The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-09-05

speech 81 Hes. JoAn wenswer,A.
Al the grssd Uaioa meeting ID Chi.
cago upon Thursday evening. Sept. ls.,
the Hon. John Wentworth spoke - fol-
lows:
FRLLow CIrIzENs: At this late hour
Is certainly is not expected that I shall
make anything like public speech; but
n response to your expressed wish, will
say few words.
! am 8 man Of toIennee. / am fer free
speech. and would extend our hospitali-
ties to men OF all shades Of opinion, all
principles Of politics, oil conditions Of life,
This much We owe to the spirit and pe.
MUS Of our institutions. Our beautiful
city OF Chicago has reached in presen,
proud position, and grown to it, present
growth, asd has never yet been disrraced
BY mob. Within the past week great
Convention, composed of men of widely
different and even hostile views from
those you entertain, attended by a con
course Of thousands, assembled here, and
Jet ! assure you ~ one Of the custodians
OF the city's peace, that it has not cost
your treasury ten dollars to keep the peace
during all the excitement Of the past FIVE
days. Asd why 80? Why was there not
violence. outrage and disorder, Because.
gsntlemen. of the prevalence of universal
liberty OF opinion, and OF uoiversal tolera.
tion. Because as people ws indorss and
exsmplify that widely known maxim Of
Thomas jefferson. "that error can be safely
tolerated while reason and Christianity
are left free TO combat it,
You who differed from our friends 30
recently here have had 90 opportunity
of examining their side of the case. If
they were true and loyal to the Constitu-
ton Of the country and the old flag Of our
fathers. they had the opportunity to show
Il. Ii their sympathies wsre With the
gallant soldiery that are carrying our
cause to the heighth Of success upon the
POINTS of their bayonets, they could have
shown it.
Well then, when the news came that
Sherman had moved to the southward of
Atlanta, and that volunteers we're rushing
70 Grant at the rate of . thousand a day.
didn't you hear these men in their street
assemblages and in their meetings 10 thi.
square make the welkin ring With their
cheers for Sherman and for Gnnt7
(cries Of No, no Well, ne ither did /.
Loud hughter.l When the were Sit
ting in their Convention, deliberating up-
on the choice of candidate, a I'D the news
came over the electric wire that glorious
old Farrsgut bad hoisted the e.ars and
stripes over Fort Morgan. and the rebel
flag had come down in humiliation, did
you ses that body Of able, sagacious repre-
sentative men riss in their seats and with
uplifssd hats and swelling voices make
the "wigwam" rng. [cries Of no, no. ]
and neither did I. CUproarous laughter
and cheers Did you hear single word
from their oracles or orators of sympathy
with our gallant soldiery Who are braving
death in the field. or Of the fundamental
principles Of our Government, or one sim
gle word of denunciaiion Of those traitors
10 arms who are striving to destroy the
best government the world ever saws
Not one word Of censure had they for
them. But the burden of their song a
peace, peace. Stop fighting, they cried
keep your soldiery from shooting at their
| misguided Southern brethren. and when
JEFF Davis comes North again as he did
a year ago, they will 60 to him and use
their influence with him to induce him to
stop shooting upon US. Laughter They
| promise to ask him if be hasn't done
mischief enough, shed blood enough, and
fred upon our flag enough, and say tc
him. now 10 Gods name stop and give u.
peace, for "blessed are the peace makers. >
Laughter and cheers.
Jefferson Davis entered Congress abou,
the same year thss l did. / have mel
him often and knew him we'll. But there
was this difference between JEFF. Davi,
and me. | paid for my education. JEFF
didn't for his. He was taken at tender
age and placed 1T West Point, and you
father and mine was taxed to pay for th.
instruction that rescued him from obliv
ion. We made the very common mis-
l sAAo VI JuoRiuS VI MS ueau FaLD6f tl4f
bis heart, and did not notice the vipel
that VAS eoiiing there, and which v,
nursed into life to sting rs if possible t
death. When his schooIboy days wer,
over. JEFF. was sent out West here at th,
Government expense and spent year o.
so surveying around Calumet, fishing ane
louuging. and shooting grouse 1t Govern
ment expense and eating them himself
| Laughter. He then married into tn,
Government-his wife being daughte
Of General Taylor, who was supported b,
the Government; went to the Mexican
war aud returned to become Secretary o
i War and to villify the gallant soldiery o
Illinois for their part upon the field o
Buena Vista. For this Governor Bissel
called him out, but on this particular oc
cssion JEFF. didn't come out. TGrea
laughter.
| He was for peace, ablessed are tn
peace makers" Laughter and cheers.
When be ceased TO be Secretary of Wa
he woke up one morning and suddcnl
discovered that he had lost his rights