The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-02-28
SPEECH
OF f,..
WRIGHT.
OF INDIANA, ID
At tho Washington Celebration
i'm Cincinnati.

in making q visit TO the Eternal City, | |
walked up the steps in st. Peters church,
gazed at its massive walls and paintings,
and went into the Vatican, from whence
| was taken into large room, which was
filed solely with the flags Of the nations
of all the earth. There were the flags of
all the German States, thousand years
Older than my own country and when
my eyes lit upon the stars and stripes, 80
bright and fresh, / asked, Why was il
reserved for our fathers TO be the first
in forming national emblem, TO place
the stars upon blue fisld2 | ask the
question now, in view of our national fac
here; and ! can only answer it here as !
answered it in Rome. Your fathers and
mine were the FIRST to look up 20 God for
help, and in SO doing, caught the idea Of
the stars, and at once placed them upon
the emblem. Applause.
And now put 10 you this question
Are you willing, as patriots, 10 do your
duty, and trust to God to save this ma
ton! l do not intend TO 20 over the past.
There are too many men who think and
talk more about the past than the present.
What the patriot ought to ask is, What
is my duty to-day What does my
country demand atsthis hourP 1t is not
a question of politics. 1t is a question
oil Government or anarchy. II is not
question as to whether this measure or
that is right or not, for il has been well
said tonight that you may change this
man or that, and thus change the policy
in very short time at the ballot box;
| but If the Government is not saved, and
anarchy reigns, you can do neither. If
the rebellion had beenpredicated on any
alleged injury or violation Of rights, i
would feel differently; but the people Of
the South-the leaders in the rebellion
have not claimed this when the point has
been pressed home upon them. The doc
| trine OF secession is only anarchy in dis
guise Whenever we shall recognize the
doctrine in the ightest degree, care not
whether it be by an armistice or by re-
cogniGon of the Confederacy, from that
hour there is nothing left in this country
for you and me. | know no Democratic
doctrine that will sustain such an idea,
l was not raised in that school of Democ-
racy. The Democracy of my time taught
me that the fathers formed compact for
the purpose of establishing permanent
Goyernment-liket the union Of man and
vile by the marriage ceremony, it was
intended that what God thus united, no
man should put asunder. a.a
What have you left in this country, If
secession is recognized; for this is the
turning point in the whole controversy Z?
Is there any agreement or organization
left worth any thing? Nothing; every
thing else falls with the sundering of the
nation. You may tear down your school
houses, throw open your court houses,
burn your churches, for there would be
nothing left worth living for or fighting
for. Ii men are not willing to sacrifice
every thing, property, and life itself, for
the maintenance Of good government
they don't deserve TO be partakers Of its
benefits. No man has any right TO the
name Of a Democrat, who is willing,
when there is armed treason in the land,
to talk of peace or compromise, or an
armistice. Loud applause.
1t is hard to keep up with these latter
day Democrats. lprofess TO be Demo-
crat myself. The very first vote gave
was for jackson; and the last was for
James Buchanan, though l don't claim
much credit for the last; and if had
been in the country in 1860, | should
have voted for that sterling, noble man,
whose memory has been identified with
Stephen A. Douglas Shouts and ap-
plause. But look at these modern
Democrats. When Fort Sumter was
struck, all the people of the country
professed to be loyal; and not only all
the people, but Congress, was loyal Three
months after that, on the battle of Bull
Run, every man in Congress declared that
the war was brought on by the South
all except four, | believe. The people
spoke as one body for the war. Every
step since that time has been marked by
this peoIliarity, that these Democrats
have been opposed TO the new step, but
approve of the former They were at first
opposed TO the doctrine of coercion, but
in three months afterwRrd, when they
, saw the people were for coercing the re
: bells, they stopped that cry, and made Z
, great ado about the policy of not return.
ing slaves. When public opinion came
up to this point, and the Administration
took another step, they yielded the quos.
tion, and fell in with the tide Of senti.
( meut, but protested against the order tina
negroes should be employed in the ditch.
es aud on the fortilcations. When thil
became a popular measure with both ia,
q people and the soldiers, they were its ar
I dent advocates; but not until they hac
something else to find fault with, in the
Proclamation Of Emancipation. And
predict that, in less than six months
these men, who have thus followed publ,
d opinion, will be the loudest in declaring
s that every means that God has given ul
shall be used TO sustain the Government
in the prosecution Of the war. They viii
even put guns into the hands Of the ne
groes, and swear they were for doing 81
all the time Laughter and applause.
q make this prediction for the reason
J, that the people Of this country intend &,
save the nation. There are no ifs o.
butts about il. The mass Of the peopl
think more Of the Union and the In
e tegrity Of the Government than al
things else on earth and when thes
q Democrats see this determination NOR
fully eyinced, they will turn ia ant
want TO do il all themselves. ZAP
plause) They are only managing 4
find out what public opinion is, and a