Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-06-16


another and ask who here so base that
to his country is not loyal? Who so
mean as to be in sympathy with rebels p
! Who sunk SO low as to be at heart a trail
tor? If any, let him complain, for him
have offended; if none, then have [ of
Tended none" That man snot my friend
who Is an enemy to my country. I want
not the friendship of that man in whose
heart rankles deep hatred to the land of
my birth.
Again let me briefly refer to the sin of
oppression. l said before that slavery
was the cause of this war, [ will now say
that it is a sin-the great sin of the ma
ton; L do not say that it is the only sin,
| but 1t is the greatest sin of which we are
guilty. That it is sinful appears from the
fact that God has deeply implanted in
man the conscienceness that under God
he is his own, that he is not and cannot
rightly be the property of another
Slavery Is man-steaEng it violates the
golden rule opposes every principle of
! the moral law; is intrinsically wrong
evil and only evil continually, and must
remain so forever unless men and deUiLs
can change the laws of the moral world
and make that right which God has
stamped as an eternal wrong. And grow
ing out of this wrong is the particular sin
! for which we to-day are called to mourn
| assassination the foulest whelp of sin,
For the deliberate cruel, cowardly, well
arranged assassination of the President of
free people around whom were cluster
| ing the nations hopes, it took j. Wilkes
| Booth, monster, generated and develop
| ed amid the reeking pollution of Ameri-
can Slavery. The assassin's dagger is the
| plaything of Southern chivalry, the en-
| blem of Southern civilization and fit ex-
ponent of Southern morality God has
told us in his word that because ''ye have
not proclaimed liberty every man to his
brother and every man to his neighbor"
| he will proclaim liberty to the sword, to
pestilence and to famine. Those faithful
/ ambassadors of God who lifted up their
voices against all these things were de-
nounced as guilty agitators and disturbers
| OF the public peace. Yet we have lived
to see liberty proclaimed to the sword,
and may God grant that we may heartily
repent before liberty be proclaimed to
pestilence and to famine
Nations as such, exist only in this world
and in this world only are punished, and
if incorrigable are left to perish. May I
refer to Egypt writhing in the midst of
her plaques, wrapt in the mantle of thick
darkness, waiing over her first born; read
the history of the Jews from the time
they left Egypt to their final overthrow as
a nation, and this one truth is everywhere
developed that nations cannot with i'm
punity disregard the right and array them
selves against the government of God.
In the midst of guilty dissipation and
BachanaIian revelry, the monarch of Baby
lon saw in mysterious hand writing strange
characters on the wall. His face blanched
with fear; his nerves were unstrung; his
knees snlote together; the joints of his loins
We're unI0osed, and despair seized his guilty
heart. Those words of doom were scarcely
! Iexplained till the tramp of armies was
heard-the trumpet calling to Battle-the
clash of arms-Ind proud Babylon fell to
rise no more. Read Earth's history; where
are those mighty nations that one existed I?
| Gone forever. These mighty wrecks, found
| all along the stream of time, are fearful
proofs of the important truth that nations
turning from the paths of righteousness
| forfeit the divine appreciation and are left
| TO perish. May God save US from our in
fidelity, firmly implant in our hearts be-
lief in his truth, and, warned by the wrecks
of nations, lead us to cease to do evil and
learn to do well. And may the spirit of re-
bellion perish forever "May it be extir-
pated from the land root and branch, stem
and flower, blossom and fruit" And may
| traitors and their children and their chill
dren's children be taught that treason
| againt this Goyernmentis is an objectionable
sin; and may the black spot upon our civil
1zatlon be wiped out forever. What head
way are we making during these years of
war? Have we made any advancement?
"Our God is marching on" and our re-
deemed country is keeping time to grand
music of progression. The proclamation of
Abraham Lincoln broke the fetters Of three
millions of slaves, and for that act he will
| be held in remembrance through all time.
For his Willingness to serve the poor and
the humble he laid down his life. And for
him to-day the nation mOurns. We are not
obliged to use the false maxim that f'of the
dead nothing but good should be said, - for
the truth may be truly spoken of him, and
it will make his name revered so long as
the American nation shall stand. "Born
of obscure station, struggling with poverty
and the disadvantages of new country
for a livelihood and an education; suddenly
raised without experience IN affairs OF gov
ernment to the Presidency, where he was
at once forced into the direction of affairs
in a great civil war, which strained every
resource of the country, heaped up alarm
ing burdens Of taxation, continually called
for fresh levies of troops to supply the
waste of war, all of which multiplied the
causes of popular dissatisfaction; yet he
gained the affection and confidence of the
people to an extent never eQualled in this
country since the days of Washington"
At time when every disaster to our arms
put a weapon in the hands of the opposi-
ton, in a country where every man has
voice in public affairs, he constantly gained
in popularity, and at the reelection, after
four years of war, almost Rnnihilated the
opposition party. No wonder that now in
| the hour of the nations assured triumph,
his death casts q dark shadow over the land.
| His integrity has escaped suspicion in q
| most corrupt time. fHrhe temptations of
extraordinary power did not excite in him
any personal ambition above the welfare
| of his country"
Truly may it be said, a great and good
man has fallen-a martyr to his country;
but not till he had lived through all its dark
hours of dependency, to see its final tri-
umph assured and the bright dawn of peace
at home, and his country's dignity and
power established abroad. He was identi-
| fed with all it's danger and suffering. In
/ the gloom of military failure he decreed
| that henceforth the contest should be for
| the restoration of the government upon the
foundation of justice to all men. He struck
a blow at the root of the most powerful
wrong that ever ruled a people, Against
all the influence of political weakness, bor-
der compromises and the depressing int1u-
eDce of war, and the appalling magnitude
OF the contest, he steadfastly refused to
or compromise his faith given to that lib
Grated people," He is identified with the
nations terrible struggle and victorious
deliveranee. Like Moses he saw the fair
land of promise spread out before his peo-
ple-the end of all their trials and suffer-
| ings-and then died full of honors, mourn
ed by the nation-the severest loss to his
enemies, and forever enthroned in the
i hearts of his countrymen. "In the midst
of this great continent his dust shall rest a
sacred treasure to myriads who shall pill
| grim to that shrine to kindle anew their
/ zeal and patriotism. Ye winds that move
over the mighty space of the west, chant
his requiem. Ye people behold the martyr
whose blood as so many articulate words
pleads for fidelity, for law, for liberty"