The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-02-04
ADDRESS OF GEN. HAMILTON TO
THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS.

We find in the New Orleans Era
the address of Gov. Hamilton to the
people Of Texas, issued upon his arri-
wal recently in that State. The ad-
dress is characterized by great ability
and force, presenting in clear terms
,the folly of secession, and the duty OF
standing by the Government in its
struggle with treason. The address
opens as follows:
CITIZENS OF TEXAS: Through the
instrumentaEity of ambitious and de-
signing men, you have been, for more
than two and half years, engaged in
rebellion against the Government Of
the United States. Hunted as 1elon.
and expelled from the State because |
would not join the conspiracy to over
throw the government i now, after an
exile of eighteen months, return to it,
charged with the duty of organizing
such provisional State government as
may be best calculated to aid m restor-
ing you to the blessings of civil lib
erty.
When you were forced, by minor
ity, into rebellion, you were in the en-
joyment Of every blessing ever confer
red by civil government upon men.-
Not a single wrong had you ever suf-
fered from the Government. You had
liberty, peace, prosperity, and were in
the daily and undisturbed "pursuit Of
happiness" You will not fail to re-
member the promises of the rebel lead
crs; nor the predictions ofloyal men.
After an experience so sad in its re-
sults-so horrible in its details-I call
upon you to answer, who dealt truth
fully with you?
PROMISES OF FULFILLMENT.
Governor Hamilton then recounts
some ofthe promises made by the reb-
cl leaders to the people of Texas,
namely, that secession was a righttul
and peaceful remedy for anticipated
evils; that the South had but to strike
to secure the help and sympathy ofthe
world, which recognized ''cotton as
king" that the North would not and
could not. fight Southern men, and that
in case of war, the Northern States
would Immediately crumblc to pieces;
and shows that none Of the promises
have been fulfilled, while all the pre-
dictions of disaster made by those who
opposed disunion have actually come
to pass. Thus, as to the prophecy Of
disunion men rs to the effect Of REBEL.
ion ON slavery, Governor Hamilton
says:
You were told that the institution
of slavery owed to the Government ol
the United States all the toleratior
and consideration which it ever had
in the civilized world; and that, ifleft
to combat the public sentiment ofman.
kind alone upon its merits it would sc
down; that whatever might be the in
tention of the leaders in rebellion, they
would ultimately be forced to the al
tentative of making the new govern
ment q despotism; that the people
would not long tolerate so disastrous {
change in their interest and happiness
unless compelled by force We sale
that ''cotton" was not "king;" tina
bread had ever been and would evel
be the chief necessary Of indiVidual
and of nations; that none Of the gov
ernments of the old world could afforC
to ieopardise their moral status by
openly aiding in the establishment 0
government for the pcrpetuity 0
{ slavery; but that France and England
would avail themselves Of every op
portunity to encourage civil war here
in the hope that the power and infu
once ofrepublican government on thi
90 continent might be broken and destroy
ed; that Mexico would be victimize'
by one or both of these government
whilst We were engaged in domcsti
.estrifc.
We said the revolution would 500
prove to the non-slave, owner that
,a was not war in the interest of hi
class, but in the interest of the slav
f.' OWuoI3 anu ueSpluSu w ICsulO III vi
disfranchisement of the poor, and thu
compell them, in self defense, to becom
the uncompromising opponents c
. slavery. We warned you that tn
~ boasted wealth of the South was nc
and could not be made available in tn
contemplated struggle; that the inst
tuition of Slavery, unlocked by tn
y clash ofarms, would deliver within til
-. lines of the South, as the Grecian hors
% did within the walls of Troy, hostil
' force at its very citadel; that the GOV
~ ernment was strong and would excl
its strength for the suppression of tn
rebellion; that the issue would at Las
y -. be between a slave aristocracy and
% democratic republic.
Citizens of Texas, let truth be b.
tween us. Again / call upon you I
answer, whose promises have failet
and whose predictions have been yer
field? If a single promise made by tn