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