VOLUME 1. A SERMON. The following sermon was preached 011 the day of National Humiliation and prayer —the 4th of August last-in the Presbyterian Churclws of Mt. Ncbo and I'ortorsville. It was hastily written, with out the slightest thought that it would ever be hoard of beyond the bounds of (he Congregations where it was preached. But many persons iu the first named con gregation, having, without cause, taken high offence at it, and having much abus ed me, aud greatly misrepresented the Views set forth in my sermon, therefore, at the request of many friends, I have consented to have it published, that it may be known just what I did say; and that my statements arc sustained by <he \Vo»l of (lod, and the declaration ol the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. TH* AUTHOR. t-k i>e Kev. William £\ Hiirvison. tv-i tl 1 "Conn , ami l«t return 11,Ti;.r.1: "I- -'"'J'" «"'< h ""' Kinitton, Hint lit will Idnd uh it 1•. The true position of guilty sinners is bowed in profound self-abasement and lowliness before God's meicy seat. And tie true characteristics by which they should be marked, arc contrite spirits, mid broken end penitent hearts, which we are assured God will not despise. '■ The sacrifices of God are a broken spir it: a broken anil a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.' Psul. •' 1-1 7. 'l'lie words of the text are 1111 expression ol' sincere anil genuiue repentance, and deep humiliation before God, on account of so) and rebellion against him. In the preceding part of this prophecy, and es pecially in the preceding chapter, the prophet lloseu had predicted the terrible desolations and dreadtnl calamities that were coming on the people of Israel and Judah. by the invasion and ravages ofthc Assyrians aud Chaldeans. God s ancient people had forgotten him, and rebelled auainst him, and be tells them that he would visit them with his sore judgments for their wickedness. Though God great ly delights in mercy,and generally dwells with his people at the mercy-seat; yet sometimes lie leaves his throne ol grace, to execute vengcncc upon them for their iniquities. God is represented in the preceding chapter as say ing,"l will be unto kphrani as a Lion, and as a young Lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none sba 1 rescue him. 1 will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their oticnee, and seek my face, in thoir affliction they will seek me early.' llos, 0-14, 1"). And having visited their trausgrc -ions and their wickedness with his chastise ments, and his judgments, he tells them he would as it were "return to his place, and leave them under their punishment, till they should repent, or plead guilty, and confess their sius, and seek his favor aud protection." He knew that though they hail wandered far from him, yet their aflictions sanctified to them his grace, would be the means of leading them back to him ; to seek hyi face and favor, aud bow in humble penitence at his feet.— And having thus been brought to a sense of their sinfulness, and their ucecT of divine help, and deliverance, they are represented in the text assaying one to another, aud let us return uuto the Lord: for he hath torn, aud he will heal us; ho hath smitten, aud he will biud us up." And the. sentiment of the text is ot universal application. It is appropriate to men in every age of time; whether considered as individual persons, or states and nations. And never was there iu the history of nations a time when this lan guage was more fit to be used than by us ,now. And never was there a nation whom it more became to adopt this lan guage of jienitence aud humility before God, than we of the United States. We liave siuued grievously, we have done Very wickedly j we have transgressed God's righteous and holy laws; we have abused his great and manifold mercies.— The judgments of God are abroad in the laud. His hand is pressing heavily upon . us. The storm cloud of civil war which has so long enveloped us, is still hover ing over us. It has long hurled upon us a tempestuous flood of blood and car nage aDd death. And still this terrific stoim.of civil strife rages with even fier cer fury than before; scattering desola tion aud sorrow till over this ouee happy country. Surely in the midst of all this darkness and calamity; this streaming blood, these shrieks of anguish and uuutterable death groans; this dismal wail of mourning aud lamentation that fills the whole land; in view of these tokeus of God's righteous displeasure against us ou account of our sins as a nation, we should be humbled before God. and repent in dust and in ashes. With broken and contrite hearts AMERICAN CITIZEN. we should say as did (tod's ancient peo ple, "Come and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us ; be hath smitten, aud lie will biud «P" The first thought, clearly implied iu the | words of the text is. that that, we have departed from God. AH men iu their natural state have departed from Got!. — They have rebelled against his moral gov ernment. They are siuuers iu heart, and sinners in life. Alienated and enemies to