Year: 1862

birthright and turned away from me, and l
was too big a coward to make myeelf mar
tyr. was compelled to leave my home under
circumstances painful at any time. The An
gel Of Death had just passed over my house.
But why should be allowed to remain and
weep with my wife over the tomb of little
daughter-l, an old wretch who dared 10 tell
my neighbors that the solemn oath had TAX
Ell to support the constitution of the United
States was still binding? | had done too
much to be permitted to live peacefully at home.
had robbed no man in the land: there were
those who at times had fed, and they were
first to cry Cruelty him, hang him." In Mex
leo there are now five hundred men who left
as left. They are in the mountain Businesses,
hunted like wolves. Are they TO have help?
Give them chance and they will bleed for
their country, die for it, redeem it; and there
are men enough there to-day to redeem it, if
they were organized and had arms in their
hands. Let no man be permitted to live in
the government who will dare again to strut
his little hour upon any stage and breathe
treason to his fellow men. Cheers.


Restore the government and the constitu-
ton, and its laws to all fellow citizens? With
all my heart. Restore the Union as it existed
Tor the year just preceding the rebellion? God
forbid. Loud, prolonged and repeated ap-
plause.) Am to be remitted back TO the soil
of Texas, to be hunted by assassins the little
remnant of my life? NO. no. Am | to 60
there TO teach my little son that the chief bles-
sing of his great future is TO run from street to
street, and from man to man, and insist that
he is as sound man on the subject of slavery
as lives? Am | to see nv neighbors and
friends hung by the neck. because they have
doubted that the chief business of the Great
Ruler OF the Universe is in directing and con-
trolling and maturing and perpetuating the
institution of slavery? No, fellow-citzens: if
l cannot 60 there and strike hands with my
friends at home; if cannot again be united
with my family, except upon the terms that
am to live in such society as existed there,
hard as it is to utter, can find it in my heart
TO say, let me never see them. But if you
mean by the restoration of the Union as it
was, restoration of that Union such as our
fathers intended it to be, then, with all my
heart, let us have it. (Great applause)


The issue is simple: it is plain. The way
faring man may read il as he runs, though he
may be fool: SLAVERY ON THE ONE HAND,
AND LIBERTY ON THE OTHER. loud ap-
plause.) And yet, fellow-citzens, for these
brief, desutory words, honestly spoken | am
yet to be further tried. Friends, doubtless.
who have stood up for me heretofore, will say
| am not prepared for this yet. But fear not
for them: they will arrive in due time where
l stand, and will add, even at the expense of
being considered arrogant. if YOU please. that
what have said tonight. all uninterestinr as
1t may be to you, will strike cord deep in the
hearts of my people. | know how The people
feel, their modes of thought, to what conclu-
sions their minds have already been brought
1t is YOUR NEGROES, OR MY CHILDREN L
love my children best; do not intend to part
with the hopes that l have predicated upon
my little son. lie has, or ought TO have. he
did have, until you took it away from him. the
right to aspire to the highest honors in his
country's gift. He shall have il. / will fight
that my son may be free, even at the expense
of freeing your negroes


Let me, then, fellow citizens, indulge the
hope that if it shall be my fortune again to
visit home and friends. | can say, and saw il
truthfuily, am free mani am not merely
theoretical freeman-I have the constitution
OF the United States guaranteeing me my free
dom; but have what is dearer still, | have
countrymea, have society. have brethren.
fellow citizens, all over the States without an
exception, who intend that l shall practice as
freeman throughout my life They intend
that shall indulge the noblest right that can
be given to man-the right of thought, and of
impressing my thoughts. humble though they
be, upon the minds of others. If | can 90
home with that kind OF freedom. | want il:
less than that | shall never be satisfied with
tCheering.) Hundreds of men have perished
because they thought, because they had loved
freedom, and INDUCED occasionally in specu-
lations as to how freedom was best TO be pre-
served; they have been hung like felons. |
want that to cease. want the government of
the United States TO treat every man in the
land as an enemy who will attempt to impose
further restrictions upon the right of free
people 10 think aud to talk. tCheers.l


When / see that, then | can FIT my hands
and say, Blessed, indeed. is this government,
Then can ACCEPT that flag as the emblem of
freedom, really unqualihedly, having gained
new luster by the very struggle in which its
citizens have engaged to-day. will indulge
the hope that victory upon the field may not
only perch upon the standards of our arms.
but that "A moral halo will surround it from
consciousness OF those who are fighting that
they are struggling to sustain liberty. and TO
crush the last remains of slavery. (Enthusi-
astic cheering.) Let, then, our last thought
upon government and society be, am yet a
citizen of free government; still occupy
the position of a recipient of the largest ra-
tional human liberty; | am yet on freedoms
soil, with freedoms banner floating DER me.
(Appause.)