The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1864-09-29

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is to this alternative that we are driven
a shameful sarre,s4ef; or certain trium
phant lasting victory, and consequent
peace.
81 have listened with great interest t
the eloquent and well considered remark
Of that peculiar Democratic champion
who has just addressed you from tht
stand. L heard him 'bewail, in feeling
touching terms, the existence and con
tinuance of this 'aceursed war In terms
OF Indignation he has invoked against the
| Federal Administration for the part it has
had to act In this bloody drama But
while he was thus depreeating war and
violence, / listened in vain for one single
breath of censure, one word of reprOoi
from his lips, of those who first madly un-
chained the ugly demon, and let loose the
storm of deadly hate. Why were not the
vials of his wrath poured upon the head
of the infamous Beauregard, and the in
surgent government at Montgomery, who
basely trained their cannon upon the
citadel floating the national flag and shed
the first blood in this fraternal fght?-
Not Federal gun had been fired, not an
act of hostility committed when the re-
bellious chief, acting as Secretary of War
for Rebel Government, telegraphed the
fatal order, "Open fire upon Fort Sumter
Thus the strife began. But this denun-
ciator of war, this deprecator of strife,
this messenger of peace, in his speech to-
night, running through nearly an hour
and a half, had not one word of denunci-
alton and reproof for those who before
God and man are guiltyof its commence
ment.
why this omission. why this studied
silence On the part of Mr. Fallaudigham?
Why arc his invectives directed solely a.
gainst the General Government which
when assailed only then attacked Does
Mr. Vallandigham wish to be understood
that the act of the traitors in opening the
strife is not worthy of censure, while the
act of the Government in opposing force
is entitled to an hours tempestuous de-
nunciation 2"
[ At this point of his remarks, the Cop
perheads discovered that they had caught
a Tartar, and set up volley of cat calls,
groans, Kisses, and other marks Of disap-
proval John stopped for moment fold
ed his arms across his breast, and looking
down on the noisy crowd for minute or
two from an altitude of eight feet six in
ches in his stocking soles, roared out in
voice of thunder: "Boys, you can't cry
me down. | have stronger lungs and
greater endurance than you have. You
invited me to address you, and accepted.
You must stand to your bargain, and I
am bound to stick to my part of it. Your
motto is free speech, and I claim the ben
eft of it. The crowd laughed, give up
beat, and shouted "Go on, 90 on" and
there was no other interruption, except
from cheers, until the close of his re-
marks.
After quiet was restored, he proceeded:
II draw no uncharaitable differences
myself. | arraign not the purity or hon.
esty of his motives, but l submit that
these things arc worty Of remembrance.
If you, my friend, are quietly marching
along the street, and are brutally assault
ed and fight back as becomes man, would
you not say to the man who denounced
you for striking back, but had no words
Of censure for your assailant-would you
not say to him, ask, that he was your
enemy and would have >ssed up his hat
at your defeat. Nor would the inference
be unjust. My peace friends, if the Re-
publibans assail your gathering here to-
night and fire on your assemblage, would
YOU be responsible for the fight that would
ensue, and how would you obtain peace ?
by vacating the square or enforcing res
pect for law.
"But Mr.. Vallandigham tells US to ac-
cept peace and stop fighting, and negotI-
ate for a reconstruction. Sir, we want
no construction The old construc-
tion-the Union as it was and the Consti-
tuition as it is-the construction of Wash
ington, Jefferson and Madison-is all We
desire Under that government we lived
and prospered and were happy. Under
it the West grew up, expanded, peopied
with millions of men, and under it Chlea-
go rose to be the pride of the North West
and glory of the continent; and when a
man talks to me about reconstruction, or
prates of new Union, mark him as an
enemy of my country and the robber OF
nv children. The old Union, with It's
unfulflled hopes its history blazing upon
every page with words and deeds of death
less glory all bind to the old Union and
cause me to abhor the name of reconstruc-
ton. [ would say to the gentleman from
Ohio and those vino think with him, IN
Gods name say no more about reconstruc-
ton But sinking every other consider,
ton, forgetting all other motives moved
by no other inn u Sc, let your zeal, your
efforts, and your energies all be directed
to the maintenance of the cid Constitution
That is hallowed by the memory Of Wash
ineton-the glorious history of our revo-
lutionary struggle, and dearer by far is it
to us and our children than any new fan
pled combination that can be hatehed by
any Convention 1t is rarely that any
good comes out of Convention, and the