God, iu their rniuds and by wicked works. And as the Individuals are cor rupt and depraved, the whole mass of hu uiauity must likewise bo corrupt aud de generated. The call of God's ancient people one to another to return to him, implied that they bad wandered away from him. And soal -oweasa people have dcpaited from God. God would not have a coutrovc'.sy with us as a nation bad we not.forsaken him. He would not becou tending with us had we not sinned against him. We would not be called upon to return unto him, bad we not departed from liiui. God lias always been mindfijl of us, and greatly blessed us, and prospered us as a nation. He has enlarged our bov ders. lie has immensely iucreascd our wealth, lie has augmented our power. And the light of our national greatness and glory, shone in every laud on thesur* face of the globe. But we had forgotten him, and transgressed against him. "\\ o have forgotten God that made us, ami lightly esteemed the Hock of our salva tion." A growing spirit of pride and ar rogance lias prevailed in our land. At the commencement ofjtbc civil war which is now easting gloom, desolation and sor row, all over our country, it was thought by many that 7-1,000 men would be suf ficient to crush out the rebellion. But since then one call alter another has been made, until now more than a million and a half of men have been marshaled 011 the field of conflict; but with all this wc have not been able yet to subdue it: siill the rebellion presents a defiant ton t. and threatens the very lite of the lie public. God is humbling our pride, and showing us that of ourselves we are pow erless. We have bceu sell-sufficient, and vain-glorious as a nation. Wo have ex alted ourselves and conducted ourselves as if there were no God. who had estab lished bis throne in the heavens, and who is the Sovereign lluler among the nations. We have failed distinctly to recognise the existence aud government ol' God over us in ouv National Consti tution. And we have generally been criminally negligent to elect wen ol sound moral and rchgous principles to rule over 11s, to make laws lor us, and to execute judgment and jusiice among us. A bad party spirit that has leit chriMian patriotism out of view almost altogether has controlled our people. And an al most entire want of souud moral and po litical'principles, and a fearful degree of corruption has characterized the gieat majority of our public men. And even uuder the pressure of all our present ca lamities, there seems to be but little evi dence of true national humility and re pentance in the sight of God There seems to be no real improvement of God's dealing with us, by the great mass of our people. Nay, on the other baud the nation seems to be growing worse and worse, aud plunging deeper into folly and sin. Bribery and corruption, fraud aud extortion, speculation and swindling, aboißd, aud are permitted to -go iu a great measure unpunished. Supreme worldliucss and a spirit of wild and reck less speculation, is rushing like a fierce tornado over the land. Gold is the god to which multitudes of our people are bowing down, with more than the devo tiou of a Hindoo idolatry. Ambition is the phantom idol which others are fer vently worshiping. And mauymore are kuecliug iu lowly homage at glory's daz -7.1 ing shrine. Yes, we have forsaken God, the God of our Fathers, who has made us great, and raised us to be the glory of all lauds; and surely it is no wonder that his wrath is aroused, and that lie is executing vengeance upou our guil ty laud. Aud then added to all iliis, the great original and procui ing cause of all our troubles; the wicked and detestable sys tem of African Slavery: the dreadful curse of human bondage; which has blighted autl darkened this once fair and jjeaceful land of ours; and made it a Golgotha, a great charnel house of death : and a vast Aceldama, a field of blood. It is true that we of tbc North, are not directly connected with the sin of slavery. Both that and the guilt of plunging us into this causeless, and wick ed rebellion, rests and must rest upon the people of the South. And we have all been indirectly and greatly guilty in this matter, in too long, and too often yicld- "Let us have Faith that Right makes Might; and in that Faith let us, to the end,dare to do our duty as we understand it"—A. Lirfooi.ii. BUTLER, BUTLER COUNTY, PA., WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1804. ing to the despotic, and ever inc'Cii -iog demands of (he slave power. And many among us excuse am! palliate, and .some even j'Hify the execrable system of op pression : and sumo tliorc pre in our midst w'loevon go so far, as to tal.o tlie word of God to prove tliat slavery is right, and iu accordance with the Divine Will. Tlio Bible indeed recognizes a condi tion of seiviec lesu'ntod by the precepts oi'lhe gospel of Christ, which is not sin ful. But (lie system of human slavery established by law in the .Southern States of this Republic; where human beings, intelligent and immortal creatines are absolute property, mero chattels: where they are bought and sold. like cat