87


States — you  arc  told  this  is  not  to  bo  a  war  of  Ag
gression*  In  one  sense  that  is  true ;  in  another,
not.  We  have  committed  aggression  upon  no
man.  In  all  the  broad  land,  in  their  rebel  nest,  in
their  traitor's  camp,  no  truthful  man  can  rise  and
say  that -he  has  ever  been  disturbed,  though  it  be
but  for  a  single  moment,  in  life,  liberty,  estate,  char
acter,  or  honor.  (Cheers  and  cries  of  "That's  so.")
The  day  they  began  this  unnatural,  false,  wicked,
rebellious  warfare,  their  lives  were  more  secure,
their  property  more  secure,  by  us — not  by  them
selves,  but  by  us — guarded  far  more  securely  than
any  people  ever  have  had  their  lives  and  prop
erty  secured  from  the  beginning  of  the  world.
(Applause.)  We  have  committed  no  oppression,
have  broken  no  compact,  have  exercised  no
unholy  power;  have  been  loyal,  moderate,  con
stitutional,  and  just.  We  arc  a  majority  of  the
Union,  and  we  will  govern  our  own  Union,  within
our  own  constitution,  in  our  own  way.  (Cries  of
"  Bravo,"  and  applause.)  We  are  all  democrats.
