Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-06-24
PRESENTATION TO UR. R. y. RRECKxw-
RIDGE. OF KEMrUCKY.


gates from Illinois TO the Baltimore Convention
to meet with this venerable and distinguished pa
triot who was delegate from Kentucky they
determined to present him with token Of their
esteem and appreciation of his great ability lofty
patriotism, and distinguished services and sacrii-
ces IN the cause ofhberty and Union. The dele
cation accordingly purchased, at a cost Of some
$3.50, beautiful silver pitcher, on the hardle of
which is the American eagle, with wings extend
ed the front is our county flag; on the right
side these words were engraved: Robert j.
Breckenridge, ID. D., of Kentucky, from the Iii
nois Delegation to the Union National Conyerl-
ton, assembled at Baltimore June T. 1864. On
the left the words God and Liberty.
In making the presentation, on behalf Of the
delegation, at their parlor at the City Hail. Balt-
more, their chairman, Hon, B G, Cook. said:
DR. Brsckfar7dge lost of the members of the
Illinois delegation havenever had the pleasure of
meeting you in person heeaTe tie assembling Of
this Convention Yet we have not the less known
YOU. We have witnessed with very great inter
est the course you have taken in your own State
your steady adherence to thecause of our common
country, when that course involved sacrifice and
suffering, and the surrendering Of near ties We
have heard your noble utterances In support of
the principles of freedom and righteousness. made
under circumstances of very great difficulty and
danger, until onr respect for you has ripened tif
you viii permit us to use the words into strong
ptAsOudl dutCt1Uu tUI you. anu, as token OF
our respect and regard, we desire to present to
you this testimonial hoping that it may serve to
remind you sometimes of those who have been
glad to meet you and who viii not cease to watch
your future course with the deepest interest and
sympathy, and with the earnest wish that your
devoted labors for the truth and the right may
meet with undaunted success.
REPLY OF DIR. BRECKENRIDGE
N
very great sensibiity this token of your approba-
ton, for you know how great surprise it must be
to me that you should have thought of bestowing
on me, IN manner SO kind, of public and decisive
mark of your kind construction Of my past CON
duct and my cherished principles Next to the
approval of God and that of our own conscience,
thai which every generous heart desires is the
approval of those who are worthy of our conf
dence and love; and surely if there are in this
world men who are good judges of what unstained
loyalty to the nation and unfinchlng courage in
the maintenance ofts exisance and It's glory ought
to be the people of Illinois, whom you represent,
have proved by their deeds that they are such men,
To say nothing to the beauty or the value of this
token OF your regard, 1t IS Of exceeding value to
me that it is to you who have considered me wor-
thy Of such an expression of your feelings.
do not profess to have done more than was
bound to do. | am not free to say that what /
have done was worthy of the notice it has attract
ed; but it is something, perhaps which it viii be
good for our children to remember-that simple
citizen, IN a private station, has been able, by
purely personal acts, to influence, in any degree
the cause OF mighty revolution IN one ofits most
important and dangerous theaters, and | need not
deny that your kindness to me to-day viii stimu-
late my heartln the new and alarming crisis which
has fallen upon Kentucky, and in the renewed ef-
forts demanded by the great dangers of that cri-
SIS, A counter revolution in Kentucky would be
fatal to her, and a menace Of terrible import to
the nation Itself
This token you have given me, is ayowedly
made, and Is so understood and accepted by me,
as signifying that love of universal liberty and
that equal love Of our glorious country which you
and protest to love and cherish. Highly as /
cherish 1t, it is not the first have received. In
this very city tBaltimorel it was my good fortune
to receive, at least twenty-five years ago. another
from race anda class as despised then as yours is
glorious now, which the coincidence, if not your
own high and generous principles, win excuse me
for stating proof that what you approve in me
goes very far back in my life Itwas my lot aid
ed BY band of noble men, most of whom have
survived, to defeat and crush conspiracy of mul-
titudes of shareholders of Maryland-in which |
then resided-to reduce into condition hardly
distinguishable from Slavery or to expel from the
State the great and entire class of free blacks who
then inhabited it. In token of my efforts for
their race, the free blacks of this city, amounting
to many thousands, purchased by small contribu-
tions amongst themselves, and presented to me,
an exquisite token of at once their gratitude and
good taste. You, my friends, win not consider
your most beautiful gift defled by descending along
with that touching memoir ial as an heirloom in
my family
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen, we know not
what is to become of any man in these times of re-
buke and sorrow and change We are betrayed
over and often. even where we least expect it By
the help of God, viii try to live and die in such
a way that none of you shall ever blush when you
this day. Be slow to believe of me
anything else than that which win accord with |
what say TO you now. Count upon me always
as one man who will stand by the country as long
as there is country to stand by, and who win fol-
low his convictions to the gates of death
At the conclusion of the remarks of DIR. B.
who was accompanied by number of his Ken
lucky friends, he and they we're introduced indi-
vidualy to the members of the delegation, after |
which some time was passed in greeahle conyer-
sation