The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-07-17
State, came hither to deliver to his

State, came hither to deliver to his
cronies a Fourth of July Grafton,
wherein he exulted over their bright
ening prospects thus openly:
"When / accepted the invitat ion
to speak, with others at this meeting,
we were promised the downfall OF
Vicksburg, the opening of the Miss
issippi, the probable capture OF the
Confederate Capitol, and the exhaus-
ton of the Rebellion. BY common
consent, all parties had fixed upon
the day when the results of the CAM
paign should be known, to mark ont
the line of policy which they felt that
our country should pursue. But. in
the moment of expected, there came
the midnight cry for help from Penn
sylvania to save its despoiled fields
! from the invading foe: and, almost
within sight of this great commercial
metropolis, the ships of your mer-
chants were burned to the waters
edge"
Had he but read the Tribune ofthat
morning, instead of trusting to the
World and the Herald, he would have
learned that Gen. Lee had been de,
feated at Gettysburg the day be
fore and WAS now in full retreat ;
while few days brought tidings that
Gen. Grant was marching into Vicks-
burg at that moment, and that Penn
berton and his 10000 men had sur
rendered and were prisoners of war.
Gardner surrendered Port Hudson
to Banks on receiving news of the
fall OF Vicksburg. But Seymour
thus badly informed, and suppOsing
Lee lord paramount in Pennsylvania
went on pouring hot shot into the
'.Lincoln despotism" from the North,
as he supposed his manlier confed-
crate, Lee, was still doing from the
South. Here is a part of his arraign-
ment, every paragraph whereof would
have elected applauding shouts from
every Rebel in Dixie, had they been
present to hear him:
ga few years ago, We stood before
this community TO warn them of the
dangers of sectional strife: but our
fears were laughed at. AT a later
day, when the clouds of war over
hung onr country, We implOred those
i'm authority to compromise that dIlfi
Guilty for we had been told by that
great orator and Statesman, Burke,
that there never yet was revolution
that might not have been prevented
by a compromise Opportunely and
graciously made. Great Applause.
Our prayers were UNDECIDED. And.
when the contest was opened, We in
voked those who had the conduct OF
affairs not to underrate the power OF
the adversary-nOJ to underrate the
courage, and resources, and endu
rance, of our own sister States. This
warning was treated as sympathy
with treason. You have the results
of these unheeded warnings and un-
needed prayers they have stained
our soil Sith blood; they have car
ried mourning into thousands Ct
homes; anjl to day they have brought
our country to the very verge of de
structiOn. Once more / came before
you, to offer again an earnest PRAYER,
and bee you TO listen TO a warning
Our country is not only at this time
torn by one of the bloodiest wars that
has ever ravaged the face OF the earth;
bnt, if we turn our faces to our loyal
States, how. is it there2 You find the
community divided into political par
ties, strongly arrayed, and using
with regard to each other terms Oi
reprOach ard defiance. 1t is said by
those who support more particularly
the Administration, that we, who diff
fer honestly, patriotically. sincerely.
from them with regard to the line of
duty, are men of reasonable purpos-
es and enemies to our country
Hear, hear On the other hand,
the Democratic organization look
upon this Administration as hostile
to their rights and liberties. They
look upon their opponents as men
who would do them wrong in regard
to their most sacred franchises. ]
need not call your attention to the
tone of the press or to the tone OF
public feeling to show you how. at
this moment, parties are thus exas-
pe-ated and stand in defiant attitudes
to each other. A few years ago, we
were told that sectional sGrife, waged
in words like these, would do no
harm to our country; but you have
seen tie sad and bloody results.
Let us be admonished now in time,
and take care that this irritation.
this feeling which is growing up in
our midst, shall not also ripen into
civil troubles that shall carry the
evils Of war into our own homes.
"Upon one point all are agreed,
and that is this: Until we have a uni
ted North, we can have unsuccessful
war. Until we have united, har-
monious North we can have no bene-
ficient peace. How shall we gain
harmony? How shall the unity of all
be obtained Is it to be coerced ? l
appeal to you, my Republican friends,
when you say to us that the nations
life and existence hang upon harmony
and concord here, if you yourselves,
in your serious moments, believe
that this is to be produced by seizing
our persons. by infringing upon our
rights, by insulting our homes, and
by depriving us of those cherished
principles for which our fathers
fought, and to which we have always
sworn allegiance,n Great applause.
After some variations on this theme,
he continued his appeal to Republi-
cans in these words:
1--WE only ask that you shall give to
us that which you claim for your
selves, and that which every freeman
and every man who respects HIM
self will have, freedom of speech,
the right to exercise all the franchi
ses conferred by the Constitution
upon American citizens. [Great ap-
plause Can you safely deny us
these ? Will you not trample upon
your own rights if you refuse to lis
ten? Do you not create revolution
when You say that your persons NAV