Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1866-10-20
speech OF Gcn. Gcnry.

Va AehhSytNunius Tue DOys III Diuc VI I1HT-
risburg, formed procession and proceeded
to the Jones House, for the purpose of sere-
nading him. When the band ha1 ceased
playing, Gen. Geary, who was loudly called
for, appeared and responded to the compli-
ment in the following address:
FELLOW CITIZENS: As the candidate and
representative of the triumphant Union Re-
publican party ofPennsylvania, I rcciprocate
your congratulations, and return you my
sincere thanks for this greeting. 1t is indeed
noble victory we have achieved. We can
not too fervently and too repeatedly offer
thanks to Almighty God for this new evi.
dcnce Of His presence in the midst Of our
national difficulties. The same hand that
guided us through the sufferings and death
OF a causecss rebellion has led Ns safely
through new and even more tremendous
peril. The intelligence of the terrible over.
throw of treason in Penrsylvania-the sub
lime civic seque! to the crowning victory of
Gettysburg--the second and final surrender
of the Rebel sympathizers, will forever and
Justly settle many disputed questions. It
permanently establishes the fact that the
Government of the United States is vested
in the American people, and in their repre-
scntatives in Congress assembled, and not in
| corrupt CACCutlVe. anu upon tIllS strong
and granite foundation we shall now proceed
| to fortify against the inronds 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 rcvengeful traitors, de-
| fcated in battle, shall not be restored to ruin
the country they attempted to destroy.
"That when our forefathers declared man
capable Of selfgovernment, they rejected
the heresy of human Slavery, and pledged
equal political rights to oil their successors.
"That hereafter the citizen represented in
the State and National Legislature must be
clothed with the rights of citizenship.
"That all the agencies of the Government,
civil and military, must be pcrseveringly and
sternly exercised to protect, vindicate, and,
if needs be, avenge our oppressed brothers
in the South against the savage prosecutions
of Rebels who are still so impenitent 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 oppression
and persecution, however remote and how
ever remorseless that as we must choose
between those who will not yield to the
conquerors' terms in tho recent insurgent
States and those who have fought steadily
for the Government and pray for its protec-
ton, we gladly prefer the men who offered
their lives for the flag to those who continue
to scorn and trample upon it."
The defeat Of the sympathizers with trea-
son, and the overthrow of an abandoned and
ungrateful Executive in Pennsylvania, opens
the whole Southern country to the progress
sive people of the North, with their ten
thousand intellectual and clevating agencies,
and better than this it secures to the resident
loyalists, white and black, those natural and
) civil rights pledged in the Declaration of
Independence and secured by the laws of the
land. What Pennsylvania, who contributed
to the resplendent majority we contemplate
with such gratitude and joy tonight, will
not feel proud that to his vote and to his
energy mankind is indebted for these price
less blessings. Having fortified these great
truths against oil future dangers, it is for us
of Pennsylvania to maintain the forward
position we have so proudly won. The re-
suit proves that an intelligent people cannot
be driven away from principle by appeals to
prejudice. But it fixes the fact that more
than all that profigacy and prescription in
high places serve to arouse popular indigna-
ton, and to strengthen popular convictions.
No tyrant in any age-not even that of Nero,
whose infamy is written in the immortal
pages of Seutonius, ever descended so low in
9 his efforts to debauch or reached SO high in
his efforts to destroy, as Andrew johnson
Strong in the stolen power of n betrayed
people, he stretched forth his arm, paralyz
q ing where he could not purchase, and scourg
: ing where he could not subdue. Our State
: was converted into markctplace, where
:, the Offices of the people were proifered tc
/, themselves as the price of their own degra
dation, and where honest opinion was ostra
cized and craven sycophancy disgustingly
rewarded. But this attempt to restore tn
traitors Of the South and to reripe the Copper
:. head Of the North has pyored to BE- a galranisn
so brief that his failure has consigned both to
deeper death and TO a darker grdre than ha
t they occupied before. The Commonwealth
I that has resisted and defied such brbes and
=, such brutalities may well claim the prout
title of being the fortress of American free
l dom. But as l speak to you feel that w
: are not alone entitled to the laurels of trans
: cendant triumph. Indiana and Ohio com
plete the trumvirate as they compete TO
> the palm. Let us share it with them as thos,
who won the immortal battles against re
OS''Oh ShaiCu Siuaiy WV uonSSio auu III
S honors of the conflict. Now that we hav,
8 done our duty, it will be easy for others to
. follow-easy, let us hope, for Maryland t,
hold the position so bravely and so bloodil,
l. won during the war, aud now sought to b.
It torn from her by returned rebels and pen
r stoned mercenaries easy for Tennessee t,
:, retain and rivet the splendid post she ha
y captured from double treason easy 70
1t Delaware to cut loose from the prejudice
under which she has groaned SO long; cas-
for Missouri to add another page to be
- crimsoned ye: immortal record; and, abov
$ all, easy for the patriots of the South t
= compel obedience to the last generous p.oi
u fer of the American people in the new amend