Year: 1861

On the 18th of August the freemen of Wy


oming county, Pa, irrespective of party


held tremendous meeting, which was ad


dressed by the Hon. Daniel S. Dickinson, o


New York; gentleman who supported


Breckenridge at the last election--in mos


powerful and convincing speech which, not


withstanding the great pressure upon ou


columns, we publisd in full:


Mr.. President and Ladies and Gentleman:


Amid all the diversity of sentiment in ou


land, there is one subject upon which W,


can agree, and that is that our country is il


a most lamentable condition-our Govern


ment threatened with disruption, our Con


stitution with supversion, and our institu
| tions with overthrow. We are met here


for the purpose of discussing the great in
terests OF a common country, and of dctcrm
| lining what becomes us in an exigency sc
fearful; meet you here not to discuss slavery


or anti-Slavery. Though an old line Demo


crat brought up at the feet of Gamalel, ant


adhering with tenacity to the principles Of
Democracy through an active life, yet
| come not to speak to you upon politica
| partisan subjects. | come to discuss mat
ter that concerns our Union, one that rises


far above and shoots deeper than party inter


ests or issues. We have a duty, my fel-


low citizens, far beyond that of the fathers


of the Revolution. They were oppressed


by tyranny, and they sought to throw off


the shackles of despotic monarchy. They


hoped that great and free Government


would spring up from their patriotic efforts


but the most sanguine never imagined that


Government SO replete with good would


be the fruits of their beginning. What with


them was hope, with lis is fruition. They


planted and we reaped. Their experiment


has become success, and we are enjoying,


or might enjoy, such blessings as Heaven


never before vouchsafed TO mortal man. But


conspiracy has appeared; strife and dvis-


ion are at our doors; and it becomes lis now


to see whether the fruits of this great and


benehcent Union must be lost, or whether


they can be preserved. 1t were needless to


go back and review dead and buried issues


There is great fact staring us in the face,
and with that we have to deal. 1t matters


not whether the origin of our difficulties


was North or South, or East or West--the
question is, How shall it be dealt with and


disposed OF? In every Government, and
especially in every free Government, politi-
cal parties will arise. And it is well that
we have them. So far from being a curse


when restrained within legitimate bounds,
they are blessing. The strife OF political
parties, like the agitation of the natural ell
ements, purities the moral atmosphere and
gives life, and vigor and freedom to our in
stituti0ns. There are some questions too
great, some too small. for the exercise of
political parties; and We have nlany duties
to discharge in the various relations of life
that do not appertain to political affairs, but
which we should come together and dis
charge, as American citizens, as brethren of
one tie, and not inquiring whether we be-
long to this or that or the other division of
political parties. When we assemble around
the grave of a neighbOr, and hear those
words that have rren SO many hearts,
Earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes"
and hear the crcaking of the chord as the
remains are lowered to their final resting
place, the strites of passion are hushed in
the bosom, and we remember only that we
are men-inquire not what were the polite
al views of the living OF dead. At mid
night you hear the cry of "fre!' You rush
ling in flames. 1t is found that in the terror
of the moment mother has left her infant
in the chamber. The flames hiss through
every crevice, the rafters tumble, the Gin
ders crumble, and another and another
marks the attempt, till at last one is lost in
the flames Every eye-bali is strained, ev-
cry heart palpitates, every breath is hushed,
every muscle stands out like whipcords, and
all believe he is lost, but finally he appears
and restores the loved and lost to its sWoon-
ing mother, but no one inquiries to what
political party he belongs. When the cita-
del of our country is in flames, when the
edifce that Washington and Franklin and
their associates erected, is in flames, it be-
comes us, whatever may have been our po-
litical proclivities before, to rise far above
al other considerations, and to keep this
citadel from destruction. Cheers. / can
not afford to turn away from my duty be-
cause political opponent is acting with me,
nor stay back from duty because pOliti-
cal friend deserts me. No. must go on
and discharge a great duty. ] hold it to be
the first duty of every citizen, of every
party, to aid in restoring, if restored it can
be this great and good Government Cheers
and cries of THAT s true doctrine" Pre-
vious to the last political election this coun-
try was at peace with the world, and it was
in the enjoyment of greater privileges than
any other Government on earth; there was
no people so blessed in every ramification
of society. This mighty sea of happy
faces before me testihes to the fact that
they have been in the enjoyment of civil
and religious freedom. And so it was from
the North to the South, and from the East
to the West, with over thirty millions of
people, unoppressed by Government, but
every one enjoying the fruit of his own in
dustry, and literally none to molest or to
make him afraid, Then what cause is there
for this great disturbance? Why is it that
one portion of this country is in arms against
another p? Let us inquire the cause of the
first, and then see if we can pre-
scribe remedy afterward. We all agree
that the grievance is most serious. But
what is the true way of putting down what
| shall term rebellion? And we can all
agree in one thing-that that rebellion is
either right or wrong, justifiable or unjusti-
liable; to be approved or condemned as a
whole. If it is right for portion of this
country to take mp arms against this Gov
ernment it is right to sustain such action,
and If they are wrong they should be put
down by the power of the people. APP
plause. There is no half way house in
this matter-no tarrying place between sus-
taining the Government and attempting its
overthrow. There is no peace proposition
that will suit the case until the rebellion is
iirst put down. lAPplause.] And were
in tavcr, or disposed to tan.per with this re-
bellion, or aid or countenance it, / would go
and take up arms with them. Because, if
it is right for them to take up arms, it is
right for them TO have armed aid and assist