Year: 1863

| -


cular subject before the Senate to introduce
general issues and extended arguments. But,


sir, this debate has been far diverted from


the original question. Il has embraced all


the subjects that could agitate the public
mind at this time. If it had even rested


there, should have remained content. But
| gentlemen upon this floor have chosen to sin
| gle me out amongst the Democratic Senators
here-and refer to the probable results of my
action upon my own future.-T am sir an
ndividual-individual as compared with
principles and great results are nothing.
Principles and truth5 are eternal. Man is
mortal aud goes to his kindred dust; but it,
sir, in his person, in his acts in public or in
| private life he represents truth, he represents
| principles-if when power, passi on or prejud-
ice threaten to destroy the fights of the people
he dare stand up in defence of them, he may
die, he may so to his fathers blessed or un-
blessed. A HampGeu ana others have illus
| trated this. They have gone down in gloom
but they are now held up in brightness and
anu OH, i1O IIIGiltE WL-SL may
come Of me in regard to this days action,
know that shall be sustained when the pas
sion and prejudice ard violence OF the hour
have given way to toe thoughts which govern
men when they are not bereft of reason.


might in this connection repel-repel in-
dig nantly sepel with truth the assaults
that have been attempted to be :eade upon
the great party with which hare The horo.
to act. You sir, were here il April. 1851


you will recollcct that when the first GU,
WAS fired upon Tort Sumter, that one shot
fused the great heart of the people Of this
State ana presented it as a wall Of adamant
against rebellion and treason at tto South.
You know that without measure, that great
heart, Democratic ard Republican, poured cut
everything foc common purpose. Tou rec,
ollect that in July, 1861, when we had been
defeated upon the plains OF Bull Run, when
the army Of the Republic came into Washing
ton with tattered banners when there was
fear aid dismay there, here and elsewhere !;
when the Republic was tottcring and the
President was almost supphant for his place,
you know there was no division Of sentiment
or feeIir5. You further know that in the
congress of the United States, on the 22d Of
July, at ter that defeat, 4 resolution was offer
ed defining and setting forth the object Of the
strug5le.-Iou know hat that resolution was
adopted Jy nearly unanimous vote. You
know that in that hour of fear and disray of
trial and danger, that resolution came as the
voice Of hope from Heayen. It reassurei the
people it told them that his was to be no
visionary or fonatica, struggle; but it was to
be pursued for tie purpose Of sustaining the
Constitution and restoring the Union CT cur
fathers: ar that when that object should be
be attained, peace would reign once more.
What was the result from the disorganised
and helpless and bea ten materials Of that ar
my he whom it is asked to-day to invite 10
the capitol Of MS own State, and to whom
that boon is denied by Republican Senators,
sci zed hold Of those discordant materials and
with tie hand and mind Of genius prepared
them again to go upon the, enemy. 1 viii
not trace his history. 1t is written impensha-
bly upon the annals Of the past; and IL will
shine in those Of the future.


But | will turn foc a moment to a period q
year later when another disaster met our
arms On the same field, and when the panic
President and his advisers again crouched
with fear within the walls of Washington,
when they felt that the Goths and VandaIs
were at their gates, when they were provi-
ding for fight to some spot of safety, and
when they iels tIat power and place was van
ishing. Again in palsed fear they appealed
to him whom for party purposes they had
degraded, and again, like true patriot, like
one who never acts from sordid or improper
motives, he assumed command of ttat routed
and demorallzed army, and in less that three
weeks he had again organized it and had
commenced the pursuit of the common enemy
across the hills of Maryland and into plain
where many of those who now hear me met
the enemy face to face. What did he do
A second time saved the Republic-he save
it by snatehing victory out of the very Jaws
of defeat; and [ now place upon record the
universal sentiment of every man who served
under him, and that if it had not been for the
confidence of the army of the Potomac In
General Mcclellan, PENNSYLVANIA would have
suffered an invasion which would have been
destructive to the life and property of her
people and yet Senators refuse to receive
the protector and defender of the State in the
halls of her Capitol. But what is the subse-
.quent history of this matter ? Shattered
and broken, his legions lay awhile for rest to
be clothed, to be fed, to be restored to their
wonted vigor and then he was in pursuit of
that enemy whom he had met at Antietam
and at South Mountain, and defeated. But,
sir, when he was about to strike his blow, he
was again pursued by the miscreants who