Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1865-08-30
General Cox at 0berIiR-AbIe
and Eloquent Speech-HiS Cor
dial Reception by His old
Friends.
Special Dispatch to the Cincinnati Gazette.
OBERLIN, O., Aug, q.

dial Reception by His Oid
FrieatIs.
Special Dispatch to the Cincinnati Gazette.
OBERLIN, O., Aug, q.
A compact crowd OF the solid, think
ing men and women of LOrain to-day Gil-
ed the largest audience hall of Northern
Ohio, TO welcome Gen. Cox to Oberlin.
lie was received with hearty cheers.
which truthfully testified that that ia
nous letter TO the Oberlin Committee
had not impaired their confidence in our
candidate. The General alluded to the
interesting circumstances under which he
spoke, and disclaimed any desi-g 20 thrust
the crudities OF - political speech among
the academic exercises. He had always
been proud that Oberlin had been eager
in sustaining the war, but the rebellion
broke up slavery before the war began.
Slavery could not coexist with our free
Government We mad sought III peace
ful effort to hedge its growth, and at last
remove the evil We thought we could
girdle the tree and so finally xii. it, but
The South saw our purpose. They saw
hat their power had departed, and re-
solved to make war. Even at the North
tut oONtItuc VI DNtAAC ANo A4eANt EeAAANA
200 much respect. We leaned to it in
Unio. and we found when the war came
strong Northern party sympathizing with
the heresy of secession; but VIC repudl-
ate the doctrine, and must repudiate 1t
forever We have been obliged to affirm
that we owe to the Federal Government
a prior and deeper allegiance than to
State. The idea of slavery must also fall,
and this has been settled, so FAR as arms
can settle 1t. But out of the new cOndi-
ton Of things grow new questions. Ger
tain sections of the slave States were ex-
cepted from the terms of the emancipa-
ton proclamation. We must complete
by political action what the war did not
finish. We must keep in the close bonds
of one party all who are united in the
cardinal purpose of ridding the nation of
the evil of slavery. One or two Southern
States must be secured for the constitu-
tional amendment. We must not seek
to bind cur party to all that we believe,
but rather to the great immediate emo to
Oe secured.
The General gave graphic description
of that memorable winter time when the
troops in East Tennessee re-enlisted as
veterans. The thermometer fell to 20 de
greeS below zero; the men were in rags !;
the daily ration was a handful Of corn to
a group of half naked soldiers Shivering
over a sputtering camp fire. He said {:
How is 1t with you, bOys?" They an
swered, Pretty rough, General, but well
see it through" And these regiments,
veteranized, who were they Pro-slavery
men, almost, but Union men-Kentuck
ians and Tennessecans-who carried the
old flag in many hard place We must
receive into our party these men. Those
who abuse them abuse me.
have seen black troops fight nobly,
and say of all, that they who were good
enough to fight with US are good enough
10 stand on the Union platform with me.
We must settle this State Rights theory
first, then the other questions viii come
up in their time. To meet them We must
first get at the facts. If we see them
alike we will not long disagree on modes
of action.
The question of suffrage is not ques-
ton of absolute right or wrong. We be-
lieve in giving to all men, as men, equal
rights to advancement, but how to do
this is where we differ. | do not know
how far we can trust the returning reb-
els. | say that generally the broadest ex-
tension of the right of suffrage has been
the path of safety The time will come
when all these people will be fit to exer-
else the right of freedom, but now we are
trying an experiment, and l confess that
my study of this matter gives me less faith
in my own opinions and more of dispo-
sition to wait for the logic of events. We
must do for the negro race what Is best
for them and us; we must consider them
where they are and as they are. On one
side we have their distrust of their old
masters, on the other a deep, settled ha-
tired and determination on the part of the
white race that they will not share the
Government with tLom. Various plans
for reconstruction sre proposed. The I'm
ion party of Ohio has been blamed for
rot deciding which it would favor. | at
firm that they did right. There was not
sufficient unity of conviction and design
to do thus.
The General alluded to the charges
that he had wavered from his earlier an
ti-slavery connections and opinions, but
claimed the right to brand with filsitY
any charges OF apostacy. He was a grad
uate of Oberlin College, and would be of
no other if he could
He closed by saying that if we remain
united we conquer. He had been often
told in the South that if the Northern
Democracy had not left their party they
would have held their own. The Repub-
licans would still have the minority, and
he reminded the Union party that the
same organization that confronted them
to-day had, since the war began, carried
against US all but five of the Congression-
al Districts of Ohio
For candid thinking men the General
is an admirable orator. and his speech
has given excellent satisfaction.
Gen. Garfield was expected to speak to-
day but was unable to be present.