The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-02-11


the manner with which he address,
ed the old veterans. Although this
was his first appearance as a public
speaker here in his home town, his
mastery handling of the subject.
his clear enunciation and his ease of
manner, stamps him as a valuable
addition to the legal fraternity. Mr.
Searle's subject was The Events
That Led Up to the Civil War" and
is as follows:
POST COMMANDER, AND OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE GRAND
ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC:
fully appreciate the honor con-
ferred on me in being permitted to
address a meeting of your order
The men who compose the Grand
Army of the Republic have been in
the past the great bulwark of this
nation, and have stood, in war and
in peace, a living monument of
patriotism. 1t would be vain for
me to attempt to recapitulate the
great part that you took when our
nation and government were threat
ened with destruction, from the
spring of 81 until the spring of '65.
Your achievements during that per-
iod have gone down in history as
second to none that the world has
ever beheld, and their details are
known throughout the world.
A brief review of the circum-
stances leading to this situation will
indicate the character and the vital
importance, of your services to our
country.
During the half century previous
to 1861, large portion of our peo-
pie became gradually involved in
contentious respecting the southern
institution of slavery, in its moral
industrial, and political aspects. The
controversy was marked by increas-
ing bitterness on both sides, after
the attempt by the slave-holding
section, in 1854, to carry slavery
into the free Territories In the
North, new party was formed, TAX
ing the name of Republican, with
the purpose of opposing the terri
claiming any intention of interfering
with the institution where it al
ready existed by law
In 1860, Abraham Lincoln, the Re
publican candidate. was elected
President. The greater portion of
the slave states, regarding this as a
fatal blow to slavery, resolved to
cacp1a from tho TTpiop apd form, n
separate government, under which
slavery should be maintained and
protected. This secession was push
ed with such vigor that delegates
from South Carolina Georgia, Flor
ida Alabama, Mississippi Louisiana,
and Texas met at Montgomery, Ala
bama, on February 4 1861, and or
ganized a separate confederacy, to
which they gave the name of THE
Confederate States of America" /;
adopted a constitution, elected JEFF
ferson Davis, of Mississippi, Presi-
dent, and Alexander II. Stephens, of
Georgia, Vice-President, and provid-
ed for raising an army and navy.
Other states soon followed, and in a
few months Virginia, North Caro-
lima, Tennessee and Arkansas were
added to the Confederacy. In Ken
lucky and Missouri, popular feeling
on the subject was divided, and
while the authority of the federal
government in those states was main
tained by military force, both were
represented in the Confederate Con-
gress as well as in the Federal Con-
gress, and large numbers of their
citizens served in the Union and in
the Confederate armies.
The States forming the Southern
Confederacy, after passing their or
dinances of secession, took posses
sion of AL the federal property with
in their limits, including mints, ar
senals, forts, navy yards, etc, eX-
cepting Fort Sumter, in Charleston
harbor, and Fort Pickens, one of the
defenses OF Pensacola. The COM
manders of these forts having refus-
ed to surrender, the Confederate au-
thorities opened the war against the
United States by the bombardment
of Fort Sumter, at daybreak on April
12, 1861. After defending the fort
for two days, Major Robert Ander-
son, its commander, was obliged to
surrender
TheTeupon we were confronted
with the most momentous issue that
any nation can be called on to meet /;
one that involved our national exist
ence The population of our coun-
try was about thirty-one and a half
millions, more than one-third of
whom had risen in open rebellion
against the government and set up
/ a government of their own. All the
wealth, influence and physical pow
er which they could command were
at the service of the Confederate
/ leaders. The issue before us was
whether the Union, under which we
had lived for three-quarters of a
century, should be allowed to perish,
or be maintained by force of arms
1t was the boast of the Confederate
leaders that they could place mil
/