The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1862-06-23
Speech of Hon. Henry Secrest
De fvered at the Union Convention,
uaa t@ the L s Ia nst.
Democrats read The opinions o one srho at
tended the first Democratic ConUets-
ton ever held in the State.

The following extraot CT Mr.. Scores $
| speech we take from The indianapolis Jour-
nal. 1t only conveys an idea Of ft W of
the most prominent points in Mr.. Secrests
effort, which is pronounced as one OF the
! ablest OF his life:
Mr.. Sesrest said s.
feel very grateful to this audience and
its presiding officer for the honor of ad-
dressing you at this tme I am uupre
pared, even with notes, 10 speak TO you !;
but the heart speaking from its warm i'm
pulses 10 fellow hearts is probably the best,
as IL ID the freshest, converse we can hold
together. i nave no spesCrF ~
timid- men-If there are sny here who
doubt our capacity for republican goverc-
ment-who thinks there will not be vigor
and permanence hereafter. "let him slide"
Laughter. l talk to men who love their
country, and would perish rather than see
II perish. have been a partizan thirty
seven years. | have no regrets for it now.
look back upon my career with PRIDE
Mistakes have been made; but it is human
to err. But when look back upon the
achievements of that man of iron will and
incorruptible honesty, who crushed the re-
beliiOn of South Carolina, | have no re-
gIets. Tue days of heroes political heroes,
IS past. Jackson, who was ia heart and
soul above any other man of bis age, who
had no kindred aud placed his couutry
above all else, that man would have strick-
EN- this rebellion down at once With an iron
hand, without calling out an army OF 500,-.
/ coo men.
My political education began under the
tutelage of Jackson. Nine Of as Who held
the frSt Democratic Convention IN Ifldi5nd us
1872 are here to-day They are for The
country aud the Union, and the triumph of
the laws. have always supposed it was
the duty Of every citizen, without regard to
party, to stand by his Government, as the
child stands by its mother. This was the
doctrine of ancient Democracy. This was
the spirit imbued into nae hen a child. |
spraug from that class which furnished
common soldiers for our early wars-men of
the frontier, 4ardy and undiscipiined, but
wi ho would take battery from the British,
or chase the Indian from the woods aud
swamps, whenever duty called them. This
origin implanted in me bitter hatred OF
anti war men. For myself, | adopted the
motto OF the lamented Decatur: " Ia time
of war | am for my country, right or
wrong" | supposed this was the doctrine
of the Democracy. 1t is true that no Dem
ocratic creed had provided for such al
emergency, but should have thought that
every principle of the party, aud even its
animal instincts, (iaughter) would have
forced it to the support of the Government
in this war. II not, | would cast such a |
traitor party from me.
There might be circumstances when 1
might fail to support my Government. IF
there was an attempt to establish despot-
ism, to destroy the institutions that protect |
us, | would fight against it. But | would |
be an open enemy. | would give it writ |
ttn release from all protection, and all claim /
to any rights under it. and leave it. would /
never 6ght the battle of traitors on the soil |
of the Government (applause) which pro.
tected me. If were a secesslonist would /
90 South (GFest applause, and cries of
t" good a
It is said that the 9th of January Con. /
vention party is not an anti-war party
They argue very illogically. In this coun-
cry, and under every free government, it is
certain that any party which Organizes
against the government in time of war, be-
comes inevitably an anti-war party The
motive may be PATRIOTIC at first but they
cannot help drifting from opposition to the
Government into opposition to the war.-
How has it been in this country? Let the
mast speak. The old Federal party was
composed of men of honor and ability, who
were patriotic and did good service in the
Revolution, but it attempted to dictate
how the war of 1912 should be conducted.
1t was op3osed to a war with Great Brit
ain, but in favor of ene against France. In
proposing to change the direction of the
war. il drifted into an anti-war party. The
Hartford Contention discussed the Csry q4es-