Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-07-06
U
OF the FOurGI-OraIiOHs
and Addresses-Dinner-Nusie.

WHLOUGHEY, July 5, 1865.
The celebration of the Fourth at viii
loughby was a very pleasant affair. The
little tewn never looked fairer in its sum
mer dress, the shower of the morning
having laid every particle Of dust.
Large numbers of people were present
from Pain9sville, Madison, Kirkland, Men
tor, and the surrounding country. The
speakers platform was erected in the shade
of the naples on the grounds of the Insti-
tute, ald in front of it seats were arranged
for the listeners, all of which were filled
long before the exercises commenced.
The Eagle Band of Ashtabula was on the
grounds and furnished excellent music for
the occasion. The exercises were opened at
l0l O'Clock by n prayer offered by Rev. J
Tinker, Of Willoughby. The Declaration
Of Independence was read by A. Huston,
Esq Of WIl,oIghby- The President Mr.. G
W. Clement, made a few opening remarks
and read s letter from Hon. R. P. Spalding,
dated Washington, JUNE 9th, expressing
thanks for the invitation and regret that his
official duties prevented his acceptance Of
il. Hon. R. C. Parsons, of Cleveland, was
then introduced and delivered a very able
aud finished Grafton of about half an hours
length. We regret that we are able to give
only extracts from it.
What wonders hath God wrought %
But a little while ago in the history OF the
world, our entire continent was a wilder
ness inhabited by savages-and now how
grand the spectscle-hOw sublime our hiss
tory!
It IS but 4 little m1re than two hundred
years ago that the Maylower with its band
Of God fearing men and women, reached
the shores Of New England. On board tina
little tempest-tcst bark, the first charter of
American liberty, was drawn and signed.
A government was organized then, that
in the good providence or God, has grown
so great, that it fears neither foes from with
out nor foes from within. Founded origin
ally for His honor aud glory-watered With
tears and fed with the blood of the truest
II bravest-it stands today the aimira-
ton OF the world, the home Of the free, and
the day star to the oppressed Of every cline
under the heavens. Perhaps the sun never
shone upon g more prosperous people than
those Of the United States at the
beginning Of the late stupendous and
" cked rebellion.
From all quarters of the globe the down
tr0dden and oppressed looked 10 this land
as the star of hope and consolation, where
liberty, protected by law, was the birth
right of the hUmblest citizen, and yearly
thousands of human beings came rushing
to our shores, flying from want and oppres-
sion, helping to swell the chorus of free
labor and the nations song Of triumph il
its onward march of prosperity and glory
What tribute of gratitude can I bring
that will ftly express the generation, the
love, the sincere affection, and heartfelt OBJ
| legations, we owe 10 those, whose bravery,
whose noble daring, whose unselfsh hero
ism unmatched devOtiOns to duty, in the
/ gigantic war Just closed, saved the land
from destruction, and with & wall of human
hearts kept the foe from our firesides, and
saved US and our country from ruin and
disgrace. God bless the "boys in blue"
never see a wounded or crippled soldier
that uncomPlaingly bears about with him
the marks of this unholy rebellion, that l
do not feel myself unworthy TO loose the
latches Of his shoes The history of the
world furnishes no parallel to the contest we
have Just concluded, and the trials and
hardships OF those who fought its battles.
Ny blood bOils when l think of Anderson
vile, Belle Isle and Libby, aud the name
less atrocities committed upon our l4tlerS
and sons, and husbands and brothers.
Icould forgive the wretched traitors every
crime but this; but when I reflect upon this
gigantic iniquity-one that has no parallel
in hOrror-that stamped its wicked perpe-
traitors as infamous and brutal. Ny soul
cries out that the authors of these terrible
wrongs should De brought to punishment,
and Justice demands thOt the Chief Conspi-
ratOr in all the long catalogue Of rebellion |
and cold bloOded murders should find bis
doom, with the Booths, surratts, and Aster-
otis of history.
But the war has brought its rewards as
well as its sorrows-and chief among its
Jewels, Is the liberty it wrought to 1000, 900
human beings When in my earliest man
hood | gave my first vote with this despised
and slender band of Anti slavery men, |
against this system of American slavery, |
how little ! dreamed that before | reached /
the meridian Of life slavery would be de-
stroyed and freedom in truth and in fact !
become the birthright of every American. |
No longer are the Abolitionists obliged to
hide in darkness and suffer obloquy and in
suit. No longer are they held up to scorn
and derisiOn as a despised band Of "NaZa- |
renes." The stone which the builders re-
iected, the same has become the head Of the
corner. The cloud, which was no larger
than 4 mans hand, has overspread the
whole horizon.
And now my friends the lessons taught by
the war must not be forgotten and here on
this anniversary of our country's birth, let
US speak for a moment Of the lessons it has
brought home to our hearts. We have fin
ished our second war for Independence, and
the gravest duties are before US. Let US for
. $500 49, H-TIA III - 1
party feeling, and see if we can agree upon
our duty-the true path Of safety for tn. fu-
ture.
Aud first. We have been taught that the
people will submit to no geographical divi-
sion of our country. From the Lake Of the
Woods to the Gulf IF MexicO-from the At
lantic Coast to the Pacific shore, the people
have decided that it is all one country. Sc
cessiOn and Disunion, twin daughters of
pride and the devil, must forever be blotted
out of the minds Of American statesmen.
Our country, our whole country" must
hereafter be the rule, and he who lifts his
impious hand to strike one star from the
folds of our national banner, shall hear the
voice Of some Peter, as ofold, saying, as to
the wife of Annanius "BehOld the feet Of
them which have buried thy husband are
at the door, and shall carry thee out"
Second. The war has said that the ua-
ton shall live, but SLAVERY shall perish.
The fat has gOne forth. This dreadful blot,
that so long disgraced our national es-
cutcheon, which brought shame and dis
grace upon the name Of " American and
misery and torture upon its helpless vic
tins, has been swept away forever. Though
the ocean Of popular feeling still shows
signs Of the storm and the tempest that has
swept over it, il is but the necessary conse-
guence of the violence of the agitation and
precedes the calmness and quiet of perfect
peace. Thank God for this great and bless
ed boon. The right has finally triumphed,
victory has brought its just rewards, and
country will never again be pulluted
by the breath Of a bondman or a bond
woman.
Third: Another lesson which the war
has taught is the necessity Of providing
security for the future. We have
decided that 25O,O00 precious lives and three
miUioHs Of money shall not be spent in vain.
We must have security for the future, or all
Is lost. The rebellious enemies, conquered
by the people of the United States, must
not be left, while their hands are reeking
with the blood of our fathers and children,
to make laws for their conquerors, They
must not transfer their theater of operations
srom the field of battle to the Halls of Con-
gress. They must not seize the Govern
ment they attempted to destroy and prosti-
tute 1t for their w aggrandizement and
ends. The people demand indemnity
for the future. and he who offers to take {
than this, it were better for him that
q millstCne were hung about his neck, and ;
h. - ,.z4 mt, tho $40 -