tie in the stalls,nod sheep in the pens: where they arc deprived of the right of mar riage; deprived of parental rights; dc» prived of the right to mental and moral improvement; deprived of the light to read the word of God for themselves; and deprived of the right to worship (iod according to the dictates of their own conscience, and the requirement?! of the (josjiel of .Jems Christ is siui'ul, and only sinful continually. The celebrated Chatham wo are told, once said he would never conic into the British House of Parliament, with the Statute Book doubled down in.dog's ears to prove that liberty was the birth-right of British subjects. And the Hon, Williaui Maxwell, a distinguished and able Lawyornnd Statesman, and an cm-' inently p'ous Kldcr in the Presbyterian Church, in a debate ou slavery iu Jhc Synod of Virginia more than thirty years ago, referring to the language of the noble Knglish carl and statesman, said : ''Nor will 1 couie into ibis Synod with my Bi ble doubled down iu dog's caw to prove that slavery b wrong'. No, sir, I will not undertake such a work of supererogation! One need read bat the first chapter in the word of God, to be convinced that slavery is wrong. Ilow was man A'rented ? with dominion over the soul and body of his fellow man ? No 1 There was no slavery in Eden. It is preposterous togo to the Bible to defend slavery. Its univeisal spirit is against the institution gloriously agaiust it." Slaveholder therefore, and all who are apologists aud defenders of such a system of injustice nud iniquity, are guil ty of a heinous sin in the sight of God. Audit lies called down the righteous judgmeutsof Heaven upon ouv devoted count ry. Slavery is not the only great sin in our land it is true. There a c other sins ol fearful magnitude. D.unkcnncss and proliiuity, Subb.^th-b;caking and uuclcan ness. lying and 'peijury, theft and mur der. and with them this gigantic system of cruelty and oppression. It is these great eriuies that have b ought the dis plcasu eof a just and holy God upon us. U is for thee ho is visiting us in his an ger. It is in punishment for these tilings that he has torn us with his justice, and is making us writhe in anguish under the strokes of his avenging rod. And my dear friends, stroke will follow swift upon stroke, until we arc truly bumbled, and brought to genuine rcpentcuce before the majesty of heavcTi, and say with God's ancient people, "come, and let us return unto the Lord: for ho hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up." The sceoi#! thought presented to us in tbc text is, the duty of individuals and nations in these solemn circumstances. The duly is clearly and definitely stated. It is to l-cpcnt and return unto God. "Come let us return unto the Lord." With a feeling sense of ourguilt and un worthiness, and with'deep humiliation on account of it, we must confess ouv sins unto God, and implore pardon, and mer cy. and divine help. A mere verbal con fession of guilt, a mere outward and for mall humiliation, will not find acceptance with God. Wo must not only say that we have sinned against God. but we must teel iu the depth of our soul-conscious ness that we have sinned, and sinned grievously against him, aud we must pros trate ourselves at the footstool of sover eign mercy; and cry for forgiveness, and for the favor aud interposition of Jeho vah. But we must not ouly confess our sins to God as individuals, and as a nation; but wo must repent of our sius, aud for sake them, aud return unto God. The scriptures teach us most clearly that, '-he that covereth his sins shall not prosper:, but whoso coufessctb and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Prov. 28-1:). And God calls upon us to, "break oft ouv sins by righteousness, aud our iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor." Dan.4-27. That repentance whether pcrsoual, or na tional, which does not lead to reformation of life and conduct, is not true repentance in God's sight. The genuineness of our repentance must be evidenced by our works. Wc uiuat turn from our intemp- era lice and profanity, from Sabbiit'u-bi cak ing and lewdness, from corruption and liaiu', from cxtoitien and swindling, pud fiom every form of evil that<ll bounds iu ouv land. The moral sense of the nation must be moused from the pulpit, nud through the press, and ou the platform, and in every proper way. to oppose these outcrying .sins that prevail amongst 11s. And the people o," ibis nation must awake, and put forth every lawful effort for the suppression and removal of the c dicad fill ♦ils; and for securing the reign of Bible- morality, and the all-controlling power of the principles of the religion of .Jesus Christ. Not until we turn from our evil ways, and practice justice, and honesty, truth, and rightcotunc s, will God lift, upon us the light of bin favor, aud give us peace. And v illi regard to the gieal nud hith erto vexed question ol' the continuances of African Slavery in our country, the darkne-s and difficulty seem to l.i in a great measure lemdved, and the path of duty to be made plain. The Providence of God