Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-08-30
golltiGal.
SPEECH OF COL. JOHN W. FORNEY

\
4 A immense Union meeting was held al
NocbanicsJurg, Cumberland county, Penn
.-'yania. on Saturday last, under the aus
rices Of the "boys in blue" 1t is des
cribed as the largest political meeting ev,
ar rlad in that part of Pennsylvania. Not
.ass than ten thousand persons were pres
ont The soldiers had delegations present
rom York. Carlisle and Harrisburg. Six
-aen car loads of veterans went from Har-
risburr alone. The demonstration has
struck terror into the Clymer-Johnson Cop
rerbeads in that part of the State, fore
sbadowing as it does the certain defeat of
their ndidate The Philadelphia conven-
ton is regarded by the Unionists of Penn
sylvania as a genteel supplement to and
an apology for the New Orleans massacre.
The principal speaker at this meeting was
Colonel John W. Forney Upon his arrival
at Harrisburg, on Saturday morning, he
was escorted by delegation of soldiers
On special train to Nechanicsburg.-
Speeches were also delivered by Governor
Curtin, General Geary, General J. W. Fish
er, Hon Thomas J. Cochran, and Colonel
Montgomery, Of Mississippi.
Colonel Forney upon being introduced,
spoke as follows
FELLOW CITIZENS AND SOLDIERS OF PENNsYL-
vANIA: Of ali the cherished theories of
A other days, none has been more completely
A 0ycrthrown by the overthrow of the rebel
lion than that a successful soldiery may in
4 time become the despOtic rulers of u free
1 people. We realize daily that the vital
Danger to our free institutions spring from
The ambitions and intrigues of disappointed
and rcvengetui civilians When the war
4 closed, although a rescued and grateful
\ country stood ready to reward the leaders
4 t our victorious forces, these illustrious
men diSdained disturbing the general joy
i .y preSumptious aspirations. With mod
4 esty peculiar to American soldiers, and es-
] pecially TO those who wear the Union uni
/ .gms, the heroes best entitled to the coun-
/ .Gys applause voluntarily retired from pub
cu0tice and reluctantly accepted the tok-
gEs 0. the peoples love and confidence
4 Only the men who had done comparatively
nothing during the struggle vexed the first
1 hours Of peace with their selfish machina-
ions. And if our country has been sud
4 leny arrested and dislOcated in its onward
/ march to a constitutional and permanent
4 4styration, the error lies entirely with
hose who call themselves statesmen seiZ-
1 lg the first occasion to forget their own
repeated pledges and principles, they are
trying to betray cOnfiding people by re-
warding the defeated traitors in the South.
The powers entrusted to these politicians
were more than imperial. Saved from a
nm5rscless rebellion by loyal army, these
/ powers were left in their custody upon the
most solemn and binding, although not eX-
s.esSly stated condition that they were to
e exercised in such a reconstruction OF the
mon as would forever prevent another IN
slrectIon The brave man is always gen
-o1S. The American people, spIendldly
notorious over a perGdious and cruel foe,
4puISively forgot all vengeance in their
gratitude to God, aud in the recollection
al the offenders had been their friends
--1 brothers. But neither our conquerlng
armies nor our magnanimous people, nor, /
nay say, the vanquished shareholders them
selves, ecer dreamed or expected that IN de
.tmg the rebellion zee simply defeated our
tsS and that because we were disposed
be liberal and tolerant, and oblivlouS to
lie crimes Of the traitors, these latter were
y DC clothed with all their former rights
.4d to be armed with yet stronger privl-
5ya on their restoration to the Unlon.-
aad yet this stupendous perfidy was cO0lly
.egun and ha been cruelty prosecuted by
.og men who have done more than any 9th
! II living men to awaken the conscience Oh
lie country against the inhumanities Of hu
Ian slavery and against the savage
.srocities of the treason born of hut
-an slavery. The sudden and unexpected
yAtrol Of the machinery of Government
seemed to convert Andrew johnson anC
liham II. Seward into lunatics. That i
tnSlormed them, almost in a night, into
LIE btterest prosecutors Of the millions
no endured such incalculable sacrifices t
nt down the rebellion, and who have Law
she'd upon them an unstinted and unuues
agned confidence, and that it converted
.Aem at the same time into the defenders
and the patrons of the savage authors anC
leaders, of the rebellion, are facts thai
''1' DCS 40 tAiC uISLoIltlI Nd MAJ HCl SN u
l these marvellous times 1t is Difficult
d describe the amazement and the agon,
O.. the loyal and the betrayed millions OF
-e one side and the delight of the disloya
and Pardoned criminals on the other, wheL
@.s pcrtidious policy was disclosed. Littl
"4e was lost to confirm the fears of the
Vie and the hopes of the other. The ruff
81 speech Of the President Of the Unite(
states, on the 22d Of February, was the
9sy-note to a remorseless and revolutiOnar
,1Apaign; and from that hour to the pres
s-l every word has been new threat ant
'e'y step new usurpation. The crown
~ outrage was the convention that aC
burned il Philadelphia on Thursday after
rr''A No other brain but that of William
-. >eward could have conceived so deliber
IT, an insult upon loyal people, and n
.Au could execute so shamelesss and wal
%" conspiracy but the hand of AndreI