Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-12

Mr.. Speaker, I know Of nothing more
dangerous to a Republic than to put into
its very midst fourmiLian people stripped
of every attribute of citizenship, robbed of
the right of representation, but bound to
pay taxes to the Government. If they
can endure it, we cannotlThs murderer
is to be pitied more than the murdered
maui the rObber more than the robbed.
And we, whodefraud four million citizens
of their rights are injuring ourselves vsstly
more than we are injuring the black man
whom we rob.
IS =
Mr.. Speaker, let us learn a lesson from
the dealing of God with the Jewish nation.
When His chosen people, led blythe pillar
Of cloud and fire, had crossed the Red sea
and traversed the gloomy wilderness with
its laundering Sinai, its bloody battles,
disastrous defeats, and glorious victories ;
when near the end Of their perilous pill
grimage they listened to the last words of
blessing and warning from their great
leader before he was buried with immor-
tai honors blythe angel of the Lord; when
at last the victorious host, sadly joyful.
stood on the banks of the Jordan, their
ChCAhACS 0lOmAC0 III bnG 5Cd vi cldln III LD6
wilderness, they paused and made solemn
preparation to pass over and possess the
land of promise. By the command of
God, given through Moses and enforced
by his great successor, the ark Of the COW
enant, containing the tables of the law
and the sacred memorials of their pilgrim
age, was borne by chosen men two thous-
and cubits in advance of the people. On
the further shore stood Ebal and Gerizim,
the mounts of eursing and blessing, from
which, in the hearing of all the people,
were pronounced the curses of God
against injustice and disobedience. On
the shore, between the mountains and in
the midst of the people, a monument was
erected, and oil it was written the words
of the law, "to be a memorial unto the
children of Israel for eyer and ever
Let US learn wisdom from this illustrious
example. We have passed the Red sea Of
slaughter; our garments are yet wet with
its crimson spray. We have crossed the
fearful wilderness of war, and have left
our four hundred thousand heroes to SLEEP
beside the dead enemies of the Republic
We have heard the voice of God amid the
thunders of battle commanding US to
wash our hands of iniquity, to "proclaim
liberty throughout all the land unto all the
inhabitants thereof When we spurned
His counsels we were defeated, and the
CULTS of ruin yawned before US. When
we obeyed His voice, He gave US victory
And now, at last, we have reached the
confines Of the wilderness. Before us ii
the land of promise, the land of hope, thC
land of peace, filed with possibilities o
greatness and glory too vast for the grasI
of the Imagination. Are we worthy tC
enter it On what condition may it b
ours to enjoy and transmit to our chill
dren's children Let us pause and make
deliberate and solemn preparation. lie
US, as Representatives of the people
whose servants we are, bear in advances
the sacred ark Of republican liberty, witt
its tables Of the law inscribed with the
4" irreversible guarantees" Of liberty. LIE
US here build a monument on which shall
be written not only the curses of the Law
against treason, disloyalty, and oppres
sion, but also an everlasting covenant o
peace and blessing with loyalty, liberty
and obedience; and all the people will
say, Amen.