The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-09-21
Speech of Hon. John Cessna.

,hair as temporary President of the u
MON State Convention recently. 1t is
bold, eloquent and patriotic, and will be
heartily responded to by every loyal
heart:
Gentlemen OF the Convention l re-
turn you my sincere thanks for the hon
or conferred in selecting me to preside
over the preliminary proceedings of your
Convention l am fully aware of the fact
that the position is one of difficulty and
requires the discharge of arduous duties.
L earnestly solicit the cooperation of every
delegate in my efforts to preserve order,
promote harmony and hasten the business
of the Convention. On my own part
pledge you that will endeavor to dis
charge the duties of the position to the
utmost of my ability, with impartiality
and fidelity.
l sincerely hope that the deliberations
of this body my be harmonious and all
the results of our action entirely satisfac-
tory to the people whom we represent
| regard the Convention just being or
ganized as one of no ordinary interest
The position of Pennsylvania in the Union
as we'll as her past history entities, and
will command for her, potential voice
in the re construction of our Government.
At all hazards, and at every sacrifice of
everything save principal, must the &C
ton of this Convention, in the end, be
unanimous. The whole army of loyal
voters who in 1864, rallied around the
standard of Abraham Lincoln, and pro-
claimed to the world that the Union should
be preserved, and the rebellion suppress
ed at every hazard, must again be called
into the field under the banner which
shall be hoisted here to-day.
The military power of the rebellion has
been crushed Our brave and heroic Of
ficers, soldiers and sailors have well per-
formed their part. Before the magni-
tude of their achievements the wars OF
former times and battles of other ma
tons sink into comparative insignifi
cance Our nation to-day occupies a
proudcr position before the world, and is
more feared by the aristocracies of Eu-
rope, than ever before. The glories as
we'll as the tolls of our surviving heroes,
both officers and soldiers, the memories
of the thousands slain and starved in de-
fence of our cause, the tens of thousands
of widows and orphans made such by the
war, aud millions of debt willingly in
Cured by loyal people to preserve the
| life of the nation, all demand that the
fruits Of the great victory Of human free
dom shall not be frittered away by the
mistakes of politicians.
Every man Of US must be prepared to
yield up on the altar of patriotism all his
personal preferences and individual wish
es for the common good. There may be,
and there no doubt are, some questions
about which we may reasonably and safely
differ. Upon all the great vital issues of
TIE day all truly loyal men must and will
agree. During the four years Of fearful
and bloody war just closed, the rebellion
increased and strengthened and was great
| ly protracted by reason of Northern sym
pathy. Now, that it is over, these men
in the North have grown bolder and more
defiant by reason of the aid and comfort
which they expect to receive in turn from
those lately in arms against the Govern
ment. True, the rebellion is over, the
the fighting has ceased, but the war is
not ended, the spirit of rebellion still
lives, and is to-day active, insolent and
defiant. The great object of the rebellion
was the death of the republic, the dis
memberment Of the nation-that object
has not been abandoned. Those who un-
dertook it failed to accomplish their pur-
pose by force of arms. They now strive
to reach the same end by means Of man
agement and appeals to the prejudices of
the people at the ballot box.
This may appear to be harsh judg-
ment l would that | could believe 9TH
erwise. But the spirit that for thirty
years and more has distracted our peo-
pie, and disturbed the peace of the ma
tion, in bold attempt to make slavery
the ruling power of the nation, and all
other interests subservient to that-the
spirit which slew our wounded and mang-
led our dead on the field of battle after
the battle was over-the same spirit
which presided over the prisca of An.
deessasOnvile, Libey, Belle Island and else
where-that which organized irresponsi-
ble bands Of guerrillas--slew innocent
women and children in railroad cars,
poisoned fountains of water, and imported
loathsome diseases-the spirit which ami
mated the hand of the assassin as it sped
the fatal ball to the brain of our merci-
ful. magnanimous and patriotic President,
will not hesitate to seize the throat or
stab the heart of the nation, and destroy,
if possible, the noble old republic of our
fathers, utterly regardless of the ruin and
woe which may follow.
Already these men in the South are
organizing to send representatives of their
kind to Congress. Their friends in the
North are rallying for the same purpose.
Allow them to succeed in their scheme
and soon the rebel debt will be assumed,
damages paid to the rebels for injuries
suffered by the war and pensions granted
to rebel wounded and rebel widows. Tn