Year: 1864

There fore, in a very few words, and as
plainly as [ can, I Will endeayor TO draw
your attention to one and another of these
great matters in which we are all engaged


In the first place, nothing can be more
plain than the fact that you are here as the
representatives of great natiou-volun-
tary representatives., chosen without forms
of law, but as really representing the feel,
ings and principles-and If you choose, the
prejudices-of the American people as if
it were written in their law, and already
passed by their votes. For the man that
you will nominate here for the.Presidency
of the United States and ruler of great
people, in great crisis, is just as certain,
[ suppose, to become that ruler, as any
thing under heaven is certain before it is


done and moreover, you will allow me to
say, though perhaps it is hardly strictly
proper that should, but as far as | know
your opinions, I suppose it is just as Ger
tain now before vou utter it, whose
name you will utter, and which will be
responded to from one end to the other cf
this nation, as it will be after it is has been
uttered and recorded BY your Secretary.
Does any man doubt that this Conven.


ventlon intends to say that Abraham Lin
coin shall be the nominee? What | wish,
however, to call your attention to is the
grandeur of the mission upon which you
are met, and therefore the dignity and
Isolemnity, earnestness and conscientious
ness with which, representing one of the
greatest, and certainly one of the first
people of the world, you ought to dis
charge these duties. Now, beside the
nomination of President and Vice Presi.
dent, in regard to which latter Office | will
say nothing, because know there is more
or less difference of opinion among you
but beside these nominations, you have
other most solemn duties to perform. You


have to organize this party throughout
the United States. You have to put il
in whatever form your wisdom, will sug.
gest, that will unite all your wisdom, en-.
ergy and determination to gain the victo
ry, which [ have already said was in oul
power. More than that, you have to lay
down with cIearncss and precision The
principles on which you intend to carry
on this great political contest, and prose


cute the war which is underneath them


and the glory Of the country which lie:
before US if we succeed, plainly not in !
double sense, briefly not in treatise


with the dignity apd precision of a great
peope-to utter by its representatives the
political principles by which they intend
to live, and for the sake Of which they are
willing to die, SO that all men everywhere
may understand precisely what we mean


and lay that furrow SO deeply and clearly
that while every man who is worthy tc
associate with freemen may see it aud pass
over it, every man who is unworthy may
be either unable to pass it, or may be
driven far from it. We want none but
those who are like us to be with US. Now
amoug these principles if you will allow
me to say it, the first and most distinct is
that we do not intend to allow this nation
to be destroyed. We arc nation, no
doubt a peculiar one, nation formed OF
States, and no nation except as these
States form it; and these States are no
States except as they are States in that
nation. They had no more right to repu-
diate the nation than the nation had to
repudiate them None Of them had even
the shadow of right to do this, and God
helping US, we will vindicate that truth,
so that it shall never be disputed any more
in this world. 1t is fearful utterance
that is set before us, but there are great
compensations for it. Those of you who
have alluded to this subject know that
from the foundation of the present Gov
ernment before and since our present Con


stitution was formed, there have always
been parties that had no faith in our Gov


ernment. The men that formed it were
doubtful of its success, and tie men who
opposed its formation did not desire its
success, Aud | am bold to say. without
OBTAINING you on this subject, that for all
the outcry about our violations IF the Con


stltntlon, this present living generation
and this present Union party are more
thoroughly devoted to that Constitution
than any other generation that has ever
lived under it. While | say this, and
solemnly believe it, and believe it is ca,
pable of the strongest proof, l may also
add that 1t is g1eai error, which is pro,
pogated in our land, to say that our ma
t,onal life depends upon our sustaining
that Constitution. Our fathers made it
and we love it. I intend to maintain it.
But if it suits US to change it we can do
so, and when it suits us to change tive will
change it. If it were torn into ten thou
sand pieces, the nation would be as much
nation as it was before the Constitution
IL 4