Year: 1861

Delivered in Cortland Co., NY, Aug.3.
We come here, not as Democrats, not asRe-
publicans, not as ADolitionists, not Ameri-


cans, but we come here as the people, seeing


that tbs enemy is at the gates of the Citadel,


seeing that armed rebe llon is threatening us,


we come together TO stay up the hands of the


Constitution and to cling to its pillars, swear
| ing in faith il these institutions fall. as


the people we fall with them. (Cheers.) The
| question is not, "Who is at the head of this


Administration 10 and l shall not inquire


whether his name be Abraham Lincoln or An


drew Jackson. He is the peoples represen-


tative of the Government, and for those who


like him and confde III him, it is their duty


to do all they can to sustain him and those


who do not, it is their duty to do much more.
| (Cheers.) Those who believe that he and his


administration are adequate, can rejoice in the
| pride of their strength and those who be-
/ lieve he is rot adequate should come forward


and whip their horses and call upon their Her


cnles and put their shoulder to the wheel. l


shall not adopt your political principles, if


you are an opponent of mine-as many of you


are-and don't ask you TO adopt mine; but


ask You to go with me in great and CON-


mon duty, which concerns us all alike to


shield the Government first from rebellion and


destruction and then, If there is question


who shall govern it afterwards, we will discuss


that on another day. (Cbeers.) ] 60 for the
| preservation of this Government, go to cleave
| him down, as Saul did Agag, who undertakes


to destroy it, and it is of little consequence to


me whether the enemy of the Government is
| in arms, or whether he is aiding the armed
whether he is Rebel or an aid to rebellion
whether he points the fatal weapon at the bo-
som Of his fellow man, or whether he aids and
| encourages another to do it whether he ap-
| plies the torch to the Capital of our country
| and attempts to burn it to ashes and destroy
| Its archives. or whether he is an apologist and


connives and encourages it under the tongue
| of peace. have learned what little reputa-
| tlon L ENJOY before the public by standing by
| the Constitution, and l intend to stand b. it
as long as there is one single shred of the Con-
s.itutIon left, and whether it is assailed by
| opinion or arms, by North or by South, by
one class or by another, 1 care not. He is the
| foe TO the Government who assals it, and my
foe, and dare him to trial of the strength
| of the Constitution and the Union before the
people.


The very existence of the Institutions under
which We live are threatened, and there are
but two sides to this question. One is in ia
vor and the other is against it. There can be
no doubt OF the result of this matter if proper
Iy prosecuted; and we embarrassed more
to-day by attempts to connive at the rebellion
within, than We are at the rebellion itself.
For there is strength enough and power enough
OF men, and money, and material. and deter
minatlon, to crush this rebellion to the very
earth, where it deserves to he crushed. There
is no other way to deal with it, The Admin
lstratlon has unquestionably put forth its best
efforts. | am not the chosen defender of the
Administration. l am its political opponent
when 1 act politically but in emergencies of
this ind / intend to rise above political con-


sideratons entirely.


L change no political opinions. / say po-
litical opinions have nothing to do with the
question, one way or the other. 1t is not who
shall tenant and govern the capital. 1t is not
who shall govern this great State and Nation.
1t is, siShall it be preserved for any party to
govern" (Cheers.) Now none shall escape
from that issue. There no slippery and
filthy stepstones by which political office
ers crawl away from that, either up or down.
1t is a question of existence-our existence
and he who is not for maintaining that exis-
tence is for destroying it. The Administra-
tion has come in with thousand embarrass-
ments around them corruption and treason
in everv department to the very lips military
officers betraying their command,-navy Of
hcers stealing their ships,-offcers in the mint
and in the custom houses, and every depart
ment, stealing its property or turning it to the
enemy; and new administration, with new
Cabinet coming in party Administration,
having only the confidence of part of the
people, had all kinds of embarrassment on its
hands. But so far they have done what
commend, | commend them for it. If they
have not done all would myself have done
under like circumstances,-if they have been
remiss, il is the province OF the people to call
them to account, and ask them to administer
the government so as to put down the rebel
lion at the earliest moment Now the sin
that most easily besets the American people is
politics. Everything is politics in this coun-
try. Like the frogs, and lice, and locusts of
Egypt, it comes ur in the bed and the knead-
ing through. Politics is what ale was to Boni-
face; we eat, and drink, and sleep on politics,
Sh IN find frar TOR fp haa a,.A
earth, and find name to curse the knave,
would call him mean, managing grOg- house
politician. Even in the matter of this great
crisis, which threatens our very country and
existence, there is an attempt going forward
to raise political party upon it,. s'Why don't
you rally up to sustain this Government ?'
"Why, those Aboltionists kindled this fre.''
sWell, what difference does that make does
it burn any more than if Democrats had kim
died it?' The question is, how can we ar
rest the fame, not who kindled it. Your
church is on fire and you summoned to
save it. The house is on fire and burning, and
threatening the destruction OF the dwelling be-
side, it, so that
The blackness of ashes shall mark where it stood,
And avid other scream 'er her famishing brood


Our fathers planted this Government. They
had but faint and feeble idea of what they
were doing. They looked forward to the day |
star of their hope for Government of free
dom, but had no conception that this great
and mighty Government would arise up from
their beginning. Now we have far greater |
duty to discharge than our fathers had. They |
fought for an experiment-they fought for
hope. But sere this rich Inheritance is spread
out before us, and all we have to do is to pre- |
serve it. No marching bare foot over frozen
ground, amidst poverty, sickness and starva-
ton. No toll and labor, such our fathers
endured. All we have to do is to employ the
mighty elements that they under Providence