The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-09-30
SPEECH OF HON. JAMES 6UTH-
RE OF KENTUCKY.
TRUE MEANING OF THE CKICA-
GO PLATFORM.
Peace on the Basis of the Union.
Address Delivered at New Albany,
Indiana, Sept. Is, 1864,

ing the nation. l have been in Chicago.
know the platform there adopted by the as
sembled Democracy ] assisted in making it
| know what it means. 1t means peace II
means peace upon the basis of the re establish
ment of the Union in all its integrity. Who
would give up the mouth of the Mississippi
and the grave of jackson for peace which di-
vided this Union? Who would give up the
glorious Constitution of our fathers for peace
which separates this great Republic? Not the
| Democratic and conservative masses now ar
rayed under the standard of that hero states
man, George B. Mcclellan. No, fellow citi-
zens, it is another party which would thus dis.
rupt this nation if its hideous dogmas of abo-
| litionism are not accepted by the people of the
| South. The Chicago platform, and the letter
of acceptance of Mcclellan mean that the Pres
| ident of the United States, and every official
Of the government either in the civil or mill
| tary department, shall be as Obedient to the
Constitution as the humblest citizen or soldier.
| 1t is q peace platform on the basis of the I'm
| ion, the Constitution and the laws. Who dares
| be against such a platform Who dares say
we shall not have peace upon the basis of
| the integrity OF the federal Union? If the
| South is against such peace; if she refuses
to accept the offer of such peace; if frank.
earnest, and persistent effort to obtain these
objects should fail, then the responsibility for
| Interior consequences will fall upon those who
remain in arms against the Union.
But the Union must be preserved at all haz-
ards Such is the construction of this Chicago
| platform as given by General Mcclellan, the
nominee of the convention. Such is the con.
structiOn place upon it, Such is the con-
struction placed upon it by the Democratic
and conservative masses of the country. We
| will never give up the mouth of the Mississippi
for jeff. Davis and all his crew. know him
| we'll The South are for peace Offer them
peace upon this basis and they will take it
foly wit off TO fbo; oun
glance 1t is the principle of the Constitution
that the majority shall rule 1t is not for one
man to say that we shall or that we shall not
have peace. Who is it that reverses this prin-
ciple of the Constitution, and says that the ma
jority shall not rule Abraham Lincoln and
mis- party; he who denied the people the right
of free speech and the liberty of the press. This
is the first time since Abraham Lincoln was
elected-the first time since he violated the
Chicago platform of 1S60-sincc he violated
the laws of Congress-since he violated the
Constitution, that the Democratic party has
had chance to speak. And now it will speak
until it saves this great republic-this precious
Constitution. 1t will speak at the bailot-box,
the great and sacred forum from which every
American citizen may speak with power have
right, as Kentuckian, to speak of jeff Davis
and Abraham Lincoln. They were both born
in Kentucky, and both have disgraecd that
noble commonwealth, and her principles of
men against their wills to fight their battles.
Lincoln is doing this nOw-fOrcing men to fight
for the abolition Of slavery, not for the restora-
ton of the Understanding men into your
houses with bayOnets to hold in awe peaceabIe,
loyal citizens. He has to-day scattered through
out the loyal States of the North soldiers
enough to subjugate jeff Davis's confederacy
to dominate over free people ! am for
pcace-tOr peace which will give lis back the
old Union under the Constitution. was q
member OF the peace congress in 1861. In
that congress was for peace. concession, and
renewed guarantees to all the States. / be-
lieved then, as now. that the great waste of
precious blood which has taken place would
not restore the Union. l asked that the seven
border free and the seven border slave States
might propose q basis for the settlement of all
difficulties. They could have proposed such
basis as would have been full, final, honor
able and satisfactory settlement. But the radi-
Gals in that congrass would net consent to
it. Neither the abolitiOnists of the North
nor the secessionists of the South would
consent to it. They would have moth
ing but blood. Well, have we Not had
blood to the hearts content Of the nation
Even the preachers have preached war,
and desOatiOn, and blood; the temples of the
meek and lowly Jesus have been made the
temples from which war, and rapine, and blood
has been preached, by ministers with hands
dripping in blood. This must be ended. We
will hold out the olive branch Like great, and
magnanimous, and powerful people. We will
offer to the South their rights in the Union
under the Constitution. We will guarantee
those rights, and dispose OF conflicting and
vexatious- questions, so that never again will
the tocsin Of war be sounded which shall arm
father against son, and brother against BROTH
er. We have noble leader to inangurate this
work of the regeneration of the nation. Geo.
B. McClsllan is a young naan-but thirty eight
years old !; but he is good man. He is states
man, an. able general, great commander, q
Christian gentleman. 1t is by his nobeness Of
| heart that he has attached his soldiers to him,
| so that they regard him as a father rather than
| as an austere commander. He is the soldiers
| friend. Such is the noble Mcclellan, the stand
ard bearer of the Democratic party. He will.
no doubt, get the votes Of the soldiers and all
| honest Democrats and conservatives; but he
will not get the votes of the shoddy contractors
and those who are making minis Of money OFT
| of the Universities of their country. need not
tell you to-day, my fellow-eitizens, how We
| have suffered in Kentucky under the iron
rule of this weak, vascillating and tyYanic
administration. Oar desolated fields-the
blood of our sOns-the destruction of
our property-the almost total suspension of
our trade, are known throughout the land If
a citizen dares to utter complaint against this
| wholesale outrage and violation of rights, he
is spotted by the myrmidons of power, and is
inearcerated in the dungeons of the felon.
What agonies untold the people of Kentucky
have suffered. remain to be told by the future
historian, when he comes to write out the his.
tory of this terrible rebellion. But this IT,
rannic policy Of the party in power has been
reviewed in our resolutions at Chicago. We
will now put a great and good man into the
Presidential chair, man who, had he been
sustained with the power that Grant has beer
sustained, would have given the country peace
two years ago. There is an upheaving of the
masses, and believe we would be less than
American citizens if we did not make an effort
! to change the present state of affairs in the
country. The ballol-box is the great weapon
of the American people. It is the weapon Of
peace. To it let US appeal for redress Of
grievauces But the day might come when
the effort may be made 10 stiAe the voice Of
the people at the ballot box. Then will moi
to-day say what the people should do. coun'
ell united zeal and exertion for the cause of the
country and liberty. All the people must work
to the same end. You have only till Novem
Der to work. Be earnest, then, and jealous
speak to you thus because believe that upor
the result of this election Is suspended the fatt
of the American republic. Every man to hi
post-every man to his duty; then all Will b.
we'll, and peace and happiness will he again
restored to the country.