Year: 1864

the whole history of mankind, that
whatever else may be done to give sta
bility to authority, whatever else may
be done to give perpetuity to institu-
tions, however wise, however glorious,
practical and just may be the philOso-
ply of it, il. has been found that the
only enduring, only impelshable ce-
ment of all free institutions has been


the blood of traitors. No tGovmernent


has ever been built upon unperishable


foundations, which foundation was not


laid in the blood of traitors. It is
fearful truth, but we had as we'll avow
it at once, aud every lick you strike,
and every Rebel you kill, every battle
you win, dreadful as it is to do it, you
are adding, it may be a year, it may be
ten years, it may be century, it may
be ten centuries, to the life Of the Gov
ernment and the freedom Of your chill
dren. [Great applause.1 Now, passing
over that idea, passing over many 9TH


er things which it would be right for me
to say, did time serve, and we're this
the occasion, let me add, you are a
Union party. CApplause. Your ori-


gin has been referred to as occurring
eight years ago. In one sense it is true
that you are far older than that. 1 see
before me not only primitive Republi-


cans and Primitive Abolitionists, but


see also, primitive Democrats and prim-


tive Wings, primitive Americans, and
if you will allow me to say SO, myself
am here, who, all my life, have been q
party to myself. Laughter and ap-
plause. As Union party, I will fol-
low you to the ends of the earth and to
the'gates of death [applause] but as an
Abolition party, as Republican party,
as Dem ocratic party, as a Wbig party,
as an American party, I will not fol ow
you one foot. [Applause.1 But it is
true Of the mass of the American peo


pie, however you may divide and scat.
ter, while this war lasts while the couu-
try is in peril, wfile you call yourselves
as you do in the call of the Convention


the Un ion party, you are for the pres
ervation of the Union and the destruc-

ton of this Rebellion, root and branch;
and, in my Judgment, one of the great
errors that has been committed by our
Administration of the Federal Govern.
ment, the chief of which we are about
to nominate for another term of office;
nne of the errors has been to believe
That we have succeeded when we have
not succeeded, and to act in a manner
which is precisely for those who have
succeeded. You will not, you cannot
succeed until you have utterly broken


the military power of this people. TAp


plause. l will not detain you on these
incidental points, one of which has been
made prominent in the remarks of the
excellent Chairman of the National
Committee. l do not know that would
be willing to go so far as, probably, he
would, but I cordially agree with him
in this. I think, considering what has
been done about Slavery, taking the
thing as it now stands, overlooking a.
together, either in way of condem "a
ton or approval, any act that has bro't
US to the point where we are; but be
lieviug in my conscience and with all
my heart that what has brought us
where we are in the matter of Slavery,
is the original sin and folly of treaso n
and Secession. Because you remember
that the Chicago Convention was under


stood, and l believe it virtually did ex


plicitly state that they would not touch
Slavery in the States. Leaving it,
therefore, altogether out of the question
how we came where we are on that par,
ticular point, we are prepared to 60 fur


ther than the original Republicans
themselves were prepared to 60. W.
are prepared to demand not only that
the whole territory of tho United States
shall not be made slave, but that the
General Government Of the American
people shall do one Of two things, and
il appears to me- that there is nothing
else that can be done; either to use th,
whole power Of tn Government, bott
war power and peace power, to put
Slavery as nearly as possible back where
it was Oor although that will be fear


full state of society, it is better thar
a narchy,) or else to use the whole power
Of the Government both of war anC
peace and all the practical power tina
the people of the United States will Civ,
them to extermiuate aud extinguish it
Prolonged applause. / have no hes.
itation in saying for myself that, If


were a Pro-slnvery man, if believe,
this Institution was an ordinance o


God, and was given to man, I woul,
enthusiastically join those who deman,
Government should be put back whsr,