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"Sir, if there be depths of public opinion where eternal stillness reigns, there gather, even as festering death lies in those ocean depths, the decaying forms of truth, and right, and freedom. Eternal motion is the condition of their purity. Did he think this resolution would for one instant retard its progress? Did he not know that the surging waves would wash away every trace of its existence? Did he suppose this puny effort would avail him? The rocks of the eternal hills alone can stay the waves of the ever rolling sea. Nothing but the principles of truth and right can stay the onward progress of public opinion in this our country as it swells and sways and surges in this mad tempest of passion, and seeks to find a secure resting place."

Before the vote was taken, the resolution was modified so as to make it a resolution of censure, instead of expulsion, and in that shape it passed by a large majority. Long and Harris certainly deserved the severest censure of the House, and the failure to expel them, shows how jealously the Amemerican Congress guarded the freedom of debate.

The victories of liberty had been achieved by freedom of speech, and liberty of the press. These are the agencies by which the friends of freedom in the old world and in the new, have combated arbitrary power. By free speech and a free press, the free States were prepared to resist and subjugate the slave power. The slaveholders ever feared these great principles of American liberty. They suppressed by violence, free discussion in the slave States. The slaveholders' rebellion was an appeal from the rostrum and the ballot box to the sword. Freedom of discussion and slavery could not exist together. The slaveholders instinctively felt this; hence they suppressed by a mob, the free press of Cassius M. Clay, and murdered Lovejoy at Alton. They attempted to suppress free debate in the Capitol, in the persons of John Quincy Adams, Giddings and Charles Sumner. The Republican party have ever been jealous of all encroachments upon freedom of debate. It came into power with "free speech, free press and free soil" inscribed upon its banners. Mr. Lincoln tolerated the extremest liberty of the press, even during the

war.

It was during this session of Congress, that the pioneer abolitionist of Illinois, Owen Lovejoy died. He was deeply

mourned by his associates in Congress, and by the people, but by none more than by Mr. Lincoln; although in many respects they were very unlike, yet there was a warm personal attachment between Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Lovejoy. Mr. Lovejoy, though an extreme radical and ultra abolitionist, early appreciated the President, and always had full confidence in his anti-slavery policy. He defended the President from the attacks made upon him by some of the impatient anti-slavery men of the country who did not know Mr. Lincoln as he did. Only a few days before his death, Mr. Lovejoy, in writing to a friend, said: *

"I have known something of the facts inside during his, (Lincoln's) administration, and I know that he has been just as radical as any of his Cabinet. * * * It is manifest that the great mass of the Unionists prefer him for reëlection; and it seems to me certain that the providence of God during another term will grind slavery to powder."

Mr. Lincoln fully reciprocated the friendship of Mr. Lovejoy. In a letter written soon after his death, he said:

"My personal acquaintance with him, (Lovejoy,) commenced only about ten years ago, since when it has been quite intimate; and every step in it has been one of increasing respect and esteem, ending with his life, in no less affection on my part. It can be truly said of him, that, while he was personally ambitious, he bravely endured the obscurity which the unpopularity of principles imposed, and never accepted official honors until those honors were ready to admit his principles with him. Throughout my heavy and perplexing responsibilities here, to the day of his death, it would scarcely wrong any other, to say he was my most generous friend. Let him have the marble monument, along with the well-assured and more endearing one in the hearts of those who love liberty unselfishly for all men."†

The vast military operations which were being carrid on, over a territory, continental in its magnitude, and with forces upon land and water, unparallelled for their extent, required expenditures so vast, as to call forth the predictions of the financiers of the old world, that the republic would break

* Letter to William Lloyd Garrison, dated February 22d, 1864.
† See letter of Mr. Lincoln to John H. Bryant, dated May 30th, 1864.

down under the pecuniary burdens imposed. But the people with the same patriotic zeal which sent into the Union army during the war, nearly two millions of men, placed their property at the disposal of the Government.

