Year: 1861

From the Columbus t0) staio Journal Aug. q
Speech by Hon. John J. Crittondon.


The arrival yesterday Of the voncra
bic and distinguished John j. Critton
den having been announced, a large
concourse Of citizens waited on him at
his hotel, and at their urgent request
he kindly consented TO address them in
the evening. Accordingly, directly af-
ter sunset, q large assemblage convened
at the State House. and Mr.. Crittenden
was introduced lie was looking care
worn and fatigued by travel, and at first
his remarks were not very audible. He
spoke Of Che great contest before us, The
suddenness with which IL was precipi-
tated upon us. But few short mouths
ago, said Mr.. g., such a calamity as is
now shrouding our country in gloom
was unthosght Of among the people
But now that we are involved in it we
must meet it like men.


II is not a war ,to be prosecuted for
the sake Of war, and ought TO be con-
Quoted with none Of the common bar
barities Of war 1t must, nevertheless,
be prosecuted by no halfway measures.
My friends, we must gather the utmost
strength Of the county and grid up the
energies Of our minds to this most mo.
mentous contest. And let it be prose
outed only for the purpose that it ought
to be carried on and cOncluded-for the
restoration Of our government and the
Union In any event, it is q war that
cannot last long It will prove itself
too oppressive upon all classes of our
people to permit Of its being long con-
/ tinued.


It becomes, therefore, duty to
maintain this great government ard
this magnificent land from the terrible
calamity Of disunion. This I would
aim, by all the powers Of my life, to
prevent. Hence it is that have Just
come from voting millions Of money
and hundreds of thousands of men, in
order that the issue may be decided
more speedily aud our erring brethren
united to us once more


There was a time when both parties
could have adopted measures of peace
which were rendered by resolutions; the
power Of securing peace was then in
their hands, but their party pride pre-
vented both from accepting the plan
proposed. One insisted upon this, and
the other upon that, till between the
his and that Of parties the present un-
happy quarrel has been forced upon US.
1t is wise for us all to purify our own
hearts, and see wherein we, too, have
been in the wrong. We cannot expect
to carry ourselves along by vaunting
either our courage or our cause. The
burden Of the contest is too serious for
that and it will rest with the people
themselves to end 1t in a manner sat
IlstactOry to themselves. I have the
strongest confidence in the general in
telligenco and virtue Of our people, but
l think the world has never seen such a
degradation of political intelligence as
prevailed among partisan leaders when
this war began, To such a degree had
this come to pass that our secession
friends had concluded that there was no
power in the government and that they
had only to put forth their hand, and,
at a single shove, Overturn the whole
structure.


But tho government thus assailed,
though powerless itself, turned to the
people, and behold! it was found to be
the strongest government on earth
Even the great Napoleon, in the full
ness Of his power, could not have raised,
in the brief space of but ninety days,
such an army as our country has raised,
for the defense Of the govornmont.-
That government has not been and can
not be overturned. My friends, my
failing voice warns me to be brief. But
let me add that the world are spectators
Of this unexpected strife. And we
must consider that we are now holding
in our hands not only the material in
terests Of the present but also the polit-
ical interests Of all futurity. In this
light | look upon the present contest as
the most mOmentous event that history
has recorded for a thousand years past
Let us, then, be wise and be watchful ia
guarding such mighty interests.


/ After gracefully thanking his atton,
tive audience, Mr., O. retired amid pro
longed applause.