Year: 1861

Speech of Senator Crittenden ON the Uniop.
A large number of the citizens of Washing
ton, and others, desiring to testify their respect
and high appreciation of the services of the ven-
cradle statesman, Mr.. Crittenden, they, or Thurs
day evening, two weeks, accompanied by full
band of music, waited upon him at bis quarters
and rendered him serenade. After one or two
stirring airs from the band, he made his appear
ance and addressed those assembled as follows:


Fslloso- Citizens Of Washington-I am most
happy to meet you. | have been with you 80
much in the course of my life that feel quite
at home in your presence. | feel that am with
you as a nieghbor and a friend. (Applause)
am about to quit the public service, and about to
be separated from you. That separation. as
sure you, gives me pain and concern Not that
/ regret the loss of public life but that regret
the separation from associations to which have
been 90 long used and accustomed. You have
been always respectful and kind to me. | wish
could call to mind many more services that /
had rendered to you. beg you, however, to be-
lieve that it has not been from any want of good
will on my part. / have owed you nothing but
obligation from my first acquaintance and inter-
course with the city of Washington, and it has
been a long one-longer than the years that many
of you have lived. 1t is time ahst should quit
the public service. 1 can quit it without regret
can look to my distant home in the West as
the place of repose and leisure which | look to
now with more interest than | ever did to any
public employment. l shall always remember
you. | shall always remember my country and
its great interests. (Applause) As long as
have power to do it service, shall be proud to
perform that duty. (Applause.) In private or
in public life the duties of man are the same.
By this / mean not that his principles are the
same, but that bis duties to his country, to his
neighbor and his friend, are always the same,
everywhere and in whatever condition he may
be. (Applause) / have sought in my public
life for nothing but to do my duty. The proud
est reward that have ever hoped for was the ap-
proval of my countrymen. (Applause.) You
are now giving me evidence that / have not in
dulged that hope in vain. You are giving me
this proud and gratifying token that you think
have served my country at least faithfully and
well. Cloud applause.) And for this approval
on your part make to you my most sincere and
cordial acknowledgements. l seek nothing from
my countrymen now but their good will-but
their approval. (Cries of ''you have that al
ways.O seek no farther public employment
none-none. have served longer than RO-
man veteran was required to serve. ca voice
"Yes, you have, and faithfully.o Thirty years
service was alone required of him, then he was
permitted to lay by his arms and enjoy quiet
and peaceful life. l have served forty years
applause-ten years more than they were accus-
toned to serve. ca voice-"An honest man is
the noblest work of God.O | hope l may be
permitted to retire, as far as the duty of citi-
zen will permit him, without any reproach that
fail in my duty. (Applause.)


Our country is in great distress, and you, /
know, feel particular interest, as it is natural
for you to do. ca voice-"Who will save it?'1
trust that the people will. Congress has failed
to save it, and it is now in the hands of the peo
ple am one of those who believe in the virtue
and intelligence of the people. l believe when
they take this business in hand they will do it.
(Cries of ..''that's it.'o Their hands are strong
enough for the work, and their hearts are patri-
otic and virtuous enough for the work. Cap
plause.) have seen, throughout the long strug-
gle that we had in Congress, from every part of
this country, thousands and thousands of plain
citizens turning aside from their own affairs to
consider in regard to the Union, and to sign and
send petitions to Congress OF earnest prayer that
they would take care of the country and settle
its difficulties, and restore our peace and our
Union. Let them take it in hand; let their great
and mighty voice be heard in the Capitol, and
all will be safe ca voice-"We will do it with
the Crttenden resolutions.'o Let them adopt
them, or those of any of my friends like them,
and we will have peace. Our people do not want
to separate 1t is the little petty politicians that
run about from Cross roads to cross roads. Gap
plause, and cries of that's it.'1 1t is they that
lead and misguide the people, and it is they that
try to make us believe we hate one another. 1t
is false falssl yes it must be. We do not hate
one another. For petty little schemes, for party
purposes and party politics, it is found conve-
nient and profitable to these little politicians to
force that impression upon the minds of the peO-
pie. (Ories of "that's it," and applause.)


have been in the North, l have been in the


West have been with you, and from one part
of the coutry to the other | see no such feel
ing exhibited, and do not believe it exists.
(Applause) | have seen nothing and received
nothing but kindness wherever | have BEEN
The people are rightly disposed. 1t is only the
leaders that are dissatisfied. (Cries of THAT'S
SOY Leave the people to themselves and we
should live in union, in fraternity, in freedom


and in greatness all the days of our life and our
children's lives. (Vociferous cheering) l hope
it is yet in reserve for to understand one an


other from section to section. That as day speaks
unto day, night unto night, section will speak


unto section, and that we shall come to under
stand from one end of the country to the other
that there will be no question as to the perpetu
ty of the Union. Enthusiastic cheering3 There
is not mortal man, there is not q county IN all
the United States that can derive in my judge


ment any benefit from separation or disunion.-
("That's so.'0 To stand together is to strength
en- ourselves-is by our united might to work
out each others greatest possible good. The Wis.,


ion of dsunion is anarchy, disorder and ultimate


war. Then comes despotism, and instead OF
Congresses and free representation we shall have
some monarchy or some despot to tax, and bur-
then and rule over the people. C''That's so.'O


Fellow -citizens-I cannot undertake to make
a speech to you. GEO on" "go on.'0 Let US,
if we can, take care of the Union, and the Union
will take care of US. loud applause.) Now
that's it. In word-and | could add nothing to
that if | were to address you an hOur-be not
deceived; let no delusive scheme or glittering
hopes that may be held out of advantages to be
derived from our separation-breaking up into


little States-let no idea of that sort delude you
for single moment. The people-the working
people-the mechanics of the cOuntry-the bone
and sinew of the lands withered and wasted
in condition of that kind. War comes-you
are called upon for taxes-yod are called upon
for military service. Armies concentrate in your
little villages, and you are made the pack horses
and burthen bearers in time of war. (''That's
SOY Liberty is to be found and enjoyed only
in peace My fellow-citizens, there is restless
class of people among US who are fond Of disor-
der, and take pleasure in living upon the honest
labor of others, who thrive by disorder and by war
But you honest people, who live by the proud
earnings of your labor, and in the liberty and