, 1864-03-20

I in the old Uuion-that Government In which
| they always found prosperits-Eh!ch give
them strength at home and abroad Since
the action Of France, docs any one think that
| popular rights, secured States rights Does
any man cay so. ,,,.
| has cent his armies into Mexico. BE would
not have dared to do SO If there had been, no
dieeolutfon Of our Onion Gan II. De saad
Davis and BENJAMIN, because prefer tHc old
country with its old Union and Government
to an alliance with Napoleon
Davis, B. r. Butler, Caleb Gushing, Bu-
chauan and Jehn 4lidell sought to destroy
the Government. The fret act Of Butler At
New Orleans was to scizc the estate Of Sli-
dell. They housed together at: Charleston,
and endeavored TO overthrow. the Govern
mont BY overwhelming the political power
of the South. Judge between my patriotism
and theirs. Mine lay here theirs there: 1
5aa hand b1sa1inE tbs hiooS aas Il
J: MY conntr,men, has there not been enough
blood sheds Have not enough widows and
@ orphans been mnde Or Laa the poor heart
OF man become steeled 50 that 1t can look
upon HE maimed and bleeding fellow man.
the destitute widow, and the homeless or
ptan without emotionf. Do, not Manassas,
Shiloh, Boston Mountain, Malvern Fill,
1. GeHy sburg; Per1yyfl1e, Donclson,, Vlcks-
burg, and The fatal field of Chickamauga sat-
isfy the mad ambition Of the landf
From the time LETT Virginia, our army
army steadily MISUNDERSTANDING has been
continually lost. True our army has
stood and fought valIaut1y for 1t, but 1t
can not stand agniust superior power.
What territory can now be sid to be within
the power or under tho control Of the Con-
From the TING this rebellion began up to
the present, Davis and Benjamin have not
had an idea that the States Of tho South
could stand unatded BY foreign powers.
You hav'nt thought Of that, but 1t is true.
That Was the position taken by them Ut the
belief Without. the assistance Of some
strong power, the. Independence Of the
Southern States could not be established.
Hence, SHdell and Mason, now sent to Eu-
rope as sort Of ministers, before the Con-
/ federate Government was clothed with the
was commenced, to form IN alliance with
England and France, With instructions to
pe1dence. Of the Confederacy. Thus they
hoped TO- get Fran and England
so mixed up With the atfairs
OF the Confedcracy that they would
be obliee to assist its maintenance: II tho
Southern Confcde1ady could achieve its
independence with q foreign alliance, 1t
would be destruction to us, the overthrow
of the very institution We went to var for.
What would we gains Suppose that france
should recognize the Confederacy, What
thent don't think slavery Is now of much
worth In Alabama. But no arrangement
made with these governments would result
the struggle for years. WITH what result?
Finally no territory would remain sufficient
foran army to stand upon, the fields OF which
would not have been devastated, the houses
burned, the material prvpertieeall complete.
II ruined and destroyed. Such would be tho
legitimate results Of a struggle aided and as-
sisted by these powers. But the Red Repul-
1icans control Frnnce. Napoleon darcs do
nothing against their wives. a revolution
wonld result that would tottle' him from his
Of slavery, FIance abolished 1t. England
atolishedit. But we will get no recognition.
Europe ia going to war. Every effort Is being
made to involve England, Then Frunce viii
follow. They will Lave their hands full, and
as Howell Cobb said In. 4 speech a tew days
since. "they must fight 1t out themselyes.'
The main point with US noW is, what po-
-lltical course is best. I have been asked,
What good do you expect to accomplish by
these meetiDg6-sucl resolutiOnsy II there
were no Confederate army, no United States
army here, We would be powerless. OF our
selves We can only suggest to our brethren in
other counties OF the Siate what action seems
to MS necessary and proper Has Southern
Alabama erer refused TO respond to the voice
of: the people, of tile Tennessee Valleys
believe, they. viii listen to us-that they are
now ready to respond to our call for peace
There are orphans and widows on their bleak
hills, in their fruitful valleys, and along their
have. suffered. They, need quiet as we do.
Their counties hare been called upon to con-
tribute to this terrible war not as our" own,
but their energies hare been severely taxed.
They ore ready, therefore, to respond to our.
iDitiatory proceedings 10 secure peace.
I heard it Eaid, the other day, that our
friends south of the river wou1d hear Of this
meeting, and who We we're that participated
In It. want them to lcar Of It. I want
them to hear that here in Huntsville, where
there is an encampment Of; Federal soldiers,
we can express freely and publicly our opin.
rights; that whenever depredatlons are conf
mitted by white or black, the perpetrators
arc promptly brought to punishment.
My conntrymeD, which do you deem the
safest-an alliance with Louis Napoleon, or
your former brethren? =? There are Radicals
lists cannot settle this controversy. Open
Abo1itIonists and secessionIsts have taken
similar views during these troubles, und haze
unintentiona1ly cooperated. Extremes which
meet sonnet ines. when they do meet, produce
terrible convulsions. I speak oEly Of them
Is political parties believe upon return
to the Union We VIII receive Justice at the
bands Of those who have remained In it. II
Lincoln gives an order to Gen. Logan, COM
mandtug the army corpa stationed here,
Gen. Logan is tound to iobey 1t and carry It
Into effect These military orders furnish
for the time our government.
am told TINT there ts difference between
Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Chase For my part,
wish Mr Lincoln to succeed II Chase be
elected the ne3t President there will l'roba-
bly be more radicail5m In tie Government Of
the country Bnt it Is hartily possible that
VIC In Alabama shall have anything to do in
making the eclectaon-
Wat we Mant noT ts such political action
as VIII put Alabama right, where she belongs
back In the Onion. Have your boys not
struggled long enough, suffered enough,
fought on enough battle fields for you to
take some iction! do not believe that
restoration Of the Union Will be hnmiliating
to the South. II we take action In the right
way we Will secure ut once peace, law aud
a senaoH ani; ~ 49, .ne peup.e anee u lnls oou5t