Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-01-16
THE STATE OF TIE COUNTRY.
Lecture by Theodore Hilton, Esq,---HIs
Personal Appearanee--StyIe Of Ad-
drsss--.RevIeW OF the State Of the
Country. I

December, but the snow " held him by
habeas corpus " in Buffalo, and he was un-
able to keep his appointment. He has
since made an extensive tour of the West,
addressing large audiences in Chicago, st.
Louis and Cincinnati, and reached this city
Friday night. On Saturday night he was
warmly received by large and select au-
dience of gentlemen and ladies in Brain
ards Hall, when, after an Introduction by
Judge D. R. Tilden, he delivered an ad~
dress upon "The State of the Country"
which proved to be by all odds the best
lecture that it has been our pleasure to hear
this season.
Mr.. Tilton has fine figure, being tall
and erect, his complexion light, with a
mild expression of countenance. His voice
is deep but fne-toned, and we'll adapted
to public speaking, and his manner of ex-
preston and general method of delivery
are nervous and torcible,
The literary style of his address is much
like that of Wendell Phillips, many his
toric incidents, classic allusions, anecdotes
and strtements of eminent men being i'm
ported into the lecture, adding vigor, beau
ty and rich ornament to the discourse, and
indicating the choicest view of reflection
and the finest range of reading.
We gsve condensed report of his elo-
quent address:
He commenced by an allusiou to his fail
ure to keep his appointment last month.
/ In ten years of public speaking he had dis
appointed his audiences but tWiee-just
FIVE years apart.
He had been making the tour of the
/ West, and considering the issue of the late
election and the spirit of the people every
where, he must needs take not gilded,
but hopeful, cheerful view of the coun-
try, and felt to exclsim, All hail the Re;
public! Length of days in her right hand,
in her left riches and honor. Although
he was not disposed to take rose colored
view of things, nor ninety-dsy view, (if
he did hail from New York y nevertheless
1 he took viewof good cheer. Like the Vicar
/ of Wakefield, he had a wonderful knack of
hoping. Although the James river may
| vet flow by Richmond a stream offre and
| blood, the prospect is not alone one of ca
/ lamity, but of hope. 1t was written that
Jesus Christ twice shed tears, once over
\ Lazarus, and once over Jerusalem. He
might say that our divine exemplar had
bequeathed to US two griefs, symb0lized by
these eYents-in other words they suffered
for the loss of friends, and the calsmities
1 of the land. But through this dark cloud
of gloom and disaster they still could look
hopefully to the future. He believed they
/ would yet stand again on the summit of
Bunker Hill, and give forth their glorious
words, liberty and union, till the whole
l thirty five States would re-echo them.
Monroe's Administration has been called
the golden era of America, but the speak
er considered the time of Abraham Lin
coin the golden age of American history.
War in other countries was demoralizing
with US it has elevated the moral tone of
the people, and the nation stands upon a
higher plane to-day. This advancement
is to be witnessed in the Government, for
Government is the best Thermometer We
have of the public feeling. The Govern
ment cannot be pure when the public
morals are corrupt; cleanse that and all
is cleansed. Now just look at the spirit of
our Government. Not many years ago
Bsillie Peyton, of Tennessee, said that the
city of Washington was so currupt that
the man in the moon held his nose as he
passed over it. Now freedom is tho master
spirit of the hour, and is using the war as
an instrument to work out its pure intent.
The Supreme Court, darkened by Taney,
stands gilded by Chase, and pre- ,ided over
by Abraham Lincoln is moving gTandly
forward to the golden year.
He spoke of the proposed amendment to
the Constitution, and of the fact that the
President who said, in his inaugural, he
would, if opportunity offered, return e
fugitive slave, ends his official term by say
ing that another, and not he, must be the
instrument of that return.
He then considered our foreign relations.
For one, he did not greatly care what
foreign nations thought. The London
Times was accustomed to say that the
United States had ceased to be. He would
reply in the Same cadence, that the Londen
Times has not ceased to lie. He denied
that Democratic institutions were on trial.
The trial is ended, and they stand crowned
with victory. No European government,
during peace, is as strong and stable as the
Government of the United States in the
time of war.
If the Florida was wrongly seized, let Us
make reparation. He said "Our country
right or wrong" was false doctrine and
could not but be offensive to high heaven.
He was not one of those who took fire Al
every flush of indignation, and cried out
for war. He hoped when our present
troubles were at an end that we would
rather beat our swords into pruning hooks,
and follow the arts of peace.
Concerning affairs at home, he said, he
believed in the words of Jackson TThe
Union, it husband shall be preserved"
From Lake Erie to the Gulf of Mexico,
every inch of territory is ours, and by Gods
grace we will govern it.
He spoke Of the debt which had been
accumulated in the course of the present
war, and compared it with the debt of
England, showing, by the relative increase
of population and commercial enterprise
in the two countries, that the United States
would get over it much easier than is gen.
orally imagined. There was only one debt
in this war which could never be paid
the debt we owe to those who have gone
down to death that the Republic may rise
to life. He then pronounced a glowing
eulogy on our brave defenders who have
fallen in fight, and said the only tribute
which was in our power to pay them was
to erect monuments, sound their praises in
all coming time, and sing Collins's immor-
tai ode,
"How sleep the brave who sink 10 ress,'
poem which Mr.. Titon recited with much
feeling.
AS an Abolitionist he advocated the sbo-
lition of the Electoral College. Abraham
Lincoln was elected by popular majority
of S50, 900. Now York-was a close State,
and Connecticut. He had made an esti-
mate and found that if 5000 votes had
been distributed among ell the close States,
George B. Mcclellan would have been our
next President. He examined the peculiar
doctrinesl of Mr.. Vsllandighsm, and said
that the coercive power of our Constitution
was based upon consent.
He saw breakers ahead in, the doctrine of
State Rights. States were the necessary
checks and balances upon the Government.
The phrase "5tate Sovereignty" was mis-
nomer. The Constitution takes all that
nonsense away. If Thomas Jefferson could
see in the old articles of confederation the
power TO coeHce a State, is there not the
same power in the harder provisions of the
Constitution ? He believed that the pesti-