Year: 1860

speech VI non. merry nj. ruiief.


Fellow Citizens am happy to meet
you on this occasion. In obedience to
your summons l come to mingle my voice
with yours in behalf Of the great cause Of
Constitutional Union. (Chccrs) The
place is peculiarly appropriate for such a
gathering as this. Penn Square, named
after the illustrous founder Of our Com
monwealth, whose noble mission was Peace
is properly the place for our assemblage /;
for the objects we propose to accomplish
are Peace, Justice, and Concord, among
brethren. (Cheers.) This imposing mani
festation of interest and of numbers is en-
couraging indeed. Cheered and animated
by his patriotic presence, we shall, with
new zeal and increased frmness of purpose
move on to the discharge of our patriotic
duty. In the history of States and Gov
crpmcnts there will be revolutions. l be.
licvc we are or the eve of one now. A
great change Of pupular sentiment for pub
lie action is now going on within, among,
and around US. 1t will be wise now to
enquire into the causc-to consider the
present condition Of public affairs, and to
, contemplate propable futurity. 1t is but a
little more than seventy years since our
national existence commenced under the
present Constitution of the United States.
During that period our progress has been
marvel even to ourselves. In na-
tional and intellectual advancement we
have surpassed every former age 1t
required four hundred and cighty-six
years for the great Roman Empire, by
force Of arms, to subjugatc Italy alonc.--
In the short period of seventy, we have by
the arts of peace, subducd contincnt.-
We have established liberty. We have
maintained peace, We have secured for
the American name respect, and we have
surrounded it with glory. We are pre-.
pared this day, if need be, to measure our
physical arm with the proudest empire on
earth. Yea, more, on our own soil and in
our defence, we can resist the world in
arms. tremendous chcering-prolonged.
Yet in full view of all the past, with the
added glories of the present, and the still
richer promise of the future, there are men
at the South and in the North, who are
willing to cast all this away; who ask,
what all this is worth and who now open
ly aud hotly advocate disruption and dis
union. What has produced this feeling SO
pregnant with personal aud national disas-
teri Why is it that the work of scpara-
ton is now rapidly becoming a fact ?
Why is it that the firm knots of the I'm


ion are becoming unooSed Why is it
that domestic inslurection has been delib-
erately planned, and its murderous exc
cution attempted p?


1t is because the two Leading political
parties of the country have made the basis
of political action the systematic agitation
of single social question, Cries of that's
trueD The popular mind has become in
famed, and large communities do now
threaten revolution. They have been
made to feel that the equality of States is
threatened, and that their constitutional
rights have been put in jeopardy. 1t is
time this thing should end !! 1t is time
that tho sober American people should be.
come sober---that they should no longer
infamo each other--that there should be a
revival of the Spirit Of Unioa-that the
samo feeling of mutual respect and kindly
regard which prevailed at the time of the
formation and during the early administra-
tions of the Republic, should be in full health
and vigor restored Enthusiastic choerS.)
For that purpose and to that end The peo-
pie must now come to the rescue


Wo are now witnessing in the political
world phenomenon which you all have
seen in the natural world-a period of
solemn silence and hushed quictude which
forerunsa torms-when all nature is still
when no leaf rustles upon the tree, when
the flags fall listlesly to the masts, and
the whole world stands in anxious expect
alton. But soon the imprisoned winds will
break loose the tempests will curtain the
sky with its dark and angry folds-we
shall hear the loud roll of that thunder
which shakes the heavens from side to side
and men will shrink with dismay from the
lurid glare of its lightnings! On the ra-
ging food there will ride in glorious safety
the ark of Constitutional Union. Deaf
ening applausoD Not with barred win
dows and closed doors, but with one door
wide opened TO the south, another wide
opened to the North, another portal wide
opened to the East, and fourth to the
West, invitinn all. excluding none, but