American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-03-09
Hcorge Thompson I'm New York.

the old and tried friend Of freedom every
where and for all men, Geo. Thompson, of
England.
At eight o'clock, John G. Fremont and
Mr.. Thompson came upon the platform,
amid very loud applause.
General Fremont, on taking the chair,
said:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN l am glad
to see that you are in temper of mind
which promises very cordial welcome to
our guest of the evening. thank you
sincerely for your friendly reception of my
SELF and thank you warmly for him--un-
der the circumstances, it will be especial
ly grateful to him. Coming here after an
interval Of years, he cannot be expected
Immediately to realize the change which
has been worked in the country, and i'm
pressions from very different scenes which
he witnessed here, cannot yet be effaced
from his memory. When he was last here
the country was at peace, and men do not
readily hazard its blessings The people
were unwilling to enter upon the discus
sion of question which threatened to dis
turb great interests. They were not will
ling to infict upon themselves or the
Southern people the penalties which at
tended great reform. Then discussions
upon Slavery were held to involve Disun-
ion, and it required the direct and fragrant
aggressions of an institution essentially at
war with the principles of our Govern
ment to bring men to consider it, and to
rouse them into action against it. 'lIe has
yet to realize the change, and until he
does, every such expression of friendly
feeling must give him peculiar satsfac-
tion. x To our guest
it must be more agreeable to realize the.
present than to remember the past. He
comes now among us to witness the tri-
umph of the principles for which he la
bored, and we are glad to have an occasion
which we can use to express our obliga-
tions to him and his friends on the other
side of the water for the services they have
rendered US /; to thank him individually,
and as one of class which in England
represents the public conscience, loving
Justice, and intolerant Of oppression, and
to whom we are indebted for tenacious
adherence to our cause from the begin
ming of this war. What
to-day is the position Of the men who for
the past thirty years have worked to bring
our practice into conformity with the prin-
cples of the Government? And who, in
the struggle against established and pow
erful interests, have accepted political dis
ability and humiliated lives? Have any
of these been put in governing places
where their proved fidelity would guaran-
tee the direct execution of what is to-day
the nearly unanimous will of the people ?
Certainly not yet. So far. the virtue Of
the Reformers is its own reward. While
they are yet living, their mantles have fall
len upon the shoulders of others to whom
you have given high position, but they are
still laboring in narrow paths-broaden
ing, to be sure, and brightening-for the
rough ground is passed and their sun of
victory is already rising. We give deep
sympathy and honor to the men who, in
the interests of civilization, separated them
selves from mankind to penetrate the chill
solitudes of the Artic regions. Their
names remain an added constellation in
the polar skies But We know that bitter
skies and winter winds are not so unkind
as mans ngratitude. And why, then do
we withhold sympathy and honor from
these men who have 50 undinchingly trod
their isolated paths of self appointed du-
ty, accepting political and social excom-
munication-these heroeso the moral sol
itudes? 4 l have made these
few remarks, partly because they flow from
my subject, and partly to suggest such
ideas as may be an introduction TO what
our guest will have to say. I did not
dwell upon acts that are necessarily famil-
lar to you, but desired merely to revive
in your minds recollections of the charac-
ter and services of the men whom he rep
resents, and with permission l will present
him to you. Ladies and gentlemcn, l
have the honor to introduce q representa-
tive of the liberal Democracy of England,
and tried friend OF America, Mr.. Geo.
Thompson.
The audience here arose, and loud and
hearty cheers, and wavingof hats, welcom-
cd the distinguished speaker.
Mr.. Thompson prefaced his address by
a thankful allusion to this wonderful con-
trast between the reception he now met
with, and that which he received when he
first arrived on our shores in 1884, and
subsequently in 1850, when, not only could
he not obtain hearing, but the hotel pro-
prietors did not feel safe in giving him
lodging; and because he would not expose
his friends-men and women of whom
America was not then worthy-to have
dwellings destroyed he was obliged to leave
the city. Now he came again, and he be-
held this mighty and magnificent nation
in the throes of another revolution--a
higher and holier one than that of 1776
That was for independence; this was for
universal liberty. That raised the white
saan toa sovereign; this lifted the negro
20 man. Applause.l He assured the
Chairman that his name was household
word among all the friends of liberty and
humanity in England There were mil
lions of hearts there who would be gladSo
see him elevated by the surfaces Of the
people into the seat of the Chief Magis-
tracy of this Republic Enthusiastic
applause.1 Had it been so, it would have