Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-02-16
speech of General KlmbaIl.

inst. II, win be found worthy Of peru-
sal, is filed with sound argument, good
policy, and truly patriotic sentiments:
General Kimball said that he was
surprised by this call upon
him for speech, for speaking was not
his forte, and he had met with his fell
low,citizens of Tippecanoe this evening
merely as a looker-on, and with no ex-
participating in the proceed
ings Of the Convention. He could not,
however, forbear so express his thanks
for the kind. and complimentary manner
in which he had been received, and if
poFible to say few words to assist in
the good esyork in which we are all en-
gagged. Since FIVE years ago he had been
in the field with other sons of Indiana,
bearing arms in defense of the Govern
menti Of our Fathers, against a set of
damnahIe traitors. General Kimbgll,
during the course of his remarks, APP.
pologized for the use Of strong express
ions, as it was camp habit which he
had not yet got rid of The rebel ar
mics have surrendered, and now they.
say that they were overpowered by num-
hers. Their arms were stored in our
store>housss, but, l. tell you, fellow
citizens, that treason ia still stored in
their hearts. They are still waging
war against the Government, bat they
have adopted different tactics, what
they could not obtain by arms. If
there is anything / love above
every other created thing, and next to
God, it is my country, and tell you to-
day that though the war seemingly has
ceased, this calm is only a truce--the
rebels have laid down their arms but
not their treason, and ] am glad To- see
my fellow citizens, who are loyal to the
country, meet in this way to devise
means to thwart treason. Gentlemen, l
know these Southern traitors. Il have
seen them, before now, raise the Union
flag, and assume the dress of Union
soldiers, and under the cover of that
disguise, and beneath the very folds of
the starry flag of the Union, l have
known them to come up and murder
Union soldiers. The same principle of
honor which governed them then, reign
in their hearts to-day They assume to
be Union men, and to support the Presi-
dent, but it is only because they hope in
this way to gain power and Office, and
then to use them for the destruction of
the country. You, fellow-citizens, are
the skirmish line, you are the out
posts, the piekets of the Union host
Watch well, beseech you, lest the foe
creep upon You unawares, and take pos
session of the camp, and you be cast
into prison. Talk about the honor of
such rebels as these. There was day
when there were rebels in America who
were honorable men. : The rebels of '76
were menl.ofl honor, but they ,rebelled
for freedoms sake-these men rebelled
that they might perpetuate slavery and
wrong. Watch well, then, / urge you
again; watch we'll the approaches to the
citadel Of freedom. Think il my duty,
and claim it as my privilege as Hoosier,
born, to urge this duty upon You. Next.
to the United States, i love Indiana. i
love her for her gallantry and devotion
to the Union. -Indianians by the
hundred thousand J went forth to
fight for the country we all love,
and / tell those gallant men, my brethren
in arms, that it is the purpose of these
vile damnable traitors, to gain power by
political intrigue that they may rob you
of all the fruits of the victory you SO
dearly and nobly won. Soldiers of Indi~
ana, | appealto you, have we not suffer-
ed enough in this contest, and do you
wish to have to bear it all over again, and
more too. If you do not, then do your
duty at.the ballot box where the fight is
to be renewed. Declare here. to-day that
you will give nothing to traitors, and let
your declaration be heard at the State
Convention ae Indianapolis. IappeaI to
you my fellow-citizen of the Republican
party. II is right that You should give
expression to your opinions on an coca
sion Of this kind. You are to battle at
the ballot box against the same traitors
who inaugurated civil war in 1861, and
against those who sympatbized with
them then, and through all the struggle
that followed. Let the people of Indiana
remember what the spldiers have done,
and what they owe to them. Think / can
speak for Indiana soldiers, and ] say
that never saw soldier who would
lend his support to these intriguing poll
ticians. L ann politician, and want
every man in Indiana to know and be
convinced that Nat Kimball isn't after
Office I belong to the loyal people of
the United States, and viii sustain them
and die with them.
I thank God, fellow citizens, that the
man who, in the darkest days of treason,
risked bis all for the Union-his life, his
liberty, all that he was worth in the
worlds now at the head of affairs. IF
] had the power, I would do with these
traitors just what Mr.. johnson said he
would have done with them-I would
hang every one of them. And believe
he will see that they get their just de-
serts when the proper time comes, if
you will do your duty, and declare to
him what is your will in the matter.
President johnson is man of the people,
and he will obey the peoples commands.
It is impossible to believe that Andy
johnson is in sympathy with traitors. I
cannot conceive of q man so vile, as to !
act as he did when the hounds of treas
on were hunting him down, and thirst
ing for his life, and now, after being ell
evated by the lovers of freedom to his
high position, to yield to the demands of
those same traitors, and desert his
friends. Andrew johnson is not such a
man. But he waits to hear the voice of
the people. You are the out.posts, and
it is your duty to send word to head
quarters that traitors are plotting, that
the men who betrayed our national
household are now seeking 10 be re-
ceived again into its bosom. For INV
self, would as soon have the devil in
my family as JEFF. Davis. You all re-
member the old story about the farmer
who found a serpent in his field, be-
numbed with cold, and who warmed it
into life in his bosom. Depend upon it,
fellow-citizens, that if we take back these
serpents into our bosom, we shall be
bitten. It would be a much wiser course
TO take club, and the moment any. of
them showed signs of life, to beat ont
his brains. TApplause
q If any Of the rebels want to 90 20 a
foreign country, Iwould furnish them
with free passage, but never. never let
them come back into the Union. The