The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-06


An imposing effect was produced by the simul
taneous discharge of many OF these from one
locality. The effect was grand and startling,
and has probably never before been witnessed
on so great a scale.
The speaking commenced at o'clock. AT
the professions began e. arrive, heralded by
torches, rockets, banners, and all the gorgeous
paraphernalia OF an army ready for battle. AS
they pressed their way through the multitude
which packed the broad thoroughtarc, they
were the recipients of the widest and most en-
thusiastic ovation that II is possible 10 conceive
Of The scene at this time was one that beggars
al attempts at description.
For the length of several blocks the street was
ablaze with lights, and overhung by canopy OIL
smoke, through which pierced the fiery trails OF
rockets without number; and every now and
then the voice of great gun was heard ABOVE
the din of the drums and the cry of the surglng
masses.
Beyond doubt, the Quaker City last evening
presented scene such as has never before Deen
witnessed throughout the length and breadth OF
the country.
The Academy of Music.
From the immensity of the crowds upon the
street, one would have imagined that the Aca-
deny of Music was necessarily the witness OF a
chm audience. But such was not the case. Such
an eager, enthusiastic crowd has seldom been
congregated within its walls
Hon. William D. Kelley was called to the
char, and introduced the orator OF the evening,
Horace Greeley, of New York, in the following
words:-
Ladies and Gentleman Expression of graft
tude, like acts of justice, is ever in season. and
my first duty tonight is to thank the commit
tee having in charge this meeting for the
dist nguished honor conferred upon me IN
inviting me tolpreside at 1t, and present to you
one of Americas most honored sons (aDplause),
the instructor Of our generation, the eXpounder
of the laws of political economy, which would
strengthen people, uphold a nation, and the
disregdrdof which must lead to the commercial
desolation from which our country has so often
suffered, The advocate of the rights OF the
laboring man-hmselfa model working man.
Some thirty odd years ago Horace Greeley
conceived the notion that he would like TO have
a days fishing, and as the fishing season has
returned with each year, that desire has re-
vived and somewhat strengthened, yet the days
fishing has never been enjoyed. | want the
people of Pennsylvania to enable hin to enjoy
it, He has always had duties to perform because
dangers assailed the country, or some of lis
great interests. Let us next Tuesday roll
up fifteen thousand majority in Philadelphia,
and fifty thousand in the State and we will pro-
duce such an effect upon the November cleo
tions that | am quite sure he Will feel tor once
the country is sale, and make the trout of some
mountain stream suffer-
Without further detention | present TO you
the Hon. Horace Greeley, OF New York.
Mr.. Greeley then came forward, and was loudly
applauded; alter it had subsided, he spoke as
tollOWs:-
Ladies and Gentlemen:-It is only with diff
Guilty, and by speaking quite slowly, that may
hope TO enable a majority OF this vast aud .ence
to hear what wish to say.
did apprehend that IN the very crisis, the
agony of your great struggle here, that the cold,
calm words in which am accustomed to speak
must fall tamely on the general ear. l am not
accustomed to stir passions nor even to attempt
to do so; and what would wish tonight II |
can be favored with your attention, is to cast
some retrospect on the past history of the
country, and strive to read and enable you TO
read the duties OF the present, and little more
them
gers and struggles of our torefatheTs, and your
selves down to this day.
think you will agree with me, that the con-
troversy concerning human slavery in this
country is very near its close. Let us then try
TO see what mistakes have been made, what
errors have been committed in the past, that i'm
posed on us some measure OF struggle and of
duty to-day. 1 do not think to begin with that
our fathers justly censurable for the planting
of human slavery in this country, now nearly
two centuries and half ago. 1t was like all
vice, like all error--it crept in upon us.
No man ever deliberately resolved to be bad
man, and no nation deliberately originates and
establishes permcious and evil institutions.
They creep in upon us. Bad habits, bad laws,
lad usages creep in unobserved, and then they
come TO attract attention, call themselves nsti-
tutlons ana claim from mankind that measure
of respect and Difference which the mass are
always inclined to accord to that which has
been established; and so, then, slavery slipped
into this country under the favor of foreign
rulers. Kings and ministers received Drbes
ment here.
Our fathers had no such clear conceptions as
we have OF the rights of human nature, and
slavery needed favor OF sovereigns who realized
the gratultes thrust into their pockets, and did
notlrealiZe thetCurses imposedupo this destined
regeneration, who tolerated and shielded and
protected it against the remonstrances of our
ancestors-aeainst the repeated and urgent
demands that this evil should not be thrust and
fastened upon us. Well, then, the first time our
fathers had one fair chance TO act on the sub
ject efficiently-the American Revolution - it
was Just as clearly understood by the patriots
OF that day that liberty aud slavery are antago-
nstic and Incompatible, just as surely under
stood by them, as by any John Brown or William
Lloyd Garrison of this day.
They saw it not at the North alone, but In
South Carolina and Georgia. The leading
patriots OF the Revolutionary times saw as
clearly as Jefferson or Adams, that If liberty
would prevail and become the law of this coun-
try, slavery must die. No Seward was ever more
urgent in proclalmlng the irrepresslble conflict,
no Lincoln ever more cogently or tersely said
the Union could not endure half slave and half
free, than Henry Lawrence, and Jefferson, and
every great man OF the Revolutionary age.
Ihls day we are entering on great struggle
with an immensely formidable power. We have
a very large majority in our own land who are
the loyal, devoted adherents of that power
Now, then If we today make war on slavery;
il we declare that the American idea is instant
death to slavery here, we shall increase the
number OF our opponents; we shall increase the
power and venom OF the Tory party IN this
country; we shall not add anything to our
strength.
The thirteen independent sovereignties colo
mes-then were made States. They were not
nation as we are. They were league of indie
| pendent sovereignties, and whatever Congress
mig ut DO, whatever the patriots of the nation
| might do, the whole nation would have com.
mandeo oot slender measure OF respect and
! Well now. surely WiShed IN eao