Year: 1863

ton that has risen in the scale ofprogress.
We had hoped to escape the ordeal of a
civil war; We felt our Government only
in its blessings Peace and prosperity
tha: this happy state was long to contin-
ne. But civil war has come upon us JUS
tilted ly the men of the South, on the
ground that they had the right to declare
themselves as an independant people un-
der the forms of the Constitution. A civ
il war is never justifiable 10 any land be
meath the ci lit of the sun--never when
there isopen the ballot box for the redress
OF grievances. Applause. The Revolution
of the Thirteen Colonies against Great
Britain was justifable, because they had
no ballot-box to appeal to. The Revolr-
tion in Naples was justfiable, because the
people had no ballot box to redress their
wrongs. The revolutions in other por-
tions Of Italy. in Poland. in Hungary. may
all find their justification in the fact tha;
the only means left them by which to re.
dress their grievances was by the sword.
But in this country. where every man had
his redress. where an election going adverse
to his views this year. may be reversed the
next, there Is no excuse for civil war. II
is for this reason that the blood of the
American patriots slain in this war will
ascend TO the Judgment bar of God, and
there plead against the Catilines of this
nefarious rebellion, who sat in their seats
in Congress and plotted the destruction
OF the Government they were sworn to de-
fend. Applause. Are you going to surren-
to those men? With uplifted hand to night,
before the searcher of all hearts, in your
presence. swear for one, that this hand
shall be paralized before L ever consen,
to yield up to the rebellion one single spot
Of earth over which the American flag
rightfully floats. Renewed Applause
The rebels say they will not return to their
allegiance to the Constitution and the Un-
ion. | answer, SO be it; but if they do re-
fuse to return. this flag must wave over
their graves. Cheers. Not one village
not one town, not one rood of ground over
which the stars and stripes wave shall be
surrendered to treason.


1t was not intended, as l verilly believe
in The providence of God, nor will it so
result in the counsels of men. Surrender
any portion of this noble heritage? They
talk about the sacred soil OF Virginia.
There is soil in the South more sacred to
my heart. You have kinsmen lying thre
in their bloody graves in the South. All
Of you have your kinsmen and your breth
rem there, and shall the reptile flag of Dis
union wave unquestioned over their graves
until the resurrection morn? Shall the
wife, the daughter, or the father bow their
knee to Jefferson Davis and ask permit
to visit the gray IS of the loved ones?


know not what trials are yet in store
for US. believe sincerely that the rebel.
lion is tottering to its fall: even by its own
exhaustion. 1t is now like the prisoner
you have heard of in the olden time, who
packed up in his close dungeon. felt every
day his prison walls coming closer and
closer together, until at last they crushed
him to death. In conclusion, l have very
little to say, as our eloquent Governor has
SO clearly gone over the ground as to leave
nothing for others to touch upon. With
respect to the proclamation of emancipa-
ton, it hal, he said his heartiest endorse.
ment. There was nothing too sacred to be
sacrificed to put down this rebellion =
That man who was willing to crush out
this rebellion at whatever cost, whether he
liked the proclamation or not, was his
brother and flienl.


Mr.. Colfax proceeded then to expose
the shallowness Of the assertion that the
adoption of the Critliden Compromise
could have saved the country from civil
war. He pointed out in detail the many
acts of Congress, some ofsthem humila-
ting in the extreme, which the Northern
Congressman submitted to and adopt
ed in order to avert the impending
storm. They had requested the State
Legislatures to repeal all personal lib.
erty bills if they were found to be un-
constitutional; they had adopted an amend
ment to the Constitution declaring it i'm
possible for Congress to interfere with
slavery in the States. and had done many
other things which we're Objectionable in
many cases to their inner sense ofright and
Justice The South wanted no compro-
mise, but rather dreaded it.


Mr.. Colfax closed with an earnest ap.
peal to sustain the Government in all it.
measures for the suppression of the rebel
lion.