Weston weekly leader. [volume] (Weston, Umatilla County, Or.) 1878-189?, 1880-10-30
HoRArIo SEYMOUR ON HANCOCK.

Seymour's great speech at Utica.
Gen. Hancock bows to the DEGREES of
the Constitution. He accepts its teach
ings, he is imbued with its faith; its terms
to him are sacred his sarnestness shines
out in every line; and when he swears to
support the Constitution in its letter and
spirit we know he means to do so. Those
whs formed it not only chose fitting
words to tell its meaning, but patriotism,
ike religion, has its symbols. No flag
which koats in the wind Of heaven tells
no much as ours Of the history and charac-
ter Of the Government it represents.
It's stripes recall the names of the States
which fought the battle which gave us
liberty, and which crowned their glorious
work BY forming our Union. The States
are numbered ly the stars that glitter
upon its blue field. He who would
strike one star from its place or who
would blend or blur these symbols, so
that they would tell only of obscure
natisnalism has latent treason in his
heart.
We are asked why We took a soldier
for our standard bearer2 To whom can
We intrust it with more safety than to
one who has had its deep and grand sig
nificance burnt into his very being by the
fires of battle feldsl
There is not a color upon its folds,
there III not stripe upon its emblazonry,
there is not star upon its azure ground,
that has not been made sacred by him.
Ths appeal which drew him and his fell
low soldiers from their hor.e to ths bat
tie field was to rally around ths stars and
stripes and to uphold tia Union. They
will never make eur flag an unneaning
thing; they will sse to it tha, Il remains
a true emblem Of the spirit Of our Con-
stitution. by the peoples vote Gen.
Hancock will bear this standard on to
victory In this contest as he has hereto
fore done en- the bloody fields Of battle.
He has learned from it the grand purpose
OF the Constitution by teachings amid all
the solemn lessons of war. By the in
spirations of the battle field, by the sad
and solrnn aspect of the bloodstained
earth and the dying groans of men when
the struggle has ended. He has learned
the great lesson of craftsmanship, not
amid scenes of party strife, not in an at
mosphere tarnished by personal ambition
or scheme Of plunder, but where Wash
angton and jackson learned the lesson of
duty to their country and of obedience to
Its laws and Constitution. It is now
charged by eur opponents that we are in
consistent when we place soldier at the
mead OF the government. The propr,ety
OF doing this depends upon the character
OF the man and the nature of the service
upon which he has been engaged. The
general who has fought only for victory
or a conquest, or has heen engaged only
to promote schemes of ambition or to
crafty feelings of hate has been taught
upon the battlefield only lessons of force
aad violence But those who have dared
the perils of war to free their country of
oppression, to gain for it an independent
government, to resist hostile invasion or
to uphold it against resistance to its
rlghtful authority, have their mind filed
with objects Instructive, ennobling and
patriotic.
With intellects quickened by all the
dangers and excitement of the strife they
see more clearly than other men the value
ct obedience to laws and the duty of
sacrificing all things for their country's
ington learned the grand duty of laying
good. 1t was at this school that Wash.
down his sword and retiring to private
life when the world thought he would
claim crown as his reward. This act
10 constantly referred to in other lands
a. well as our own gave him his immor.
tality.
1t was in the same school under like
influences that in the hour Of victory
jackson curbed and restrained his fiery
spirit and submitted to injustice and in.
dignity because it was imposed upon him
by legal tribunal.
" cafed to tie Presidency / should deem,
"my duty to resist, OiM alI MY ,oososr any
attempt to impair OF svoc's lie J9.g torcs
and effect Of tie Coastitl l.sjo,, ,s6,eh in
euery article, section a,ad sznssa8,,,sas 70
tie supreme la'o Of tie l.zs,.3,-W I.;r1z.,o
SCoTT HANCOCK.
lie who has learned to oosY rightful
authority, has been taugh: the ereat les
80,