we believe, ropcars clearly to in. dicatc (ho ftpeedy and complete liberation of (his long and sorely oppressed race. Ever since the commencement of our na tional struggle the band of God has been, nnd >till is, so controlling and guiding evcuts, as soon to bring about the fulfill ment of ancient prophecy, that poordoivn troddeu nnd blccdiiug " Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God nnd all her sous ami daughters enjoy both civil and spiritual freedom. Even those, who with your speaker,, iu the days of peace were unfavorable to the scheme of imme diate emancipation; cannot but uow hear the voice of God iu bis Providence, speak ing loudly, and ia no uncertain.language, saying, "give libciiy to the enslaved:" •• lot tho oppressed go free." Even those who in time past were highly conserva tive, now resist the mighty cur rent of Providential events, which is leading 011 surely nud rapidly to the lib eration of this long enslaved nnd suffer ing people. A ifcslinguishcd minister of the Presbyterian Church, tlio liev. Dr. Musgrave, said 011 the floor ef the late General Assembly, "I was formerly a high conservative, hating even tlio v<*y shadow of Abolitionism, but now 1 am for nil:lie President's Proclamations." — And he but vepvesonts the sentiment and feelings of the great majority of our min isters and people. He must bo blind in deed who docs not see the hand of God, iu the prolonging of this fearful and bloody conflict, which is still raging in our land. Wbn over may be the designs of ambitious and wicked men, and doubt less they have 110 reference to tlio Divine Will, God has his purposes, nud he will work them out: aud one of these purposes evidently, is the destruction of the accu. Ed system of human bondage which has so long existed in.and been a foul blot upon the name and glory of our country. And wc should a'l cheerfully acquiesce in his Providential Will: and aid with all our hca: is iu carrying for ward his glorious purposes. As we hear t he din and the roar of bat tle, the echo of dying groans, and sec (110 garments rolled in blood nnd as the intel ligcucoof latercverses and calamities are borne to us on this day of national hu miliation and prayer,* let us show the genuineness ofour repentance nnd humili ty before God, by our works. Let us hear and obey the voice of God, uttered both by his Providence, and in his word, saying, "Is not this the fast that I have chosen ? to loose the bands of wickedness to undo the lieavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go tree, aud that ye break ev ery yove." Isa. 58-6. He who refuses to acquiesce in the purpose of God clear ly revealed in the dispensations of his providence, oppose's the will of Jehovah, and fights against* God. 0! let none of us be found resisting the Ahflighty.— Let uoneof us be clasping the chains up ou those whom God would make free! ' "Oil! lift the hand. ami peace shall hettr, Her olivo where the Pahn-iiee grows, And torrid Afi icV.li -KTH nhare The fragrance of &lvai ioirti roeo. lint if. witli Pibte'i stoic eye, We < aliuly v.ash wlieu blood 18 split, Or deem a eld iinpitying High Absolves uh Cuuti tho .stain ofgniit. Or If. like Jacob's rccmnt train, WhotnifK-'d ia a brother'* woe, W«- he«r 1h»» «nppllan' plead in vain, Or mock hut Icur* that wildly flow. Will not of the skies, • Which Ihrcv.' a shield round Joseph sold, Be roiiMud by fettered A file's crle*, A ml change to dross the oppreaeor* gold." As webow.inpcuitcnceand humiliation be fore God this day, let our prayers go up to his throne for pardoning me- cy for our grievous sins; and in one great heart throb of love anddcsiie, for the triumph of the cause of universal liberty and hu manity in our land, and throughout the whole world. Thus our hearts and onr conduct will correspond with our words of contrition, as we say, "come, and let us return unto the Lord : for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smit ten, and he will bind us up." ' *W a l-efon /«orrtmrg The third, and last thought presented iu the text, which we can but briefly con sider, is tho reason why we should return to God. It is this:"He bath torn, and bo will heal us: he hath smitten, and ho will bind us up." That God has torn us sorely, andsmittcn u.swi k ha heavy stroke, wo know from sad and painful experi ence. The graves of a hundred thous and of our brave countrymen, who have laid down their lives iu defence of tlio liberties, Constitution, and integrity ol our loved country, abundantly attests this. A hundred battle fields, fattened with tho lifes blood of our slain friends and fellow cilizeus, gives ample evidence of this.