Year: 1862

people so prosperous and so happy as We were
two years ago Our people from three millions
of people, had increased to thirty millions From
a little line Of population along the Atlantic, we
had grown and spread until our shores were
washed by two oceans. We had stretched ou.
our arms from the lakes of the North to the Gulf
of Mexico. We embraced every quality of soil
and every kind of production. The sails of our
commerce whitened every sea, and the happy
American tar. standing upon the deck of his yes
sci, looked proudly up at the stars and stripes
floating gloriously above him, and felt that in
that flag he had safety and protection every
where. Around every fireside were contentment,
happiness and plenty. But what is the scene that
meets our eyes at the present timer From every
vocation in life the soldier is hurrying to armsi
From the plow and from the anvil-from the
physicians Office and from the halls of Justice
we are hurrying to arms.


! The Union has assumed the appeasance of one
vast military camp. The tax-gather, too, will
soon be upon US, to wiring from us our substance.
There are grave and important questions for us
to decide How can we return to that happiness
and prosperity which we once enjoyed? | would
answer-it can only be done by enforcing every
where the Constitution as it is and the Union as
it was. Whatever amount of power is necessary
and in whatever form. to enforce that principle
ought to be and must be employed A rebellion
embracing thousands of our former fellow-eiti
zens now arrayed in arms against the Government
must be put down by force of arms. And at the
same time that this is being done for the rebellion
in the South, that class of our fellow citizens in
other parts of the country who are seeking by
other means than those of cannon shot and bay
onets to destroy the Government, must be driven
out of place and power, and other men who will
acknowledge their obligations and perform their
duty to their country must be put in their places
! To accomplish that object depends upon you
and upon me, but more upon you than upon me.
You will have to begin the work right here. If
you have already begun this good work, as /
trust in God you have, let me urge you to keep
| it up by every means in your power-for, remem-
Der, the Government, the very existence of the
country, depends upon it,


Lam aware, my fellow citizens, that those per-
sons who have deceived YOU heretofore will en-
deavor TO do it again.


They always promise what your interests seem
to demand, but their performance is very poor.
I Let us inquire a little into the past history of
these men, and see whether they deserve to be
trusted for the future. You remember that a
few wears ago we warned the people that the for
nation of sectional parties dangerous to the
Union and the Constitution. You will recollect
that these men then sneeringly said TO US that we
were Constitution and Union savers They
told you then that all our talk about danger to
the Union and the Constitution was the merest
braggadocia. They asserted that there was no
danger of the South seceding-that you could
not get them out of the Union-their slaves
would up and murder them. Well, we did not
find that exactly the case, did WEI These men
cheated YOU then, didn't theyl Some of them
cheated themselves; Others, and by far the larg
est portion of the party did not although they
cheated you.


Well, we passed along as usual, and what
turned up neyt! When there began to be signs
of trouble in the Southern country. we conserva-
tive men, stepped forward and said-Lets Com
promise. They repled-No. we will never com
promise with rebels in arms. They professed
the profoundest contempt for the South-said
our women should go down there and drive them
all together into the Southern ocean-it was
mere breakfast SPELL Again they cheated YOU
Again they proved false prophets, and like
false prophets of old, they ought all to be
stoned to DEATH [Cheers and laughter. No,
they would not compromise They wanted
little blood-letting-it was absolutely necessary
for the future peace. They said it would not
come TO much-these people down South would
not fight at all; and when at length your Pres-
dent called for army of seventy five thousand
men, you were told that they would make rapid
work of the rebellion. 1t was to be annihilated
at single blow. So said these men. Well, how
/
mustered in six hundred and ninety three thou
sand, and still there is room for more Laugh
tel. All, my friends, these men were never more
mistaken in their lives than when they assumed
to place such slight value upon the strength of
the rebellion and the courage of rhe people of
the South. Ii is no particular credit to any
American to say that he will fight; that is one
quality that is common to the whole American
race. They have always displayed that charac-
teristic wherever they have been. These men,
therefore. when they told you that the Southern
people would not fight, either did not exactly un-
derstand the subject, or they wilfulIy mised you.


Well what next? They come now after they
have found out that the Southern soldiers will
tight, they come to you again and cry, 1--WE
have been mistaken this time, but we have il
now just arm the negroes. and the work will be
finished in short order" Fellow citizens, as of
ten as hear man talking in that way, come
to the conclusion that he wants to find some ex-
cuse for changing the issue to get somebody
else to do the fighting He don't want to vol.
unteer. Laughter No man of common in
tellieence can be induced to believe that the ne
gro, naturally an inferior race, and debased by
ignorance he is, can ever compete with the
white man upon the battlefield any more than
he can anywhere else. Set them against each
other, three to one and the white man will be all
the time the victor.


In Mexico, where our soldiers fought a mixed
race, they were victorious on every battle field,
although outnumbered in the ratio of FIVE to one
Now, if the African is afraid of anything on this
earth; it is gunpowder. la what estimation can
you hold that man who tells you that the liberty
independence, and constitutional government of
the country, depend upon few miserable, ignor-
ant, cowarily negroes2 We have a population
of twenty millions of white people and immense
wealth: properly directed, we are capable of beat
ing any army the world ever saw or ever will see,
and he who has the effrontery to say that we can
not maintain our Government without the help
of negroes, utters libel upon the American ma
ton.


1t is false that slavery is the cause of the pre-
ent unfortunate condition of things The cause
does not lie there; it lies in another place. The
mischievous legislation of these Abolitonists in
Congress is the cause and the only cause.
speak plainly, but L speak precisely what think
| Now one thing


When we met one year ago in Congress both
branches pledged themselves that the war should
be prosecuted for the preservation of the Union
and the Constitution, and for that alone All Of
these Abolitionists either voted for the resolution
which was adopted embodying that sentiment. or
rGn out of the House TO avoid voting at ALL
Well, the resolution adopted The President
issued his call for volunteers, and six hundred
and ninety three thousand rushed to arms upon
the faith OF the solemn pledge which Congress
had given to the people. Time rolled on, and
success seemed to smile upon our efforts. Our
Western armies had won great and glorious vic
tories. The Southern people were still divided
just at this juncture Congress meets. The DOM
inant party goes Immediately to work to undo all
the wise legislation of the called session. Every
proposition that is brought forward is for the ne
gro. 1t soon became apparent that the majority
in Congress was no longer bound by the Consti-
tuition. Instead of coming forward with meas
ures of peace and Cancellation. they came with