her duty to mark with the brand of Cain-to mark not for safety, as Cain was marked, but for destruction-every man who stands between the American people and government and the putting down of this rebellion. She has a great and mighty mission to perform. I invoke her people of all parties-repudiating all mere political ideas-to march forward in this great and holy work. I invoke her children to raise their innocent hands; I invoke woman, at the domestic altar, to put up her effectual prayer to Heaven against this infernal monster. I invoke her sons to come forward, not only upon the battle-field, but in every walk of life, and in every department of society, to put down this rebellion and save this government—the last great hope of man. Almighty God, I say if this government must fail-if it must go down in blood and tears-if the example of Washington and the great spirits of the Revolution, and those who founded this government, must be lost,―let it go down by force when we can no longer defend it, when every element of our strength and energy shall be exhausted. But let not the Empire State, by supineness or by miserable political divisions, contribute to its downfall. Give us rather, Father of Mercies, oceans of blood, rivers of tears; give us pestilence, give us famine, give us lives of suffering and ignoble deaths, rather than curse us and our memories with the shame and the reproach that we have contributed to uphold this causeless, this terrible rebellion. When, if ever, this nation shall perish, may it be by the strong arm of a foreign foe. Let not its foundation be sapped by treason; let it not fall a prey to the dagger of the assassin at home, and especially let not its doom, whether lingering or sudden, be chargeable to the acts or the omissions of the Empire State.

But these things shall not be. The light of our nation's life shall not go out in the flush of its morning;-the Empire State shall stand forth in its might in this great controversy. It shall go forward with the influence of its sons and its daughters,— with the united strength of its whole people, and join in the rescue of the land that Washington and his compeers dedicated to Union, to liberty and law, from the hand of traitors and despoilers.

SPEECH

AT THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTACK ON FORT

SUMTER.

DELIVERED AT THE GREAT MASS MEETING OF THE PEOPLE, HELD AT UNION SQUARE, NEW YORK, April 11, 1863.

MR. PRESIDENT, AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-It is almost two years since I attended a meeting in this very square to discuss public affairs and the condition of the country. It is two years, this day, since our national flag, our great emblem of hope and promise-the Stars and Stripeswas insulted by an infamous conspiracy and an infernal rebellion. I well remember when the news reached the city. It was a dark and fearful night; the storm was descending in its awful density: a time well worthy of such an occasion. The fiend spirit of the tempest clapped his hands in exultation; and it seemed as though the evil genius of destruction was brooding over us. Two years have now elapsed, and the sun is shining upon us, the air is warm, the germs are shooting, the buds are swelling, the lawns are green, the birds are singing, and the popular heart is buoyant with confidence and hope. Rebellion still exists, but how does it exist? Charleston, the hotbed of secession, the foul centre and nucleus of treason, the cesspool of conspiracy, the mover of all that is infamous and wicked in this infernal business, if she has not already fallen, it is but a question of time; and the owls and ravens who have croaked there for the blood of Unionists will soon know that ashes and desolation cover the spot that has so long menaced the integrity of this Union! She is said to be the heart of this great movement, and truly so; and the foul blood she has sent forth through the political veins, had it not been resisted by loyal health, would have corrupted the whole body politic. But thank

God, from the time our Stars and Stripes were insulted; from the time our soldiers were butchered in the streets of Baltimore while marching to the defence of the national capital; from the time beleaguered Sumter was bombarded; from that time to the present, the spirit of loyalty has been abroad, and it will vindicate itself and prove the integrity of the loyal people.

But I will not discuss the causes of the rebellion; I will take the question as I find it. When this rebellion was organized, and commenced a war against the government, the spirit of party was for the time abashed; all honorable and patriotic men came forward to vindicate the integrity of the nation, and prove themselves worthy descendants of revolutionary sires. I stand now upon that ground, and I defy all the artillery in the universe, save the artillery of heaven, to dislodge me. But there are a few miserable politicians who fear they shall be forgotten unless they keep the party machinery running. They have taken to themselves other spirits of evil omen, and between them the last state of politics will be worse than the first. There are three classes that menace the government; one, with arms in their hands, in open warfare against it; another, with treason in their hearts, in full sympathy with the rebellion; and another, with politics in their heads, who can see nothing, hear nothing, do nothing, except it be through the machinery of party; and they are all working together in effect, if not by concert. I denounce them all as one, in the name of the Union, the Constitution, and of free government which they are laboring to destroy. Those who do not openly attack are acting as sappers and miners against the government, preparing the breach for armed treason to enter. I have been a politician all my days. I am a Democrat of the straitest sect of that faith; but I have ever understood the distinctive creed of the Democratic party to require unswerving support of the Union and the Constitution; and in such a time as this I do not inquire who administers the government, so that it is intent on maintaining it and putting down the rebellion. It will be time enough to do that when the rebellion is over. Listen to no one who attempts to excite party prejudices, and to climb up the filthy and slippery stepping-stones of party discipline. I inquire only who is for his country-who is on the Lord's side. We want men to-day of stout heart and iron nerve, to put down this rebellion; men

