Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-10-18
SPEECH OF GEN. GEARY.

proceeded to the Jones House for the pur-
pose of serenading him. When the band
had ceased playing, Gen. Geary, who was
loudly called for, appeared and responded
to the compliment in the following address
FELLow-CTIZENs As the candidate and
representative of the triumphant Union
Republican party Of Pennsylvania, recip-
rocate your congratulations, and return
" Il my sincere thanks for this greeting.
1t is indeed noble victory we have achicv-
ed. We cannot too fervently and too re.
peatedIy offer thanks to Almighty God for
this new evidence of His presence in the
midst Of our national difficulties The
same hand that guided us through the
sullerings and death Of causelcss rcbell-
ion has led us safely through a new and
even more tremendous peril The iutelli-
gcnce OF the terrible overthrow Of treason
in Pennsylvania-the sublime civic sequal
to the ciowning victory of Gettysburg
the second and final surrender of the
Rebel sympathiZers, will forever and Justly
settle many disputed questions II per-
manently establishes the fact that the Gov
crnment of the Unitod States is vested in
the American people, and in their represcn-
a corrupt Executive And upon this strong
and granite foundation we shall now pro-
ceGd to fortify against the inroads of time
and the attacks Of treason, the following
truths and covenants
"That the Government Of the people, by
the people, and for the people, shall not
perish from the earth.
"That cruel and revengeful traitors, de-
feated in battle, shall not be restored to
ruin the country they attempted to destroy.
THAT when our forefathers declared
man capable Of selfgovernment, they re,
jected the heresy of human Slavery, and
pledged equal political rights TO oil rhcir
successors.
"That hereafter the citizens represented
in the State and National Legislatures
must be clothed with the rights Of citizen
ship.
"That all the agencies of the Govern
ment, civil and military, must be persevcr-
ingly and stelnly exercised to protect, vim
dictate, and, if needs be- avcnge our Op-
pressed brothers in the South against the
savage prosecutions Of Rebels who are
still SO impcnlgcnt and defiant that even
Andrew Johnson fears to pardon them
That this obligation is as sacred as
that which made the Roman citizen strong
and respected all over the world, and which
stimulates the British Government to day
to defend British subjects against opprcss-
ION aud persecution, however remote and
however remorscles5 that as we must
choose between those who will not yield
TO the conquerors' terms in the recent III
surgent States and those who have fought
steadily for the Government and pray ior
its protection, we gladly prefer the men
who offered their lives for the flag to those
who continued to scorn and trample upon
it."
The defeat of the sympathizcrs with treas
on, and the overthrow Of an abandoned
and ungrateful Executive in Pcunsylva-
MIA, opens the whole Southern country TO
the progressive people Of the North, with
their ten thousand intellectual aud clcvat-
ing agencies, and better than this it Sc
cures to the resident loyalists, white and
black, those natural and civil rights pledg-
cd in the Declaration of Independence and
secured by the laws Of the land. What
Penn5ylvanian, who contributed to the re-
splendcnt majority we contemplate with
such gratitude and joy tonight will not
feel proud that to his vote and to his encr-
gy mankind Is indebted for these priceless
blessings. Having fortified these great
truths against all future dangers, it is for
Us OF Pennsylvania 10 maintain the for
ward position we have so proudly won
The result proves that an intelligent people
cannot I've driven away from principle by
appeals to prejudice. But it fixes the fact
that more than all that proAgacy and pro-
scription in high places serve to arouse
popular indignation, and to streugthan
popular convictions. No tyrant ia any age
not even that Of Nero whose iulamy is
written in the immortal pages Of Seutonius,
ever descended SO low in efforts to debauch
or reached so high III his efforts to destroy,
as Andrew Johnson. Strong in the stolen
power Of a betrayed people, he stretched
forth his arm, paralysing where he could
not purchase, and scourging where he could
not subdue. Our State was converted in
to a market-places where the Offices IL .he
people were prJilcrea to themselves as
!he price Of their own degradation, and
where honest opinion was ostracizcd and
craven sycophancy disgustiugly rewarded.
BIT Hli$ atteDlp! to restore the traitors Of The
South and 10 rerjre the CoDDerhe0d Of the
North has proceed to be a galrqnisnl 50 Jricf
TINT his Jalpre has consigned both to q deeper
death and to a DARKER Craze than that hcy oc-
cupjed bgtore. The Commonwealth that has
resisted and deticd such bribcs and such
may well claim the proud title
Of being the fortress OF American freedom
But as | speak to you feel that we are
not alone entitled to the laureis Of tram
scendant triumph Indiana and Ohio com
pIetc the triumvirate as they compete for
the palm. Let us share it with them as
those who won the immortal battles ag;-nst
rebellion shared equally the dangers and
the honors Of the conflict Now that we
have done our duty, it will be easy for
others to folIow-easy, let us hope, for
Maryland to hold the position so bravely
and SO bloodily won during the war, and
now sought to be torn from her by returned
rebels and pensioned mercenaries easy
Tor Tennessee to retain ard rivet the splen-
lid post she has captured from a double
treason; easy for Delaware to cut loose
rom the prejudiccs under which she has
groaned so long easy for Missouri to add
another page to her crimsOncd yet immor-
al record and above all, easy for the
patriots Of the South to compel obedience
o the last generous profler Of the Amcri-