Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-04-21

shall silently btckon, the heart smitten
shall wall for Justice, good men and angels
will cry out: How long, o Lord, wilt thou
not avenge2 And then these guiltiest and
most remorseless traitors, these high and
cultured men with might and wisdom used
for the destruction Of their country, these
most accused and detested of sll criminals,
that have drenched a continent in needless
blood, and moved the foundations of their
times with hideous crimes and cruelty,
caught up in black clouds full of voices of
vengeance and lurid with punis b.
ment, % shall be whirled sloft and
plunged downward forever snd forever, In
an endless retribution, while God shall say:
Thus shall it be with all who betrsy their
country, and all in heaven and upon earth
will say, Amen Voices HAmen, amen P'l
But for the people misled-for the multi
tude drafted and driven iHto this civil war
let not trace of animosity remain.
Applause. The moment their willing
hand drop the musket and they return TO
their allegiance, then stretch out your own
honest right hand TO greet them. Recall
TO them the old days of kindness. Our
hearts wait for their redemption. All re-
sources of renovated nation shall be sp-
piled to rebuild their prosperity and smooth
down the furroWs Of war.
At this point in his oration, Mr.. Beecher
and said, will thank the band to play an
air, and you to get up thst are sitting
down and you to sit down that have been
standing, and will sit down too and rest
for moment. When the band had ceased
playing, he said: We viii now take our
places again and attend to our business.
He then proceeded with his speaking:
Has this long and weary strife been an
unmingled evil Has nothing been gained Z?
Yes, much. The nation has attained its
manhood. Among Indian customs is one
which admits young men to the rank of
warriors. Only after seven trials of hun
ger, fatigue, pain, endurance, they reached
their station, not through years but ordesls.
Our nation has suffered and now is strong.
The sentiment of loyalty and patriotism,
next in Importance to religion, has been
rooted and grounded; we have something
to be proud Of, and pride helps love never
so much as now did we love our country.
TGreat applause. But four such yesrs Of
education in ideas, In the knowledge of
political truth in the love Of history, in the
geography of our own country, almost
every inch of which we have probed with
the bsyonet, hsve never passed before.
There is half 8 hundred years advance in
four. We believed in our institutions snd
principles before, but now we know their
power. II is one thing TO look upon artil-
lery and be sure that # is loaded it is an
other thing TO receive its discharge.
Laughter. We believe in the hidden
power stored in our Institutions. We
had never before seen this nation thunder
ing like Mount Sinai at all those that Wor-
shipped the calf at the foot of the mountain.
A people educated and moral are CONNIE
tent to all the exigsncies Of national life
a vote can govern better than 8 crown. We
have proved it. (Applsuse.) A people
intelligent and religious ara strong in all
economic elements. They are fitted for
peace and competent 10 war; they are not
easily inf4med, and when Justly incsnsed
not easily extinguished they are patient in
adversity, endure cheerfully needful bur-
dens, tax themselves for real wants more
royalty than any prince would dare TO tax
his people; they pour fl F.h without stint
relief for the suffering of war, and raise
charity out Of the realm of dole into a
muni6cent duty of benefcence. The habit
of industry among fresmen prepares them
TO meet the exhaustion of war with increase
of productiveness Commensurate with the
need that exists Their habits of skill en-
able them ct once to supply such armies as
only freedmen can muster, with arms and
munitions such as only free industry can
create. Free society is terrible in war, and
afterwards repairs the mischief of war with
celebrity almost as great as that with which
the ocean heats the seams gsshed in it by
the keel Of the plowIng ship. Free society
is fruitful of military genius-it comes when
called, when no longer needed it falls back
SIS waves do to the level of the common sea
that no wave may be greater; that the un-
divided nation, with proof of strength so
greahyet In its infancy, may stand up among
the nations of the world, asking no pri7il-
eyes, asserting 10 rights, but quietly assum-
ing our place, aHd determined to be second
TO none in the race of civilization and reli-
gion, Of all nations we are the most
dangerous, ard the least to be feared.
Laughter and spplause,)
We need notaexpouud the perils that
await upon enemies that assault, as they
are sufficiently understood, but we are not |
q dangerous people, because we are wsr- |
like. All the arrogant attitudes of this |
nation, so offensive 70 foreign governments,
were inspired by slavery and under the
Of Its minion. Our tastes,
our habits, ourinterests, and our principles,
incline US TO the arts of peace. This ma
tion was founded By the common people,
for the common people. We are seeking
to enhody in public economy more Hber-
ty with higher justice and virtue than have
been organized before. By the necessity
Of our doctrines we are put in sympsthy
with the masses of men in all nations Il
IS not our business to subdue nations. but
20 augment the powers of the common peo,
pie. The vulgar ambition OF mere do
nation, as it belongs to W1ivsD~-' Iii
nature; msT tempt Us, B''' ,-at human
habits. asB = - of our principle, our
- preeedents, and our legends. |
:, . acknowledge the obligation which our
better political principles lay upon US TO
act an example more temperate, humane |
and Just than monarchicAl governments |
can. We will not suffer wrong, and still |
less will we infict it upon nations. Nor |
are we concerned that so many, ignorant of |
our conflict, for the present misconceivs the
reasons of our invincible literary zeal.
Why, contend, say they, for little terri |
tory that you do not need ? Because it is
ours. daughter and spplsuse) Because
it is the interest of every citizen to save it
from becoming fortress and refuge of |
iniquity. This nation is our house
and our fathers house, and &C
cursed be the man who will not |
defend it to the uttermost. (Applause.) |
More territory than We need England, |
that is not large enough to be our pocket,
(lsughter) may think thSt 1t is more than |
we need, because it is more than they need, |
but we are better judges of what we need |
than they are. Shall philsnthropist say
to banker who defends himself against q |