Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-10-15
OLD BUT GOODl
SPEECH or
Hon. jeremiah S. Black,
AT THE
DEMOCRATIC MASS CONVENTION
IN LANCASTER CRY, SEP. II, 1863.

! IOLHOOiln w WnOO NNN' Nv W.
IN LANCASTER CRY, SEP. II, 1868.
Mr.. Black, having been INTRODUCED
to the Convention said
FELLOW CITIZENS - have not ac
ceptcd this invitation to address yor
with any hope Of giving you new ligh
on the issues before the people Ther'
are some things too plain for discus
sion, and the man who does not under
stand the fundamental principles now
in contest, is below the reach of ar
argument.
This Government--this Constitution
and these laws--wefe made by the
patriots of the Revolution to secure
the blessings Of liberty TO themselve.
and their posterity. Their blood and
treasure expended upon the erection
of the Government, gave them an in
heritable estate IN it which has come
down in the regular course of descent
to their heirs. We, the white men Of
America, are their heirs.
The Government being our property
we have the same right to save it from
overthrow by warning one another Of
its danger that any one Of you has to
prevent the destruction Of his house
by raising the cry of fire when he sees
the flames bursting from the roof And
this is a duty which will surely be per
formed for the people Of this country
have been SO long accustomed to speak
plainly what they believe sincerely
upon the subjects which concern their
temporal salvation, that they could
not be silent If they would.
This great combination OF independ.
cnt sovereignties, uniting all the pow.
ers OF n consolidated empire for the
common defence and general welfare,
with all the advantages Of local self.
government in our domestic affairs, was
the grandest political structure ever
made by human hands, and ITS preser-
vaton was the most sacred trust ever
committed to any people on the globe.
If we shall be compelled to close this
contest without restoration of the
Union, our worst mlslortunes are yet
before us. No Imagination has meas
ured the full extent of that calamity,
or seen to the bottom of that irightiul
abyss. II any one here feels pity for
the Southern people, let him bestow it
not for the sufierings they have al
ready endured, but for the evils which
await them in case they succeed in the
rash and rebellous enterprise OF disso-
luton. Neither can we of the North
look in the face of such misfortune
without dread and terror. A sample
commercial view of it land that is the
lowest of all views) is enough to startle
us. We lose an internal trade with
the South worth. to us at least one
hundred millions per annum in clear
profits. We lose tho larger part OF
that great foreign commerce which
heretofore made all the world depend
ent on us. A financial revusion must
follow this bloated system of fictitious
paper credit as surely as the night fol
lows the day. With all these elements
of weakness we must shoulder a debt
OF perhaps three thousand millions Of
uoilars, , rennsy wanna paying ao9u'
'TemyJsVe "u',o"S per dN"u" as he'
snare g We "iTest' ouruen WhiGn
even prosperous people could hardly
expect TO carry without pelng crushed
WIN business everywhere paralyzed'
properly universally uepreciateu, IN
deot beyond nope oil redempuon,ground
to ths earth by taxation, political m
slgnlhcance IN the eyes Of tho world
ana consciousness oi national shame
ana degradation IN our own hearts, we
must begin the world again, IKE a
oroken-hearted man who has lost his
character, his property ana his hope.
Nhen these things are recoliected,
let no man forget that inc Democratic
party IS the only one which ever ap
preciated the value OF the Union. NO
other ever made devotion To- It a cardi-
nal principle oi its creed Ihore new
or was a time since that party hrst
came INTO existence, when any man
couid remain IN It's communion Tor an
hour II he showed indifference, much
less II no expressed opposition to the
union' when any oil ITS pretended
members declared his Willingness to let
the Union aide he was promptly notl-
lled 10 siiue himseli over 10 inc OPPOSE
tlon' ana nc Always opeyed Inc order
II there be q man among US now who,
would not ireeily give all nc has ana all
he Is TO prlng Dack the Union TO the
condiiion IN whlch II was three years
ago, he Is not IN MS proper piace ne
ought TO be IN secret conclave with the
loyal ieaguers' plotting against tha'
constitution ana those laws wnlch
alone can Dlnd inc onlon togethcr
lnal we are as truo as over 10 our
ancient iaith-that we nave not gwen
up one inch OF the high ground we
occupied IN all the time past-ls prov
Cd, II proof were necessary, by the
character oil our present cahuiuate LOT
the highest once IN the STATE 1 thlnk
know that gentleman as wen as one
man can be known toanother, ! can nsay,
WIN aprolound conVlcuon OIL its trnth,
that no WORD has ever Ooon ncnru from