American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-11-09
Union Mass Meeting at Brooklyn.

ADDRESS OF MAJ.-GEN. CARL sCHURz.
The Union General COMMITTEES Of Kings
County, held another of its great meet
ingsin the Academy of Music, Brooklyn,
Friday night, which was crowded inside
and crowded outside by crowd that
seems never weary of listening toand ap-
plauding genuine Union sentiments. In
side the building the meeting was called
to order by Baillie j. Halfway. Esq, on
whose motion, Ambrose Snow, Esq, was
elected President Of the meeting. After
a few remarks from the Chairman, and
Mr.. Hathaway having read list.of Off
GERS of the meeting, Mr., Snow then in-
troduced TO the meeting the orator of the
evening, Maj Gen Carl Schurz, who was
received with loud applause.
Maj Gen. Schurz then said; To as
cribe great effects to smalland merely in-
cdental causes is a mode of explaining
historical events which weak minds pass
off aud weaker minds accept as an evil
denee Of sagaeity Some people find the
origin of the Reformation in the desire
Of some of the German clergy to get mar
ried, aud Of the English Revolution in
the secret organizations of the Free Ma
sons; and some persons, with equally rid
iculous ingenuity, find the origin Of the
great struggle now cOnvulsing the coun-
try in few anti-Slavery tracts, circula-
ted by few abolitiouists from New Eug-
land; and what is worse, there are many
who believe it and are prepared to act up
on it, True, the first origin Of great de-
velopements issometiwes apparently small,
but only apparently so. 1t requires an
acorn fallen from an oak tree to make an
other oak tree grow. Tomake the origin
decomposition of American society. The
first settlers in New England were all pie
bians, true children of the people, come
not merely to seek material fortunes, but
they were the earnest champions Of a
principle. Equal in origin and social
standing, their natural tendency was not
to produce in the New World social in
equality, notwithstanding the variety Of
occupations, for all were equally rospecta-
BILE Equality and The Democratic spirit
rising out of it, was the basis Of their
whole social and political system, and
these tendencies were diffused over the
whole Northern States. 1t was not so
with the original settlers in the South,
especially Virginia, many of whom be-
longcd to the privileged classes at home,
and came to new country in order to in
crease their wealth and power, and those
who were poor TO seek their fortunes
Such were the cavaliers, and their follow
ors were not permitted to forget the So
cal differences which existed between
them in the Old World, and a peculiar
system of white serfdom was attempted.
1t is, however, doubtful if the aristocrat-
ic system of the South could have main
tanned itself but for the importation of
negroes and the introduction of negro
Slavery, and in it, it found a congenial
element. | do not, however, admit the
ridiculous claim of the atter-day chiyil-
ry that they are supefior race Of peo-
pie because Virginia was founded by cava-
Tiers. Society became somewhat mixed
and among the proudcst slave owners of
to-day are certainly good many descen-
dants Of men who, if England had to dis
pose of them again, would be sent to
Botany Bay, laughter while other
Southern mobiles run up their pedigree to
some speculative Yankee peddler There
are too parties, the one essentially demo-
cratic, the other essentially aristocratic,
and these different currents smoothly
enough while under their separate coloni-
al governments, but because directly an
tagonistic as soon as they we're organized
into Republic. | have gone so far back
simply because wished to show that VIM.
LLOYD Garrison and Gerret Smith are not
altogether responsible for the great Rebel
lion, nor even the Republican party. Du-
ring the struggle against Great Britain
the two elements worked harmoniously
together, and indeed there was some pros
pect of permanently harmonizing them,
for the spirit Of the leaders as well as the
masses Of that day was eminently anti
slavery, and they had expanded their de-
sire for independence into broad asser-
ton of the rights Of human nature, as is
proved by the great ordinances Of 1877,
and the legislation about the slave trade.
Slavery would have been gradually abol-
ished aud the aristocratic tendency over
come, and the future progress of the coun-
try placed on the basis Of true democrat
ic institutions, but what ?-the invention
of the cotton-gin, and thus, strange to
say, progress in manufacturing indus
try worked revolution in moral aud so
cial ideas. New theories of government
sprang up out of this economical revolu-
ton, and Che system Of social organiza-
ton, which seemed but short time be-
fore, to be the foulest blot on the national
escutcheon, was suddenly discovered to
be the cornerstone of Democratic institu-
tions, and this prevented the abolition Of
Slavery. Gen. Schultz then gave an
elaborate description of the results of this
state Of things in the condition of south
ern society, the nature of southern poll
ties, and the legislation Of the last half
century, resulting from the necessities OF
the slave power to shut itself up and Sc
cure its position against the encroaehing
spirit of freedom, and then proceed: But
the accumulation of power was not COM
pleIe. the slave power wanted to rule the