— Tho families bereaved, the hearts bleed ing, and crushed with anguish, nnd the ten thousand happy homes made desolate, affords ample evipence of this. The lam entation, weeping, aud great mourning, all over our once smiling land, for hus bands, sons and brothers, who will return no more, uutil the grave shall become teuantless, and the sea shall give up her dead; abundantly attest this. Tho wid owed wives and fatherless children ; tho halt and tho maimed ; tho fruitful fields made desolate, and tho pleasant towns burned with fire, all Bhow how severely God hath torn us, aud how hardly he hath smitten us. But if wo humbly repent of our sins and return unto him, bo will freely forgive us ; he will heul us, and bind up our bleeding wounds. God only can saveua. None but the asm of Al migliiy Power ran rescue us from tho dangers which imperil our national cxis tauco, and give us complete triumph over rebellion, and an honorablo aud righteous peace. All human power and human liicaun are and must bo vain, without the aid of the Lord God of Hosts. We have instrumentalities iu abundance, but they of themselves will be of no avail. We have vast armies, the power ofour coun try, strong, noble, bravo men, woll equip od nud disciplined, and ready to dare aud to die for and Liberty, but I his will not suffice. have a groat aud pow erful Navy, irou-clad ships with skillful aud heroic commanders, and daring crews rivaling and ready to competo with the proud Navy of Great Britain, onco the queen of tho seas ; but this will not suf fice. Wo have munitionsof war in great abundance nud of ovory kind, but these will not suffice. We have military skill of a very high order, but this is not enough. Wo have vast resources of mcu and money and provisions, to defray the expenses of our Government, and sustain our armies in the field, but all these will not suffice. "The race is not to tho swift nor the battle to the strong: God sot toth, up one. and pulteth down another." Wo put too much confidence in mon and in means. We exalt human agency and leave out of view the supreme and all controlling power ofthc Most High. Wc glorify our Generals and forget to give glory to tho Lord our God. I<ct ua sin cerely return from our wanderings unto God, aud put our trust iu him, and seek help and safety from him only. The voice of God calls us saying: "Return ye backsliding children, return, and I will heal your backslidings." God is infinite ly kind and gracious, and willing to de liver us. If wc truly humble ourselves befose him, and repent of our sins and return unto him, ho will have mercy up on us He will say of us as of bis people of old ; " llow shall I give thee up, Eph raim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Adinaho ? how shall I set thee as Zeboim ? mine heart is turucd within me, my repentings are kin dled together. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger." llos. 11-8,9. rfe is a God, " That pardoneth iniquity, and passetli by the transgressions of the rcmnaut of his heritage; horetaiueth not his anger for ever, because he delighicth iu mercy, lie will turn again and have compassion upon us." Micah, 8-18,19. If then we come to him with tme humil ity aud submission, be will raise us up, and exalt us, and inaks us yet a great and good, a glorious aud happy people. We shall be his people, and God himself shall be our God. And " Happy is that peo ple that is in such a ease: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord." tay~.\ notice of a recent steamboat ex plosion ends as follows : " The captaiu swam ashore. So did the chambermaid. She was insured for 815,000, and loaded with iron." tkg- One fellow says when his stock ings wear out he sews up the topsstraight across and puts iu his feet the other way, thus making a good fit for square toed boots. tUg" A man who married Miss Take, after having courted Miss Lloyd, was told by a friend that it was reported that he was married to Miss Lloyd. "It was a Miss Take, I assure you," he replied. Union Mass Meeting at Brooklyn. ADDRESS*Or MAJ.-liEN. OA til. BOUUU2. The Cuion General Commitl' , oof Kings County, held another of its groat moot ingsin the Academy of Music, Brooklyn, Friday night, which was crowded inside and crowded outside hy a crowd that seems never weary of listening to and ap plauding genuine Union sentiments. In side the building the meeting was called to order hy BailTie J. 1 lath way. Esq., on whose motion, Ambrose Snow. Esq., was elected President of the meeting. Alter a few remarks from the Chairman, and Mr. Hathaway having read a list.of offi cers of the meetiug, Mr. Snow then in troduced to the meeting the orator of the evening, Maj.-Ueu. Carl Schurz, who was received with loud applatiSe. Maj.-Gen. Schurz then said: To as cribe great effects to small aud merely in cidental causes is a mode of explaining historical events which weak miuds pass off nnd weaker winds accept as an evi dence of sagacity. Some people find the origin of the Reformation in the desire of some of the German clergy to get mar ried, aud of tho English Revolution in the secret organizations'of the Froe Ma sons; and some persons, with equally rid iculous ingenuity, find the origin of tho great struggle now convulsing the coun try in a few anti-Slavery tracts, circula ted by a few abolitionists from New-Fug land ; and what is worse, there are many who believe it and are prepared to act up on it. True, the first origin of great do* velopements is sometimes apparently small, but only apparently so. ft requires an acorn fallen from an oak tree to