The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-09-27
A GOOD SPEECH
Speech of Col. RObt. q. Hngtr-
sol, ut indianapolis.
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. II, 1866.
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial.


INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. II, 1866.
The Republican newspapers Of this
city have for several days contained
an announcement that Senator Wilson,
of Massachusetts, would speak at this
place on the 10th instant. AS that
gentleman was unable to be present;
Col. Robt. G. Ingcrsol, Of Illinois, was
selected to gil his place, Last evening
after the ceremonies attending the re-
ception of President Johnson were con-
Guided, a large audience assembled at
Masonic Hall, and was addressed by
Col. Ingersol, as follows -
am astonished that the nation will
not pay its debt of gratitude, and that
any argument is needed 10 induce
Northern mon to discharge that debt.
1t seems TO me that the whole question
now presented to the American peo-
ple-the question of reconstruction
is simply one Of gratitude and of hon
or. You know, and SO do l, that when
this war commenced, we read, with
throbbing hearts, every word, every
letter, from the Union men in the
South. You know that we longed to
hear what they had to say, and you
know that what nerved cur arms, per-
haps above almost every thing else
was the sympathy of men in the
Southern States, who thought more OF
the flag of their country than they
did of the flag Of treason, Applause.
You know that wo said at that time
that loyal men must be protected in
tho South, if it cost every man and
every dollar. We said then, "If you,
the people of the South, stand true to
the principles of Union, and the idea
that this country is one and indivisi-
BILE, you shall sec us marching to your
aid, though we march over a million
of corpsos of traitors" Loud ap-
plause We prosecuted the war up
on that idea; and the Northern people
gathered strength from the belief that
they were succoring their friends who
were beleaguered by tho enemies ofthis
Government. We prosecuted the war
not only for days and months, but tor
years; and all at once we found that a
nation, in order to be successful q be-
lieve it is one of the laws OF Cody in
any great undertaking, must, of ne
cessity, be just. Cheers.
We said, in the first place, "We will
save the Union as it was" We also
said, 1--WE will not interfere with the
institutions of the States" We sale
then, when we were eimploring God tC
save our national life. "Give US victo
ry, and we will keep four millions o
men in chains" | thank God, to
night, that he did not hear that prayer
| Enthusiastic applause!1
The people of the North thought
Mr.. Lincoln had gono too far, when h,
wrote a letter to Mr. Greeley, in whicl
he said that he would save the Union
although he trampled slavery beneath
the indignant feet of our army. Zap
, plause.1 But in little while W
learned the lesson that in order to b
. successful we must be just. want yol
. to bear me witness tonight, that W
3 never commenced whipping the enem
Q and being men and heroes ourselves
3 till Abraham Lincoln's immortal fin
Q ger wrote the words. Universal lib
. erty." [Great applause We war
!, then fighting for something more tha
J. a piece of parchment called the Con