and hundreds of thous-
ands of volunteers have endorsed that
right and that action by offering blood
and life for the national cause. The
democratic" convention maintains the
silence of death upon the right of the
government to defend itself by military
power against an organized military in
Our troops are perilling life and daily
falling for the love of country. While
they tighten the fatal grasp on Peters
burg and Richmond; Sherman's noble
army break their communications andgo
to the rear of Atlanta by force the final
contest for the destruction of the rebel
army of the West: Farragut shakes his
locks in the face of Mobile
and siezes Fort Morgan Cloud cheers,)
and the news comes while "Demo-
cratic" national convention is in ses-
sion, and not one word of encourage
ment or cheer goes forth from its trai-
torous bosom to the gallant soldiers
and sailors, nor syllable of sympathy
for the glorious fallen. If you want
evidence of disloyalty and sy sympathy
with treachery, read it abnndantly in
these facts. Can such a convention be
loyal? (No, no, no.,
He charged that the Convention was
animated by the spirit of disloyalty and
lisunion in its mdercurrents. The
second revolution meant nothing, or
it meant peace with or without union
as the rebels should dictate. 1t signi
fed a dishonorable surrender of the
fruits of all our victories, concession
of all national rights, if necessary, to
secure the restoration of that party to
power. Peace noO is disunion forever.
No authorized propositions Of peace
have ever come to the President upou
any terms. This bogus trio that tarries
and watches over the border to help
the democratic" party, and who are
popularity spoken OF as Peace Commits
sioners," expressly disclaim having any
and impudetly claim the
privilege of coming to Washington
under pretense of talking about peace
with Mr.. Lincoln, but really for the OPP
portunity of unobstructed intercourse
with their friends and sympathizers,
and the obtaining of information useful
to the rebellion.
But suppose peace were now attemp-
ted. The question would be,-''under
the Constitution and Union?" Of this
the rebel chief has lately explicitly de-
clared the impossibility. Independence,
what then? Where is your boundary?
Do you keep or lose Kentucky and
Missouri? Who controls the Mississ-
ppi river? What becomes of w Western
Virginia? Who holds the forts and
fortified places of Eastern Virginia?
What shall be done with your conquest
and the graves of your gallant dead
left to dishonor? / demand these
things of the "Democratio" Peace
and its answer is an echo
in the silence of the chamber of death
and treason.
Again, supposing your armlstice
granted. What is its use, except to
give the enemy time, to invigorate his
exhausted and diminished army
Then comes new fighting and more
fearful sacrifices to recover your losses.
No, no. The very steeds of the cav
airy, and the battle horses of four artll-
lery, accustomed to the sound OF the
Union bugle, as they rush with
nostrils and bloody breasts
at the enemy, will with their
heels kick such a platform into n thous-
aud pieces! Loud and long chcering1
The speaker also alluded to other
parts of the platform, and directed at
tention to the absurdity of the Conven-
ton in protesting to dread the action of
the kind hearted civilian, Abraham Lin
coin, disliking war, and without the
least military ambition,as threate ming
individual civil rights, and then propos-
ing to replace him with a military chief