make an other oak tree grow. Toniake theorigin al composition of American society. Tho first settlers in New England were all plc bians, truo children of the people, come not merely to seek material fortunes, but they wore the oarnent champions of a principle. Equal io origin and social standing, their natural leniency was not to produce in the Now World a social in equality, notwithstanding tho variety of occupations, for all were equally respecta ble. Equality and the Democratic spirit rising out of it, was the basis of their whole social aud political system, and those tendencies were diffused over the whole Northern States. It was not so with the original sottlers in the South, especially Virginia, many of whom be longed to the privileged clnsses at home, and cauio to a new country in order to in crease tlioir wealth and power, and those who wore poor to seek their fortunes.— Such were the cavaliers, and their follow ers were not permitted to forget tho so cial differences which existed between them iu tho Old World, and a peculiar system of white serfdom was attempted. It is, however, doubtful if the aristocrat ic system of the South could have main tained itself but for the importation of negroes and tho introduction of negro Slavery, and in it, it found a congenial element. Ido not, howovor, admit the ridiculous claim of the latter-day chivil ry that they r.re a supefior race of peo ple because Virginia was foundodby cava liers. Society became somewhat mixed and among tho proudest slave owners of to-day at e certainly a good many descen dants of men who, if England had to dis pose of them again, would bo sent to liotany Rav, [laughter,] while other Southern nobles run up their pedigree (o some speculative Yankee peddler. There are too parties, the one essentially demo cratic, Ihe other essentially aristocratic, and these different currents smoothly enough while under their separate coloni al governments, but because directly an tagonistic as soon as they were organized into a Republic. I have gone so far back simply because I wished to show 112 hat Wm. Lloyd Garrison and Gerret Smith are not altogether responsible for the great Rebel lion, nor even the Republican party. Du ring the struggle against Great Britian the two elements worked harmoniously together, aud indeod there was some pros pect of permanently harmonizing them, for the spirit of the leaders as well cs the masses of that day was eminently anti slavery, and they had expanded their de sire for independence into abroad asser tion of the rights of humap nature, as is proved by the great ordinances of 1787, and the legislation about the slave trade. Slavery would have been gradually abol ished aud the aristocratic tendency over come, and the future progress of the coun try placed on the basis of true democrat ic institutions, but what?—the invention of tho cotton-gin, and thus, strange to say. a progress in manufacturing indus try %vorkod a revolution in moral aud so cial ideas. New theories of government sprang up out of this economical revolu tion, and the system Cf social organiza tion, which seemed but a short time be fore, to be the foulest blot on the national escutcheon, was suddenly discovered to be the corner-stone of Democratic institu tions, and this prevented the abolition of Slavery. Gen. Schutz then gave an elaborate description of the results of this state of things in the condition of south ern society, the nature of southern poli tics, aud the legislation of tho last half century, resulting from tho necessities of tho slave power to shut itself up and se cure its position against the encroaching spirit of freedom,and then proceed : But the accumulation of power was not com plete, the slave power wanted to rule the whole machinery, not only of ment of its States, but of the General ' Government. 1 adopt the whole of our national institutions to its interests, and have itcry fora "balance of power,"opposi tion to the admission of new free States, and claim that Slavery should take possession of the whole of oiu terri tories ; and this policy it workodwithsoeh acutenoss that Machiavelli himself might profit from its teachings. But in tho course cjf its struggle the slave power showed a tendency which gave it an en- NUMBER 47 tircly different aspect. and raised tlio throat of secession to etiforco and obtain its demands, aud thus from being only the adversary of t.n opposition ele ment in the nation, bocauie an enemy to tlio nation itself Yet it always called itsolf the national party, and the party of freedom Sectional. This culminated in the infamous acts of Buchanan's admin istration, until the North rose up at tho election of 1860 and vindicated the rights and liberties of the people, and then oommenecd tho second groat period of American "history, when tlio American nation gave notice to tho slavo power that it would uo longer be controlled by ti.