252 HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL. 



that opportunity, we must not forget that it carries with it corresponding 

 responsibilities. The opportunity is for the great, conservative, law- 

 abiding, patriotic masses to assert and establish a perpetual union 

 between the people. The sequent obligation is, that these great masses 

 must discourage, discountenance, and discard from their councils the 

 wicked, demagogical agitators, who for the last twenty-five years have 

 sought to foster discord and dissension, that they themselves might 

 thrive. 



We are told in sacred history, that, in the olden time, one Jeroboam 

 was crowned a king in Israel. He conceived the absurd idea that to 

 strengthen his people he should divide them ; that to fraternize them he 

 should destroy their unity ; and he forbade and abolished their annual 

 national meeting at the city of Jerusalem. He erected a golden calf at 

 a place in the north, and one at a place in the south, and directed that 

 the people of the two sections should hold their annual meetings at 

 these places, respectively. We are told that even in that remote age 

 Jeroboam adopted some of the methods of modern politics, in that " he 

 made high priests of the lowest people." The avenging hand of out- 

 raged justice was laid upon him. Does history repeat itself? Sectional- 

 ism, for purposes of greed and gain, decreed that the people of these 

 United States should be divided ; and to perpetuate that division it 

 directed that idols should be erected for the people of the North, and for 

 the people of the South. And has it not " made high priests of the low- 

 est people " ? And shall it not be rebuked and destroyed? 



Divided, we stand as a Samson shorn of his locks ; united, we stand 

 a power that is invincible. Cato fired and thrilled the Roman Senate 

 with the fierce cry, " Carthage must be destroyed." Must we, as citi- 

 zens of this great republic, emulate such a vengeful spirit ? Hannibal, 

 while yet a tender youth, was placed by his father on his knees, and 

 made to swear eternal vengeance against the Romans. Must we, as 

 Christian parents, entail upon our children the bitter legacy of hate? 

 Hundreds of thousands of noble, aspiring, and patriotic young men, all 

 over the land, are manfully undertaking the responsible duties of Ameri- 

 can citizenship. Born since the war thank God ! their infant vision 

 was first greeted by the light of heaven, unobscured by the smoke of 

 battle, and their infant ear first caught the sweet sound of hallowed 

 peace, unmingled with the hoarse thundering of hostile cannon. Shall 

 they be taught to cherish, foster, and perpetuate that prejudice and 

 animosity, whose fruits are evil, and only evil? 



" Let the dead past bury its dead," and let us, with new hope, new 

 aspirations, hew zeal, new energy, and new life, turn our faces toward 



