Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-03-19
SPEECH OF
EX-GOVERNOR THOS. II. SEYMOUR,
OF CONNECTICUT,
At the City Hall, Hartford, on Thursday Eoeuing,
February 10, 1863.

OF CONNECTICUT,
At the City Hall, Hartford, on Thursday Eueuing,
February 10, 1863.
Mr.. Chairman and Felio,o. Citizens.
I thank you for this kind reception,
and cheerfully respond to your call for
some remsrks from me. The time has
come when we should. all Of US, speak out
plainly, and discuss the questions which
these unhappy days have given birth to.
Neglect to do this may be a source of fu.
ture regret. do not mean to incur the
penalty of any such regret if can help
it, and therefore purpose speaking at your
meetings whenever it may be proper for
me to do so. | believe we have reached
a crisis in public affairs when the boldest
language will prove to be tine best for the
occasion. AMI best for our country. We
have got to deal with principalities and
powers which need to be rebuked, and we
have got to deal with men in power who
should be told that there is point be-
yond which forbearance cases to be a vir-
tue. For the last eighteen months the
people of the free States, so called, have
suffered great abuse at the hands of their
rulers 1t has now come to the turn Of
the people to be heard. 1t has come to
their turn, not to render evil for evil, but
to vindicate their rights under the Con-
stitution, and by so dol. g overwhelm the
men in authority who would abrogate
those rights. That is their mission; and
it is mission which expect to see sue
cesfully accomplished.
You have come together, gentlemen,
under somewhat better auspecies than we
have had to boast of in long while
You have to-day the restoration of that
freedom ofspeech which was denied to you
year ago. This is due, in great meas
ure, to the late elections. And this priv
ilege is not only restored to you, but it
can't be taken away. would make oath
to that. Henceforth, my countrymen.
never let orders from headquarters, came
in what shape they may, never let such
orders prevent you from asserting your
right to discuss fully and freely, as you
please, the affairs of Government. Never!
And another thing. had hoped the
day of illegal arrests was over: hut the
recent exhibition of the mailed hand at
the city OF Philadelphi proves that the
will is not wanting to restore the reign
of terror. That exhibition of despotic
power should be the last. Or, if the day
of illegal arrests should come again, with
its bolts, and bars, shackels for ireemen,
let freemen solemnly protest against such
high handed measures, and take their pro-
tests to the ballot boxes. And if the
ballot should fail to correct such enormi-
ties and preserve their liberties, they may
be driven to look for some other remedy
Gentlemen. the bitter experiences Of
the past year have solved new problem
in our institutions. They have proved
that the most dangerous of all expert
ments. under form of government like
ours, is that which aims to stife the voice
of free people. Such an experiment
may be successful for a while, but it can
not last Forbidden to speak their free
thoughts, they are driven to reflect more
deeply than before on the value of their
liberties. Their rights under the Consti,
tuition are studied over and over again;
the audacious insoence of the bad men
in power, who would deprive them OF
those rights. is sternly set before their
eyes; the hereof example OF their Revolu-
tionary Fathers comes up before them,
admonishing them that the price Of liber-
ty is eternal vigilance-and all at once
the storm bursts forth, the soul asserts
its independence, and the wronged, abused
insuted citizen, is free again, and pow:
erful to assert maintain and defend his
rights against the powers that be though
backed by million of beyonets. Such
is the problem which has just now been
solved in our midst, and such the lesson
which it furnishes to present and future
generations. Reflection on the iniqui-
tous proceedings of the Government which
suppressed free speech and free press, and
sought to punish men for suggesting peace
jul measures as means of saving the
Union which we all had so much at hea t;
the result of their meditation on these
things, is clear, convincing. unanswera-
BILE, powerful and perfectly crushing ar
gument against the present Administra-
tion.
There are many things that might be
discussed on this occasion if time would
permit. AS you have called me ont, gen.
tlemen, let me notice some few of them
which go to strengthen the argument to
which l have referred. You all know
how often it is remarked-this war might
have been prev, nted, and the reasons
usually given for such remark. Let us
look into this very briefly. if Imay do SO
without firing you, and see how the case
stands. 1t begins with the secession Of
South Carolina, and the States which i'm
mcdiately followed her.
When this occurred, it became a seri.
GUS matter to the entire country. You had
the Army and Navy in your bands. which
some supposed should be launched against
the South. More considerate men insist,
ed on taking different course. They
chose to treat the act of disunion as po-
litical rather than as military one, and
deal with it accordingly. Of this mum Der
was Mr.. Crittenden, of Kentucky. whose
resolutions for saving the Union and pre-
venting bloodshed, are familiar to you
all. There's solutions were acceptable to our
conservative citizens generally, and if
they had been accepted, as they should
have been, there would have been no war;
the States would have been united, and
we should have gone ON again in ca
reer OF peace, prosperity and happiness.