Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-06-23
p Q LII II J. @ * Il
Speech of c. Chauncey Burr, ESQ.

Speech of c. Chauncey. Burr, Esq
This gentleman was scrcnadcd 10y some Of
his friends, in New York, when he made the
following patriotic spccch:.
Fellow Citizens You will, trust. pafdon
me for not attempting to find language to cx-
press my gratitude this demonstration. 1t
is so unlike the kind of demonstration have
been in the habit of witnessing for the last
five or six years, that you will not lie aston
ished, if appcara little embarrassed dis.
like to speak of myself, because, in q great
struggle for constitutional law and liberty, 1
consider mans personality to be lost Be-
sides it is not always the case that a man who
stands nnn'oved and i'nrcgnabc under the fire
Of his enemies is equally well balanced under
the aattcry of his friends But, gentlemen,
do'not suppose that take his demonstration
for aattcry: You arc not t.c class of mon to
practice flattery cven'if / were tile kind of
man to be influenced by it. .Fhc class of men
I see before me is too literally and too fearful.
ly part and parcel of our. country to feel any
thing hut the profonndest earnestncss and sin
cnrity In the action of public pen, and in the
drift Of public events The laboring popula-
tion has always the greatest interest at stake
in any country. Tie rich arc in the habit of
thinking themselves the chief figure every
where, and Of believing that all laws and pub
lie ncasupS ought to be fashioned for the in.
crease oM protection of their wealth. And
thie aas been entirely the scope of legislation
IL our country for the last six years especially.
1t is " great dclusion. For the rich have re-
ally less at stake in the country than tho ponr.
The, aboring poor arc necessarily as much
part OF the country to which they belong, as
the trees, the rivers, the lakes and the mines
and are quite as insepaiable from it. These
all go with the country, whether it goes up or
down. he rich are, to certain extent in.
dependent of the country If the country is
ruined, the amount of their wealth may be
less, but still they have the means to Get ouf
OF it, and to settle themselves in safer and
more prosperous regions. ]}nt the pnor must
remain and perish. The rich can say, "i
have great interests here | have pcr cents.
profits and capital" But The poor can say,
:" have greater interests still, for have wife
and children, and all hold dear, which must
remain to share the fate of the country, what
ever it may be-" Ruin the country, and tho
millions of laboring men must remain, they
aud their families, to 20 down in despair to.
gethcr. Ruin the country. and the few rich
may. gather up their boarded gains and put
of, with their families, for some other spot,
where they may still enjoy the blessings of
peace and plenty. Ruin the country, and the
millions of laboring people want for broad
Ruin the country, and the rich will riot in
luxury Which, then, has the greatest inter.
est at stake in this country, the rich man, full
of wind and impudencc, or the honest, labor
ing, poor man, full of anxiety and despair for
the fate of his wife and babcs7 who asks
this question? It is answered by thousand
voices oe reason and justice, that the country
belongs 'airy to all the citizens but if Won
insist or class distinctions, thcn it pre-emi.
nently belongs to the laboring poor, who have
no other Inheritance but its prosperity. IF
they will insist on class distinctions, ,tlss
say the country belongs w; aa.i.a ~" .S We
d~.S os ~. and it Is their right and their
vary = 70 see that its fate does not pass beyond
their political control The Black Rcpubli
can papers, for the last year and a half, have
been throwing out fcclers in relation to cut
ting the poor of from the right Of voting. /
want TO deprive no citizen Of the right Of .vo,
ting, but if the right Of franchise is to be
abridged, Il declare that justice and safety de-
mand that itshould,bc cutoff at the'rich end
of tho line, while the nlsuy, tie millions, are
atthc poorendp The really great, sacred and
= indcfeasible intcrcsts are mostlyat the poor
end ofi tho line There lie the homes Of, the