37 living mortal to share with me the responsibility of this utterance, or accept my views contrary to his own judgment. I have well considered my words. I know their meaning. I have not knowingly misstated any facts. I stand by the principles laid down in this sermon, believing themto be true. Here I stand in this place and in every other. I am aware of the intensity of men's feelings at such a time ; and I certainly do not wish to offend those feelings. I plead for no party as such ; I do not wish to appear before you as a partisan—such I am not ; I do not wish in this place to transcend the legitimate functions of the Christian pulpit—in my judgment I have not done so ; I do not wish to invoke at your hands any special indulgence—you may criticise this sermon as much as you please, and I shall take no offence ; but in such an hour as this, when the dearest interests of this great nation are at stake, when the long future is providentially hanging upon the mighty present, I should deserve the scorn of all honest men, and merit and meet my own, if as a preacher having a text that covers this whole subject, and as a citizen having the rights, interests and hopes which are common to my fellow-countrymen, I closed my mouth, and studied the artful ambiguities ?>f a sinister and truckling policy. ISTo, my hearers ; God is my witness, and you are my witnesses, that I have not done this. What I have said, I have said ; and I now close by thanking you for your patience in hearing me, and asking the blessing of the Supreme Majesty of heaven and earth upon the utterance. May the God of our fathers carry the nation safely through this perilous hour, rebuking treason, establishing law, ordaining justice, and giving us for our next President a man who will, in his hands be a fitting agent for the execution of these ends !
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