The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-07-19
REHARKs or Hos. ANDREW

SIEwART.
Delivered at UniOntOWn, Pa, on the
occasion OF the Laying OF the Cor
ner.stOne of the Soldiers MOnu-
ment. -a-
Hon. Andrew Stewart presided at the
meeting held in Uniontown, on the 4th
inst, ON the occasion OF laying the
cornerstone of the Soldiers Monu-
ment. On being called to the chair he
said: 1 thank you, gentlemen, for the
honor conferred, by calling me to pre-
side over this vast meeting, ussembled
on this auspicious day and under these
auspicious skies, to witness the cere-
mony of laying the cornerstone of a
monument, here to be erected, In honor
of the soldiers of Fayette county, who
died in defense of our ever glorious
Union. They deserve not only monu-
ments of marble, but of eternal grati-
tude, deeply impressed in the hearts OF
all their countFymen.
allow sleep the brave who sink to rest
By all their country s wishes blest."
They died, but. thank God, they did not
die in vain. The victory they won is
"OIlh LlOIt " AhGAE wv II COuhAASt duh
to the world ten-fold than all it cost.
The conflict was bloody, but blood mas
ever been the price OF our greatest
blessings. The blood of Christ was re-
quired TO save the world; and the blood
of our best aud braveSt men 10 save
their country.
The war in which our brave soldiers,
living and dead, fought and conquered,
WAS a war between SLdCeT.y and freedom,
in which the aristocrHcy and crowned
heads OF Europe naturally took sides
with slavery, while the people and
friends OF liberty rallied round the
standard OF freedom. Had the cause
OF slavery fIinmphed, our Union and
the cause OF freedom and equal rights,
here and every where, would have per-
ished together. But as freedom tri-
umphed, our Union was saved, the
chains of four millions of slaves were
broken, and the dag of freedom was
everyw here thrown to the breeze, full
high advanced, without a star or stripe
erased, bearing on its ample folds the
great Websterian motto, Liberty and
union, now and forever, one aud inseP-
arHble." .....-r-.-.
This war has solved the great prob.
lem; It has proved to the world the
strength of republics and the capacity
of man for seli-government. Look at
It's effects. Foreigners are t1ocking by
y
our Pacific is equal TO our Atlantic
coast. Mexico and Canada are now
beginning to knock for admission at
our doors; and II admitted, wO may
truly say, with the poet,
"So pent up Utica contracts our powers,
But now the whole vast continent is ours.
Fulfilling the prophecy of Berkeley,
Bishop of Cloyne, who, more than II
hundred years ago. looking across the
Atlantic toward our young and then
feeble country, in the language of in
spiratiou exclaimed:
Westward the star Of empire takes lis way
,'Tims's nobIest empire Is the last
But the benefits of our victory will
not be confined 10 our own continent.
Like the morning sun, they are now
fast spreading their genial influence
throughout the world. BY means of
the American discovery of steam and
telegrRphs. our example and free prin-
ciples are flying with lightning speed
all over Europe, where some revolu-
tionary demonstrations have pTemd-
tuTeLy occurred, and therefore speedily
put down by the combined action of
the Holy Alliance of despots, who
already, Nebuchadnezzar-lik see "the
hand writing on the wall" Hereafter,
rely upon 1t, when the friends OF free
dom make general, concerted aud
simultaneous strike for liberty, they
cannot, they Will not fail. What can
one, or one hundred men, though
wearing crowns, do against millions of
strong men determined to be free? To
be free, the people OF Europe have but
to will it, and 1t is done.
Some of you, gentlemen, may deem
these anticipations extravagant. Ifso,
let me invite your attention for mo-
ment to some of the changes which IA
few years have brought forth in our
midst. 1 see many gentlemen here, old,
of course, like myself, who cannot fail
to remember what perfectly recollect,
when the whole trade and commerce
bet ween the East and West was carried
over yonder mountains on horseback,
on pack saddles, followed by armed
merchants, each horse carrying east
about $500 Spanish dollars, the only
money then in use, and carrying back
merchandise, including salt and bar
iron, for the supply of the Western
States, embracing Kentucky and Ten
nessee-up stream navigation being
then unknown.
But for the presence of these vene-
rable witnesses, this might seem in
credible. And il had then predicted,
that one small iron horse would soon
take over the mountain more than Iour
thousand horses then carried; that one
boat, with four or five hands, would
more than one thousand keel boats and
five thousand men carried; that a per-
feet picture of this vast meeting could
be taken by n single flash OF light; or
that YOU could converse with your
friends In Europe as IL pres
entl And il were now TO predict,
that mAiIsEand merchandise would be
sent in iron tubes from here TO New
Orleans with lightning speed, by the
concentrated power of electrssc ty,
would its contamination be more won
derful than what you have already
seen Accomplishment Progress and i'm
Provements have not ceased The
world moves, and like an avalanche
= ereSib ezendo.
Reconstruction Is now the work in
hand, and, like The war, will not end
until the great design OF Divine Provi-
deDce, liberty and equal rights, Is fully
The rebels would have
war, and nothing else until slavery WAS
utterly and forever abolished, and now
again they help the cause of freedom
by refusing to accept the mildeT terms
OF reconstruction offered, until equal
rights and free suffrage are fully es-
with education, protection
and justice to all. Then with a model gov
ernment, thus perfect and ready, for the
acceptance OF mankind, where crowns
and miters, tyranny, and despOtism,
civil and religious, will be swept from
the earth, peace and good will, law and
liberty will reign triumphant and su-
preme.
In a letter dated at Louisa Court
House, and published in the Richmond
Dispatch, of Wednesday last, we find
IT. faIY,,-fno, para1raph.