„ secession threats ol a sot of aristocrat*, but would tako its government into its own hands. The slave powor then retir ed to ita doctrine of State rights, and carj lying it to the extreme of secession, struck a murderous blow at tho existence of the nation, and transferred the contest from the forum to the battle-field. Thus was originated tho struggle for tho pres ervation of our nationality, and which cannot ond until the aristocratic spirit is extinguished by tho destruction of tho institution which begot and fostered it. [Loud cheers.] The Generalhore recap itulated his previous arguments that .Sla very was tho only and the natural traitor to the American nationality; aud, Boeing that it could not act otherwise, asked, " How are you to act tho defenders of American nationality ?" The answer was ax plain as tho question, and yet thoro was a difference of opinion. Throecodes ot action, however, wore open—-either permit the slave aristocracy to isolate it- KOlf territorially and politically, i. r. sub mit to disunion; or, second, preserve our I oion and nationallity by striking down its enoiuics in arms, and extinguishing the social and political agency which is in its rialuro disloyal unci aristocratic: or, thirdly, invite tho slave aristocracy back into the Union, offering i! supreme anil* absolute control of national affairs, with out which it cannot inure its permanen cy in the Union. On the first tho peo ple have already prunouncod their judg ment—toncoopt it was impossible. [Loud applause.] The old cry, "The Union must aud shall be preserved," was not a sure watchword of party, but the instinct ive outcry of the immovable, tho relig ious faith of the American mind. [Loud cheers. | The.conflict hot ween tho second aud third proposition was the real issue in tho present controversy. This seco»U lino of policy had been consistently acted on by the party in power. I'rosident Lincoln's statement—" I am not controll ing ovents, but events are controlling me'' —had been denounced and ridiculed as a confession of weakness; but ho consider ed it a sign of a just understanding of his situation, Revolutionary movements woro never governed by the plans of individ uals, and every such attempt must provo abortive and end in violent reaction. What was to be done and what was done was plain. Treason defied us, and obli ged us to strike it, and we struck it on tho head. The Government, following events, proclaims the emancipation of the slavo; but Mr. Lincoln was not tho originator of the decree, lie was simply tho recorder of it; the executors were the people in arms/ [('beers.] The opponents of the war said this act diverted the war from its original object—it was begun for tho Union, and made a war for the abolition of Slavery. It was like all revolutionary movements. Wo could trace thoir -origin, but could not tell how far they would go, this do pending entirely on the resistance they met with. Was the war of Independence commenced with that object. No, it was for the redress of specified grievances in vindication of colonial rights, but those who carried on that war hecumc convin ced in its progress that British dominion was incompatible with American liberty, and thus a struggle for the mere redress of grievances was perverted into one for the abolition of British dominion; and was there any one bold enough to say that this perversion was illegitimate. So wo went into the war solely for tho Union, and Slavery was scrupulously protected by many of our leaders, especially one of them, and who exhausted all the resour ces of his statesmanship for that purpose. [Laughter.] It was true, he exhausted at the same time the patience of the peo ple, and the result of his kid-glove poli cy was reverse after reverse, popular dis content and ruin staring us in the face, and if the Chicago platform, when de claring the war a failure, referred to this portion of it, its frnmers had certainly shown a certain degree of judgment. Gradually it became clear that Slavery, untouched, was tho strength of the Re bellion; tonched.it* weakness. The ne gro tilled its fields, fed its armies, carried its baggage and dug its trenches, and yet was longing for the day when he might fight for the I nion. To obligehim towork ' for the Rebellion, without a chance to fight for the Union, would have been worse than folly ; it would have been a crime against the nation. Could an act which undermined the strength of the Rebellion be added to our own, be called so perverting the war jrotn its original purpose? Emancipation must have been declared in this war even if there had not been a single abolitionists. Still it had been said that the Emancipation I'roclamat : on had had an injurious effect on the conduct of the war, and certainly it was true it had furnished a pretext for those in the North whose loyalty was sha ky, and it permanently attached to our colors four millions of hearts, whose loy alty was sound; it had made the negro a fighting patriot and the pro-slavery Dem ocrat a skulking tory. [Cheers.] Gen. Schnrz then disposed ol' the objection that the war was a failure, and referred in eloquent terms to the service done tho American nationality abroad by the Eman cipation Proclamation, in the sympathy
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers