Year: 1864

| - uOUt-
\ over, you will allow me to say. though per-
haps il is hardly strictly proper that |
| should, but as far as know your opinions,
| l suppose it is just as certain now as before
you utter it, whose name you will utter, and
which will be responded to from one end to
| the other Of this nation, as il will after it
has been uttered and recorded by your Sec
retary. Does any man doubt that this Con-
vention intends to say that Abraham Lin
coln shall be the nominee? lGreat applause.
! What wish, however, to call your atten-
ton to is the grandeur OF the mission upon
which you are met, and therefore the dig.
nifty aud solemniiy, earnestness and con.
/ scientiousDess with which, representing one
Of the greatest, and certainly one of the
! first people Of the world, you ought to dis
charge these duties. Applause. Now,


beside the nomination of President and
! Vice President, in regard to which latter
Office l will say nothing. because | know
there is more or less difference of opinion
among you-but beside these nominations,
you have other most important duties to
! perform. You have to organize this party
/ throughout the United States. You have


to put it in whatever form your wisdom will


suggest, that will unite all your wisdom, en-.


ergy, and determination to gain the victory,


which have already said was in our power


More than that you have to lay down with


clearness and precision the principles on


which you intend to carry on this great po-
! litca contest, and prosecute the war which


Is underneath them, and the glory OF the


country which lies before us if we succeed,


plainly not in double sense, briefly not in


treatise. with the dignity and precision Of
great people-to utter by its representa-
] hn 49, Al
intend to live, and for the sake OF which


they are willing 10 die, so that all men every


where may understand precisely what we


mean, and lay that furrow 50 deeply and


clearly that while every man who is worthy


to associate with treenen may see it and


pass over II, 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 to Us to be with us. Applause


Now among these principles, ii you will al


low mo to say it, the first and most distinct


is that we do not intend to allow this nation


to be destroyed. Applause. We are a
nation, no doubt 4 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 repudi-
ate the nation than the nation has to repu-
diate them. None Of them had even the


shadow Of right to do this, and, God help
| ing us, we will vindicate that truth, so that


it shall never be disputed any more in this


world. Applause. 1t is Il fearful utter


anco 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 Govern


ment before and since our present Constitu-
| ton was torraed, there have always been


parties that had no faith in our Government.


The men that ormed it were doubtful of its


success, and the men who opposed its for


nation did not desire it's success. And am


bold to say, without OBTAINING you On this
subject, that for all the outcry about our
violation of the Constitution, this present
| living generation and this present Union


party are more thoroughly devoted to that
ever lived under it. Applause. While
/ lieye it is capable of the strongest proof, l


may also add that it is greater error which
| is being propagated in our land, to say that


our national life depends merely upon the


sustaining Of that Constitution. Our fathers


made it, aud we love it. intend to main


tain it, But if it suits us to change it, We


can do SO applause aud when it suits US


to change it, we will change it. Applause.


If it were torn into ten thousand pieces the


nation would be as much a nation as it was
before the Constitution was made-a nation


always--that declared its independence as


united people, and lived as a united people


until nova nation independent of all par


ticular institutions under which they lived,


capable of modelling them precisely as their


interests require. We ought to have it dis


tinctly understood by friends and enemies


that while we love that instrument we will


maintain it, and will with undoubted GER


tainty put to death friend or foe who under


takes to trample it under foot; yet beyond


doubt we will reserve the right to alter it


to suit ourselves from time to time and from


generation to generation. Applause. One


more idea on that subject: We have incor-


porated in that instrument the right of rev.


olution, which gives US, without doubt,


the right to change it. 1t never existed be-


fore in the American States, and there is


no need Of rebellion, insurrection, or civil


war; except upon a denial of the funda-


mental principles Of all free governments


that the major part must rule, and there is


no other way OF carrying on society except


that the will of the majority shall be the


will Of the whole, or that the will of the
minority SnaH D9 tne VIII VI tuc Wiolo Do
that, in one word, to deny the principles |
have tried to state is to make a degmatic


assertion that the only form of government


that is possible with perfect liberty, and ac-
knowledged by God, is pure and absolute
despotism. The principles, therefore, which
am trying to state before you, are princi-
pies which, il they be not true. freedom is
impossible, and no government but one OF
pure force can exist or ought TO endure


among men.
But the idea which I wished to carry out
as the remedy for these Troubles. and sor-
rows, dreadful as they are, in this: This
fearful truth runs through the whole his
tory of mankind, that whatever else may he
done to give stability to authority, what
{ ever else may be done to give perpetuity to
,, institutions, however wise, however glorious
practical, and just may be the philosophy
! of ii, it has been found that the only en-
! during, only imperishable cement Of all fre'
institutions has been the blood of traitors


No Government has ever been built upor
, unperishable foundations. which founda
: tions were not laid in the blood Of traitors