Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-01-17
DAILY LEADER
FREE MISSOURI.
Governor FIefcher's speech Onthe Pas
sase sf.fhe Emancipation Ordnance.

Missouri, upon the passage Of the Eman'
cipation Ordinance was IS follows; g.
Freemen of Missouri:
a.-I thank you for the invitation to mingle
my voiee with yours on this occasion OF
our general rejoicing. In the hghtening's
lehir6gFaphy the fact is written, ere this,
over the whole land, GMissouri is FREE
FAppiause.J I do not feel ike talking
now at the end of long war, after the
last blow is struck, snd the crowning VIC
4 tory won, words fail to give an impression
Of tho real feelings Of the victor. Forever
bs this day celebrated by our people Let
] Us teach our children, on the annual re-
currrence Of the eleventh day Of January
t) meet around the altar Of Liberty, and
/ renew their thankfulness for our deliver
ance and in the contemplation of our re-
/ demptlon, renew the -song of our jubilee.
I [ApplsusaI Through al coming time the
day should be celebrated in the manner
indicated BY, John Adams for celebrating
the fourth of July, by bOnhres ringing Of
bells, firing of cannon snd waving OF hsGs
There is something now in the feelings Of
an old black Republican, an old Abolition
/ isty who hss endured slave power In Mis-
souri for the last fifteen years, that Ian
gusge is entirely inadequate to express.
In this free atmosphere be feels himself q
] head taller. daughter and applause, ]
To-day we remember the acts Of that pa.
| tF which, when in the incipient stsges OF
] rebellion, declared that Missouri should
share the fate of her sister slave States.
For once they told the truth. IApplause- ]
Missouri has obtained the lead, and her
/ Il ,I.n rLo har foAa
| Applause. We are free. The FORESTS
and fountains, the plains and mountains
the gray sea shore, are haunts OF hsppl-
est dWellers, our toll from thought. All
glorious forms shall call to make this
earth, our homs more beautiful and Sci
ence and her sister Poesy shall clothe In
/ light the fields and cities Of the free. The
white men Of Missouri are to-day emsnci-
psted from system which has long lain
with crushing weigt npon their energies.
We sre rid of the weight, ready for the race
| Applause. And the black man, TOO is
free; the gstes Of bright future are open
to him as well as to Us. Applsuse.l Let
us now set to work as becomes men to rid
| ourselves of ali the effects the dsmnsble
system of slavery has left behind it. Ap-
plause1 Not the least among these are
the bushwhsckers, red-hsnded murderers
and robbers, fit sllies of the system which
enslsved the souls and bedies Of men.
TApplsuse1 / anticipate that the action
Of this legislation In cooperation with the
policy Of Major General Dodge will enable
US to hold in security what We have so
fairly possessed Ourselves of. Missouri be-
longs to the loyal men Of Missouri. APP
plause loud and long.] They have bought
it with the price Of blood, and their title is
such as Is respected by all civilized nations.
If there is but one single man in any one
county of this State, he shall stand up at
the county sest Of his county, and defy
JEFF Davis and the 0onfederacy. Cheers.
We will so organize our forces IS to give
perfect security to every man in his life
and property. Let our loyal men be of
good cheer; let them 60 back and populate
the deserted counties of the border. They
shall possess their homes again, and no man
shall dare to molest or make them afraid.
TApplause. - General Dodge is not a talk
ing General; he l. 8 thinking and an sct-
ing one; he don't value any species of dis
LOYALTY; It don't bear any premium with
him. His policy permitted to be carried
out will giTe US security and peace.
ICheers.1 Let Us sustain him, and insist
that every body sustain him. You will
only see his policy in its effects, and it will
come upon some of our people like peal
of thunder from cloudless sky. refer
to those men who don't want to live in 8
free State, or who refuse to obey the laws
ana respect the civil authority sppre-
bend that we will have an efficient militia.
Those who cannot be trusted with guns
Will still be militia, and will not think it
hSrd, if instead of being required to shoot
tkeir rebel friends, they should be detailed
to the Pioneer corps, the Engineer corps
or the Sappers and Miners and be armed
with axes or spades. [Cheers. We Will
want black horses, stockades and forts
all around the State, and in all exposed
places, roads and bridges, are TO be made
for military purposes perhaps, and I do not
know but the militia might be called on to
assist to complete some Of our railroads as
a military necessity. Rosrs Of laughter
and bursts of spplause-l We may lose
some Of our exceedingly inestimsble eiti-
zens, who love slavery and civil war better
than ipeace and prosperity, but l don't
know where they can go; it is dangerous
to be traitor now anywhere, and there is
no security for slavery on this continent
to-day, nor henceforth forever. There are
counties in this State where the large ms-
jority of the people make no effort to en-
force the laws, or to render secure the
lives and property of their loyal neigh
bors; it may be necessary to have mill
tary force in such counties, and if
the circumstances justify It that
county will have to pay the troops station
ed there. Loud spplsuse, 1 tell them
that the loyal men among them are not to
be compelled TO flee. Their homes shsllbe
protected. LApplsuse.1 In free Missouri
We intend that every man shall have some
thing to do, and when 8 man Is found do
ing nothing We will ascertain whether he
comes under the hrst section of the act
concerning vsgrsnts. Laughter I don't
mean TO tell these fellows who are losfers
one day and bushwhsckers the next. l
don't bslieve thHt any person can be found
to invest willingly In such chsttels, but
I hope the Legislature will annex another
and greater punishment to vRgrsncy, go IS
to make the law terror, not only to evil
doers, but also to those who cannot give
good account of themselves, and have no
/ Vilible means of support, useful occupation
or known abiding place. Soon the white
winged angel of peace will hover over
Missouri, and rising up in her greatness,
she will beekon to her sister slave States to
share with her the glorious destiny of free
America. Applsuse.1 One by one they
will wheel into line beneath the flag that
waves only over the free and the land of
Washington viii shine forth In perfect
freedom. The star of her glory will rise
up to the zenith Of its splendor, and defy
ing alike domestic feuds civil discords,
treasonSble conspirscies or foreign sggres-
sions, the genius Of the reunited States Of
America, like the star which the wise man,