The Portland daily press., 1865-02-11
Seventh acknowledgements Course.

seventh Lecture independent course.
Miss Anna Z. Dickinson Of Philadelphia,
gave this lecture last evening at City Hall be-
fore very large audience. After patriotic
song by ShaW's Quartstte, Mayor McLellen
introduced the fair speaker who was received
with smiles and cheers. Her theme was "a
Glance at our Future" Such theme gives
full scope to brilliant imagination that can
soar al lbitun, and open vision most gor,
geous and beautiful The great Past is
stern reality subject to no change, and Heav-i
en- itself has no power over it, butth future
we can paint to suit ourselves, and if we of
the present don't make splendid picture the
fault is our own. But to the lecture.
Miss Dickinson said that a battle lostis often
progress gained. She thought the Emancipa-
tion proclamation was well, but not enough.
And although it struck blow at slavery, yet
there was no certainty that slavery was dead.
To iDjure the master was our wish rather than
to benefit The slave. The lives of many had
been offered up with an understanding that
they were fighting in behalf Of liberty's cause.
Something more is needed than decreeing lib
erty to taose in bondage. We must see that
liberty is firmly established. ls5
As fact slavery is dead, but,as an idea it
exists and win live and grow stronger until
the animating spirit of it, and those who con-
troll it, are utterly destroyed. To do this sue
cessfully we must have war, bitter and unre-
lenting, terrible war. We want confscation,
no amnesty for arch-traitors-no pardon for
cut-throats and murderers. The fair ora
toress thought Gen. Butler was the man to ar
range the terms of peace for the rebels and
traitors. She complimented him very highly,
and said that history would write that this
man despised humanity through score of
years of public life and at last stood up, crown
ed humanity and fell at its feet and worshiped
it. He seemed now to be her beau ideal of a
man. 1t is pleasant to be thus gracefully
eomplimented and fattered by such fair spo-
ken woman. ie
But alas she was quite severe on Father
Abraham for going down to Fortress Monroe
to confer with robbers, murderers and de
stroyers Of their country, and the best life of
their country. We beg leave to differ from
the fair speaker on this point. We think
he did just right and manifested that spirit
that runs through all the teachings of the New
Testament True, these rebels are terribly
wicked, but we should remember that ven
geance does not belong to US. They will have
their punishment in Gods time, which is the
best time.
The peace Conference and the Washington
Chronicle, next came in for their share of
her criticism which is sharp and biting. The
peace we want, she said is that OF liberty, JUS
tice, truth and humanity, aud none other.
She did not have much fancy for " Union saV=
ing" especially such as we have heretofore
had. To those traitors we should say: You
have taken the sword and shall perish by the
sword. We are not willing to crawl that these
traitors may walk back over us into the Union.
We say so too. And our President has not
yet shown any signs Of crawling" When he
does it will be time enough to speak of his
cringing spirit aud his cowardly conduct
Then, and not I'll then. We like the vim and
grit Of the fair speaker, but then belligerent
spirits sometimes need little tempering. She
is single individual, and should remember
the eyes of all civilized nations are upon Faith
er Abraham. He must act so that "the delib,
crate judgment of mankind and the gracious
favor of Almighty God" may approve his con-
duct in these tilaes that try mems souls. Great
responsibility rests on him, but an individual
can indulge III his fancy andkexpress his opin-
ions, while the world may not be moved by
such an effJrt.
The lecturer alluded to Sherman and bis
doctrine of reconstruction. She said when
he is willing to treat the Governor of Georges
as such, to recognize the legislature and the
courts and not till then, can he tell us that all
Georgia has got to do is to drop the rife and
seize the ballot. She discussed the question
of negro suffrage, and argued that If we 90
not grant the right to the negro, we should
destroy our own safety. If the Republican
party did not do it, the Democratic party
would in twenty years. She thought they
were better qualified to vote than the Irish
We are now lighting for Republic, and not
those things the rebels have stolen from u.s..
She thought our nation was passing ON to the
throne and empire of the world by the motto.
Liberty for all and justice to every man.
Miss Dickinson is one of the most eloquent
women in our country, and her patriotism has
the true ring in it, No wonder she SO utterly
hates and despises the rebels, but then we
must learn to hate in proper tone and spirit, as
well as to learn hoH 10 love. Remorseless
hatred says
'Poson be their drink
Gall worse tina ga |, the dajniest that they taste"
But such hate must be tempered. The law
seeks not revenge, but reformation. We can
pardon something to the spirit of patriotic
woman, especially when she is speaking Of
traitors to that country sac loves so well. We
feel quite sure all traitors will receive eondign
punishment. And the Southern traitors are
now passing through fiery ordeals and it
will be remarkable ifsome OF them do not get
scorched to the satisfaction of our brave, patri-
otto and eloquent lecturer.
After the lecture, another patriotiotic piece
was sung. The next lecture will be given
next Friday evening by George w. Curtis OF
New York.
A CARD.-The Martha Washington Soci-
ETY." acknowledges with much gratitude the
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