whose material and moral muscle shall stand out like whip-cord, and who will give every faculty, and life itself if need be, to their country.

I have lately heard of a great political conference, held here in this city, between Lord Lyons and certain individuals said to be Democratic leaders-persons who have crawled into the Democratic lion-skin to advance their fortunes by political adventure, while the country is struggling for very existence and bleeding at every pore in its great effort. As for Lord Lyons, representing as he does a cabinet that considers government and conspiracy as the same thing; that characterizes those who stole and those who were stolen from as "belligerents" alike; that permits the fitting out in its ports of pirates, to cruise not only against the commerce of the United States but of the world, he does very well. But what shall we think of this "290" style of Democrats, who are holding secret communication with the representative of a foreign, a jealous, and a stealthily hostile power, and conspiring against the safety and integrity of the country. What respect can we entertain for them as Democrats or as citizens? They claim to be Democrats! Andrew Jackson claimed to be a Democrat, and in him the claim was acknowledged and honored. I wish these men would put themselves into communication with his spirit for a while, and if the old hero carries his cane yet, I venture there would be some loud rapping. Speaking with a full knowledge of my words, I say, that for unalloyed meanness and rascality there has not been anything since the days of Pontius Pilate as infamous as this semi-treason. Who are these men? Their portraits should surely be found in the Rogues' Gallery. Who are they, that, claiming to be Democrats, are seen contriving, and plotting with foreign agents representing hostile elements, when their country is in distress and danger? They are demon-crats rather; and their names shall stand conspicuously on the roll of the world's infamy.

When the rebellion broke out, traitors had stolen our arms and ships; but we are producing a navy, as if by enchantment, which will soon be able to dictate law upon the ocean; and the dragon's teeth, sown by rebellion, have sprung up all over the loyal North a crop of armed men. The very earth trembles under the tread of our armies. The hope of the rebellion

was in foreign intervention. That hope is gone now. Great Britain wisely thinks she can see what is going on quite as well at a respectful distance; and France has already enough growing affairs upon her hands. Great Britain did hope that our government might be destroyed. It is only simple truth to say this of those who represent her before the world-her governing classes. Her rotten aristocracy, that lean up against her public debt, and her public debt against them, like two drunkards supporting each other, both of which will fall when either gives way a little, hate us; but Bright and Cobden and the great middle class, who represent the heart and principle of England, are in our favor. The only hope of the rebellion now exists in division and disloyalty at the North; in secret societies and parties inaugurated to aid treason under the sacred name of Democracy. Those who promote these influences tell us that we must be tender of the rebellion; that while it advances upon us, with treason in its heart and murder and rapine in its hand, and seeks to apply the torch to the fabric of republican government erected by our fathers, we must fold our hands and hang out the olive-branch of peace. I am for the olive-branch myself; but, under present circumstances, I would have it the limb of a stout tree about eight feet from the ground, with a strong rope dangling from the end of it. That is the only appropriate way to extend the olive-branch to the contrivers and leaders of this rebellion. He is a traitor in heart, if a man of ordinary intelligence, who would propose peace to defiant traitors and rebels in arms. There can be no compromise now, and this glorious gathering of the loyal people assures me anew that the rebellion is doomed.

But these peace advocates, who hold secret conspiracies with foreign emissaries, are afraid that slavery may suffer in this war for the constitution. The war is for the Union; and that must be maintained, let what results else may come. I would not go out of the line of march to strike slavery, or to get rid of slavery; but you might as well expect to retain the wild game in a country, after it had been cleared of forest and brushwood, as to retain slavery when this revolution it has invoked against the constitution shall have passed over it. The secessionists have done more in one year to dispose of slavery forever on this continent, than the abolitionists have done or could do in thirty.