The revenues of the country, were increased by taxation, self-imposed, seven fold during the war. The popular loans, diffused through all the people, amounted to twenty seven hundred and fifty millions of dollars.

To meet the accruing interest upon the public debt, and to defray expenses, the tariff of duties on imports was largely increased; and the system of internal revenue by taxation, so amended as greatly to increase the revenues of the Government.

It was at the first session of the Thirty-eighth Congress, that the Bureau of National currency was created, and Hugh McCullock, a distinguished banker of Indiana was placed by President Lincoln at the head of it.

The Bureau of Military Justice was established, and Joseph Holt, a distinguished Unionist of Kentucky placed at its head.

CHAPTER XXII.

SANITARY AND CHRISTIAN COMMISSIONS-PRESIDENTIAL CONVENTIONS IN 1864-EMANCIPATION IN THE BORDER STATES.

SANITARY AND CHRISTIAN COMMISSIONS-BALTIMORE AND PHILADELPHIA FAIRS-THE PRESIDENCY-BALTIMORE CONVENTION— LINCOLN NOMINATED-CHICAGO CONVENTION-MCCLELLAN NOMINATED CHASE RESIGNS-FESSENDEN APPOINTED SECRETARYLINCOLN'S VIEWS UPON RECONSTRUCTION-EMANCIPATION IN LOUISIANA, MARYLAND AND MISSOURI.

EARLY

ARLY in the war, there had been organized a sanitary commission of intelligent, humane, christian gentlemen, who undertook the special duty, in conjunction with the regular medical officers of the army, of looking after and improving the sanitary condition of the soldier. Dr. Bellows of New York, a sincere and earnest christian, whose idea of Christianity consisted in doing good to others, of broad and generous patriotism, was one of the leading minds in organizing this efficient help to the Government, and was made President of the United States Sanitary Commission.

Everything which could contribute to the maintenance and preservation of the health of the army, its wholesome food, the comfort and hygiene of its camps; its hospitals, clothing and medical stores, received the constant, careful and enlightened consideration of the Commission. Voluntary associations to aid this work were organized in every section of the loyal States, and the whole people with generous liberality, placed in the hands of this Commission and in the hands of a kindred association called the Christian Commission, money, medicines, food, clothing, delicacies, wine, nurses, books, secular and religious instruction, and everything which could contribute to the welfare and relieve thewants of the soldiers;

limited only by the extent to which they could be usefully and judiciously used. Sanitary stores, surgeons and kind nurses, following the soldiers to every battle-field, where the wounded were most tenderly cared for and nursed, and the dying soothed and their last messages carefully transmitted to family and friends. By these means they robbed the battle-field of half its horrors, and every soldier felt that kindness, skill and care would constantly attend him, and would leave nothing undone to relieve his sufferings, to restore him to health; and if it was his fate to die for his country, his last hours would be soothed by affection and christian sympathy. No appeal was ever made by these organizations for money or aid, which was not promptly responded to by the American people. Contributions from the mite of the widow and humble day laborer, the pittance of the child, to the products of the farm, and the shop, and the jewels and the gold of the rich, flowed in so lavishly that many millions were contributed during the war.

The Christian Commission expended more than six millions two hundred and fifty thousand dollars of these generous contributions, and sent five thousand clergymen, selected from the best and ablest in the land, to the camps and battlefields of this war. The Sanitary Commission had seven thousand societies, and through an unpaid board of directors distributed of these most patriotic offerings, fifteen millions of dollars in supplies and money.

When the telegraph flashed over the land news of a battle, the ablest and most skiliful surgeons hastened to the battlefield, to give their brethren of the army the utmost of their skill and experience. The most practical and useful, as well as the gentlest and most refined of women, those of the highest culture, and social position, left homes of luxury and ease to minister as nurses to the wounded and the sick. The minister of God was ever present to soothe and cheer those who suffered, to pronounce the blessing of God upon him who sacrificed life to his country, and liberty.

In furtherance of these objects, a series of great fairs was inaugurated at Chicago, and extended to Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Boston, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, and the chief

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