The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-03-26
sr.ton Meeting at Huntsville.
Alabama.

inc of the cltlZeus VI MouiSoA w., al"
I'm. held at Huntsville on the 18th inst.
Tho meeting was exclusively. Of the
.;,;uens and quite numerously attended,
" Clemens, whose remarks we print
~as formerly United States Senator from
Alabama. Judge Humphreys is one OF
,ha ablest members of the Alabama Bar,
.rd was delegate to the Charleston Con-
-.n.ou. The speeches and the resolu-
lions adopted explain sufficiently the sem
Ftiments of those present and what they
propose doing. 4t
Mr.. Clemens stated the object of the
meeting as follows:
This is an adjourned meeting from that
held ut this place on Saturday last, OF
which the country people did not nave SUI ~
Scient notice to attend. The object OF the
meeting was explained at the SATURDAY
meeting. l will restate il for the oeileil. 81
those who were not then present. Inc
object ofthe meeting is the restoration %
civil goverument-to bring us law anu OF
der-and 10 secure peace.
We were hurried into revolution aSai n
our earnest protest. ms peoP'e, o Mas lo'
the Union. Madison county gave isoV ma
jority against secession, Let were carrie"
away without support. We hsd no arms,
RucIanan was in the Presidential chair
Day has at last come. thank Uou. an! we
,.,, cav thar wa AXE shelter under the Stars
and Stripes.
We propose TO cali upon the Governor OF
the state TO convene Convention for the
n,rnos,, ~ rescin.;ing the Ac. of Secession.
How far the Governor Will pay respect To
mr. action. I can not say. To I've candid l
think he will pay :tnone. In calling upon
him. we avoid the charge OF precipitancv,
and follow the constitutional METHOD
After that we havethe right to call upon
our inherent rights-to' act for ourselves.
Wa have the right 10 assemble IN our ca
nacity as citizens and re-establlSh civil
Government for ourselves.
Ealsehood. fraud and crime took us nut
of the Union. They told US that secession
was necessary 10 save slavery. During
The ten wears preceding the rebellion, the
!, state Of Alabama has not lost ten slaves a
wear. We had rebellion. ANA tie conse-
Huence now is that there is not one man in
the state Of Alabama who can say ne has
THE title to single Niger. Not all OF us
have a title to anything. The practical
result is Emancipation. Cotton they SAID
was Eing-wOuld secure us recognition
and Independence. The result is Conted-
crate money is worth five cents on the dol
lar. They said that civil liberty and State
rights would be secured by secession. The
prived the people of the right to select their
: President. II man owned twenty ne
Qroes he was excused from military duty.
III man had ten starving children he was
not. The man who owned the negroes
could stay at home with his wealth; the
man with starving children must leave
them and 60 to the battlefield.
the success of the Confederacy. Thank
God thar ia nOX no nrOSD0ct OF its sue.
ceeding.
Hon. d. c. Humphreys moved that in
addition to the committee of twelve, APP
pointed last Saturday to report additional
resolutions at this meeting, three others be
appointed.
Strong, William Powers.
The committee reported the following res
olutions additional to those reported at the
first meeting:
THE RESOLUTIONS.
ResOlved, That we believe that Me effort
to destroy the old Government and erect a
separate nationality, has proved the ruin
of the rights and liberties of the people,
We therefore call upon the Governor of the
State OF Alabama TO convene the Legisla-
ture, that it may call a Convention, in or
der that it may provide some mode for the
restoration Of peace and the rights and lib
critics of the people.
Resolrcd, That the longer the war has
continued, tine more imminent have be-
come the dangers to the liberties Of the peo-
pie. We therefore invite the citizens OF
other counties in the State to unite with us
In this cali upon the Governor. and suggest
the first Monday in June as the time for the
holding Of that Convention.
SPEECH OF HON. D. c. HUMPHREYS.
Before these resolutions shall he submit
ted 20 q vote, desire to say few Words
II this shall prove a starting point, or If
from the effect OF this meeting, civil gov
shall be secured, shall be paid for any
risk may be supposed to run. 1t will be
ample reward to stop the sluices of blood
and the wild devastation in the land.
Some things have experienced. Some
things know. Standing here feel that /
have as much interest in the preservation
Of law and order as President Lincoln or
Davis has. There is, in these times, a res-
possibility on each and every one Of us. /
have stood in the presence of the people Of
Madison county before-in 1860, in 1861
In February 1861, addressed you from the
other corner Of this square. ] appeal TO
you to say now, If the consequences o! Sc
cession which then predicted, have not
been too sadly felt. And, if / was not in
country, listen to me now-listen 10 me as
you love your families and life.
The first resolution provides for call
upon the Governor to assist in the restOra-
ton Of civil government. If the Governor
viii not 30 assist Us, it may be necessary
for the people to act for their own preser-
vation. hope the time will not come for
the country to resolve into its original ele-
ments. Intend to aid in the preservation
OF the organic law of the State. do not
want to see anarchy; want civil govern
ment, constitutional liberty, rights Of pro-
perty, person, and conscience secured. Be-
ieve me, we will sooner or later see twill
see Il NOT with this wild revolution, with
IT'S devastation and slaughter. But out OF
this revolution will come brighter day-a
perfect realization Of the benefits Of Repub-
hcan Government. We have been six or
eight months afraid TO speak above our
breath. Now Federal army is here. and
We speak openly and freely. II thought
i was the purpose to attempt to stifle the
free expression of political opinion should
not arise to-day.
Three and half years ago we met to-
gether, citizens of one Countrywide same
governpent. Now portion are here with
arms, AZ Federal soldiers. Their purpose
lsto re-establish the authority of that gov
eminent we were once proud to boast was
ho houA = Z