Year: 1861

ton and others, desiring to testify their respec


and high appreciation of the services of The


venerable statesman, Mr.. Crittenden. they. or


the evening of March 7th, accompanied by 3


full band of music waited upon him al hi:


quarters, and rendered him serenade. After
one or two stirring airs from the band, be
made his appearance and addressed those as
sembled as follows:


FELLOW CITIZENS OF WASHINGTON | am
most happy to meet you. | have been with
you SO much IN the course of my life that
feel quite at home in your presence. | feel
that am with you as a neighbor and friend.
lApplause-) | am about to quit the public
service, and about to be separated from you.
That separation, assure you, gives me pain
and concern. Not that | regret the loss of
public life, but that l regret the separation
from associations to which | have been so long
used and accustomed. You have been al.
ways respectful and kind to me. | wish
could cali to mind many more services that |
had rendered you. | beg you, however, to be-
iieve that it is not from want of any good will
on my part. l have owed you nothing but
obligation from my first acquaintance and in
tercourse with the city of Washington, and it
has been long one-longer than the years



/ should quit the public service. | can quit
that without regret. l can look to my distant
home in the West as the place Of repose and
leisure which 1 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. In private or in public life the
duties of a man are the same BY this mean
not that his principles are the same, but that
his duties to his country, to his neighbor and
his friend are always the same, everywhere
and in whatever condition he may be. lap
plause.l / have sought in my public life for
nothing but to do my duty. The proudest re-
ward that have ever hoped for was the ap-
proval of my countrymen. Applause.l You
are now giving me evidence that | have not
indulged that hope in vain. You are giving
me this proud and gratifying token that you
think have served my country at least faith
fully and well. Loud applause And for
this approval on your part | make to you my
most sincere and cordial Acknowledgements /
seek nothing from my countrymen now but
their good wil-but their approval. Cries
of You have that always."1 | seek no fur
ther public employment -none-none. | have
served longer than Roman veteran was re-
quired to serve. A voice, " Yes, you have,
and faithfully" Thirty years service was
alone required Of him, and then he was permit
ted to lay by his arms and enjoy a quiet and
peaceful life. l have served forty years ap-
plause ten years more than they were accus-
toned to serve. A voice, 4" An honest man
is the noblest work of God" 1 hope | may
be permitted to retire, as far as the duty of a
citizen will permit him, without any reproach
that l 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. A voice, Who will save it ?"
/ trust that the people will Congress has
failed to save it, and it is now in the hands of
the people. | am one of those who believe in
the intelligence and virtue of the people.
believe when they take this question in hand
that they will do it. Cries of That's it,
Their hands are strong enough for the work,
and their hearts are patriotic and virtuous
enough for the work. Applause. have
seen, throughout the long struggle that we
have had in Congress from every part of this
country thousands and thousands of plain cti-
zens 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 It's 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. A voice-"We
will do it with the Crittenden resolutions u
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. Applause and cries of
that's it, 1t is they that lead and misguide
the people, and it is they that try to make us
believe that we hate one another. 1t is false,
false 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
people, Cries of " that's it," and applause.
| have been in the North, have been in the
West, have been with you, and from one
part of the country to the other | see no such
feeling 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 SOL 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. | hope it is yet in reserve for US
to understand one another from section to sec
ton. That as day speaks unto day, night IN
TO night, section will speak unto section, and
that we shall come to understand from one end
of the country to the other that there will be
no question as to the perpetuity of the Union.


Enthusiastic cheering. There is not mortal
man, there is not county in all the United
States that can derive in my judgment any
benefit from separation or Gisunion. - That's
SOL To stand together is to strengthen
ourselves-is by our united might to work
out each others greatest possible good. The
vision of disunion is anarchy, disorder and
ultimate war Then comes despotism, and in
stead of Congresses and free representation we
shall have some monarchy, or some despot to
tax and burthen and rule over the people


q That's So Fellow citizens l cannot un-
dertake to make a speech to you. g Go on
"go on" 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
talk to you for an hour-do not be deceived,
let no delusive scheme as glittering hopes that
may be held out of advantages to be derived
from our eparation-breaking up into little
States-let no idea of that sort deiude YOU for
single moment. The people-the working
peope-the mechanics of the country-the
bone and sinew of the lands withered and
wasted in condition of that kind. War comes