The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-07-15
For the Argus.
THE FOURTH OF JULY AT SUGAR
GROVE.
GREENE SUBMIT, MERcER Co., /
ILL., July 8, 1865.

liz, July 9, 1865.
Our county was favored this year with
three general celebrations of the Fourth of
July-one at Berlin, one at keithsburg and
one at Sugar Grove. This last one hal the
pleasure of attending.
Those in attendance have no doub furnish
ed you the main features from the two form
er places. | believe they are reported to
have been peaceable and harmonious.
This was specially true of ours at Sugar
Grove. No drunkenness-no quarrelling nor
loud talking of any kind. The day was, by
mutual consent devoted to relaxation and SO
cial intercourse a noticeable feature ofwhich
was the relish with which the good things
brought in the baskets were discussed by lit
tie squads psrched in wagons and carriages
or seated on the ground or on logs beneath
the beautiful shades afforded by the grove.
Mr.. Hawley, of your city, made the main
speech of the occasion 1t was delivered
think, IN about an hour-say from II until II
o'clock. The crowd listened with much in
terest throughout. Mr.. Hawley made an ex-
cellent address. He spoke apparently with
out notes of any kind. If he did not tax a
retentive verbal memory for the OCCASION it
may be safely said that he has some credita
BILE gifts of oratory, and will no doubt make
his mark among the best extempOraneous
speakers of the state. | may further say of
Mr.. Hawley that throughout his speech he
acted out the character of the gentleman-a
character so difficult, OF late years, for repub-
Hcan and abolition performers to execute
tie neither attacked the special tenets nor
abused any political party or individual !;
unless it was contained in bitter fling at old
Ex President Buchanan. However, / am not
certain that his honor has been under the spe-
cial keeping of any political party for some
years past.
By way of structure on Mr.. Hawley's speech
it may be said that he assumed the validity
and legal force of the emancipation procIama-
ton, which democrats do not admit He
magnifed it as the browning act of Lincoln's
administration while everybody knows that
it was forced upon him against his judgement
and will, by abolition editors and preachers,
who. like Satan of old, promised him the
world and the fullness thereof if he would
fall down and worship their Beast and then
kept their promise about like their ancient
prototype would have done under like cir.
cumstances. Mr.. Hawley assumed that sla-
very was abolished and gone. But this is
only true in so far as the states have volun-
tarily abolished it within their borders
And however desirable it may be that this
blot should be wiped out from our social pol
icy, there are yes but three ways that it can
be done:
1st. The states respectively may abolish
it by statute within their borders.
ID. Congress may pass an act abOlishing
it; which act will be valid when three fourths
of the states rstify it; or,
3rd. l. may be abolished by successful
revolution otthe government.
All three of tthsse means are now being
tried and to the first and second we ardent
ly say "God Speed YOU" But the third is
now being engineered exclusively by the alb.
oitionists and must fall to the ground, and
they with it; and the impartial historian, in
the future. will place side by side the revolu-
tionists of the north and the revolutionists of
the soush-both equally the enemies of the
government and equally consigned to infa-
my.
Mr.. Hawley made q sad breach of history
nv saving that Pres't jackson. after the AZ.
feat of the notification scheme of South Car.
olina, predicted to the people that the mart
danger to the government would be SLAVERY
ard that he warned them against the slays