Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-09-07


In a very eloquent address at San Fran
ciso, on the 8th, discussing the past,
present and future of the republic, Mr..
Colfax thus frankly and bravely made
his protest against rushing into war to
drive Macmillan out of Mexico
l am here among the people of Cali
fornia apparently welcome guest. You
have placed full confidence in my hon
esty of purpose, and would not appear
before you to speak only those words
which you would applaud, when l really
differed from you, know how you feel
on the subjects OF our sister republic,
the Monroe doctrine and war to drive
out Macmillan. Tremendous APP
plause.) | do not agree with you on
these subjects. | will be frank with you.
am opposed to war for any purpose,
or for any cause, except for the vindi-
cation of the national honor or the
salvation of the Union. applause
l am for such war if it should occupy
four, ten or forty years bat for war in
any other cause that can be honorably
avoided, | am opposed. You people of
California have not seen the horrors and
desolatiOns of war around your own
doors you have not seen the hundreds
and thousands of friends, neighbors and
countrymen torn, mangled, dead and
dying on the cold earth moistened by
their blood ; you have not seen the long
string of ambulances, carrying the
mangled, groaning, suffering thousands,
as they have been carried to the hospi-
tails TO die, or to suffer mutilation even
worse than death, that cause vigorous,
Industrious men to become a useless
burden on society for life you have not
seen and could not have heard of half
the horrors of war. Oh, but it is a fear
full thing to rush into war, except for
the preservation Of ones country
(Applause.) Such war is as sacred as
the war against the Saracens to save
the sepulchre of the Savior from the
pollution of the infdel. | am for no
war with any nation, if that war can
by any honorable craftsmanship be
avoided, even if by saying so shall be
driven into private life. am a be-
lever in the business and patriotism and
republicanism Of the Monroe doctrine.
tremendous applause)
But am not for war with France and
England on that question now, with it's
renewed destruction of our commerce
its rivers of blood, and its millions of
added debt. i want the Pacific railroad
built instead of the laurels of victory,
and fields Of carnage and of death. |
want the progress and blessings of peace
instead of mere hetacombs of piled up
dead, and hundreds of millions more
of debt. [ want the prosperity and de-
velopment of peace. do not object to
the principles of the Monroe Doctrine.
(Applause.) admire the courage and
patriotism of Juarez and his patriot
bands in defense of their native land. I
do not think Macmillan is the rightful
ruler of Mexico. Enthusiastic ap-
plause.) But object to rushing into
foreign war ere we have scarcely ended
our domestic one, to drive him out. l
Believe that diplomacy can effect the
purpose better. (Applause) Time may
settle it for US, if we are but patient and
firm. When you have president in the
chair who is such believer in the Mon
roe doctrine as Mr.. Johnson, whose SEN
timents expressed in the Senate of the
nation on this question, leaves us in no
doubt where he stands, trust in him
then to effect this object. His patriot
ism no one can doubt Faithful among
the faithless, he stood by his country
when every southern Senator faltered or
deserted. Remember that his chief adj
wiser is W. H, Seward, whom God has
spared from the bloody harvest Of the
assassins who thought to gather the
lives Of six Of the truest in the land,
but reaped with their murderous sickle
but one. (Applause) Trust him! His
diplomacy has more than once saved the
country from foreign war, and will
solve this question successfully without
war. We are strong enough as nation
to gain our own ends without wars. Let
US stand by and trust in the govern
ment, in Johnson, in Seward, in Stanton
and their faithful associates, and all will
be well. (Applause.) Trust then in the
sunshine of success, as we did in the
days of darkness and nights without a
star.