The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-03-16
HOW HE WAS BROUGHT AROUND.

mense meeting in Philadelphia, held
another Feb I'd, at Washington City, on
which occasion the Vice President of the
United States, Speaker Colfax, of the
House of Representatives, the Military
Governor Of the District of Columbia,
Gen. Martindale, Geo. II. Stuart, Chap
lain NJ Cabe, Senator Sherman, Rev. r. j.
Parvin, Rev. Geo j. Mingins, and others,
spoke. 1t was complete success. To
| give all the speeches would be to give up
every inch Of space devoted to reading
matter in our paper. The following ope-
ming paragraphs from Mr.. Mingin's
speech have real body to them:
Mr.. President-I have not the honor
to be ''native to this manor born"
first saw the light in good old Scotland.
Her sunlight first slanted adown the hill
side into the valley where my mothers
cot was nestled; and am ready to confess,
sir, that when this great and gigantic war
burst over our land 1 used to look on
coldly, not understanding thoroughly the
great principle which prompted men to
leave their homes and carry their lives in
their hands that they might save the land
Of Washington; and when l used to see
soldiers going to the war, used to in
dulge in a sort of vain philosophy that /
know great many men indulge in to day
| / used to say, 'Now these men like to
| fight; do mt. Therefore they are right
in going to fight, and 1 am right in stay
| ing at home" Or used to say, Now
these men want fame; they want a name;
they want position. / am perfectly salts
fed with what have and what am. 1t
| it is right for them to battle for fame; it
is right for me to live quietly in all
humility" And 1 flung around my
shoulder the philosophers robe, and
stood unmoved as l saw men passing be-
fore me going to battle and to death, and
quieted my conscience with this miserable
philosophy that will never stand before
the intelligent, the great, and the noble.
and that the very devil despises! Zap
plause
A touching little incident, Mr. Presi-
dent, converted me from the error Of my
way, and, if you will permit me, will
relate it-fOr l confess it was a great
turning point of my life: feel it so now
l happened to be in attendance on a
meeting of Synod in the city of Easton,
at the time when our honorable Chief
Magistrate called out "a, 1000 men to beat
back the foe that was going forward to
desecrate this holy temple. 1 stood in
the street one day, and heard the sound
of martial music. l saw the men march
ing down. l knew who they were the
moment saw them-sturdy yeomen who
had left the hills of Pennsylvania and
poured along her valleys, who had left
their fields, and looms, and benches,
their wives and little ones, their homes
and all that they held dear, to stand up
,,xf <~ft tla f1A %hn< L,I
against us. When I saw them my old
philosophy came up, because 1 must have
something to comfort me, you know.
Just then saw a little girl standing
on the door step. She was ten or twelve
years of age, should Judge As looked
in her face my attention was aroused. 1
thought saw deep cloud of sorrow
come over and rest upon that little brow.
She stood with her hands clasped tightly,
and her little face seemed pinched with
very agony. And l thought-well now,
what can be the matter with that child ?
l determined to watch her emotion, so
took my stand near by. The music
sounded nearer and nearer. By and by
the heavy tramp of men was heard. As
they drew nearer to us, l saw that little
form becoming more fixed and rigid
the little hands began to quiver, her neck
was stretched out with eager intensity,
and she stood with eyes fairly riveted
upon the men as they came marching
slowly by the door At last was startled
with the penetrating little voice, as it
cried out, 20. that's him. that's him. it's
pa. it's pa. he's going! he's going. he's
gone!' and with sobbing. she turned away
and entered into the house.
Now conscience, just ct that time, asked
me one or two ugly questions. One
question that it asked me was, well.
what was the matter with the child?'
The answer was at hand. I knew that
| that man who had marched to defend the
Union was her father. that he was her ALL
that he was her comfort, her joy, her sup
port. her sustenance, and when that little
| one had given up that, she had given up
| the very sunlight ofher little existence lit
orally her ALL And then conscience asked
me another question. 1t said, wv ell, sir
| irhdt hare YoU done FOR your country?" /
| whispered, 'Well-but-I don't really
belong to the country daughter
| Don't belong to the country?-then,
You infurnal scamp, get out of it
| daughter and loud applause. '.Get out
| Of IT, this is not the country for men who
belong no wher.-it is somewhere else.'
| Continued applause. Don't belong
to it, and memory carried me back many
q year when 1 first landed upon the hos
pitable shores q poor, unknown lad.
when, year after year. l struggled. and,
at every step took met sunlight, and
warm hearts and generous natures, and
all the high road to an honest and a true
ambition opned up before me- And not
belong to the country, Then quit it, and
give up all you have received from it and
have in it. Well, but" conscience inter
posed, '.you got wife here" Yes,
and would not give her up for a great
deal 1 thought-no, can not quit it,
! and then the blush ofvery shame mantlei
my cheek, and, standing in that street III
! Easton. as 1 look back 1T the silent, dumb
door that had closed upon that brave and
God, like little patriot, determined that