American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-10-03
Southern Loyalists Convention
in Massachusetts,.
Speech of Hon Horace Maynard
and Gov. Brownlow.

In taking the chair, Mr.. Maynard re-
ierred to the insulting language which
had beeh applied to the Southern Loyal
I Convention in the johnson meeting, the
evening before, in Faneuil Hail and to
clalm, that, besides those who bad taken
part IN the itebeIllon, there was not at
the South IAN omnibus full Of people.
He aud his associates came as repgeseu-
tatiyes of loyal millions He proceed
I cd -
I Ddrn5 the war, We were cheeret
with au earnest ami unwavering faith
that he GIyefnm nj would triumph /,
tha our-cause was the cruSc If jus. ice
and right, aud would ultimately prevail,
and when it prevailed, our belief was
that our day would come. The cause has
triumphcd, The nation is saved, the flag is
preserved from destruction but our day,
unfortunately, has not YET come. Voices:
at shall Gomez" 1T Will c,me )" at is
coming" Loud app lause.) One most
significant and impressive utterance has
gone forth throughout the land and been
met everywhere by the loyal hearts of
the nation. with answering applause, and
we believed that that could be the Law of
the time. and control the destiny of our
| people. That sentiment was, Treason
must be made odious, and traitors must
be punished" (Applause) | have faith
vet to believe that this doctrine shall be
made good. Not precisely, perhaps, in
/ the way aud through the instrumentality
! tha; you aud had expected; but, my
country men, there is a power above aud
beyond tie power Of President and Con.
gre.s. of judge; and eourts,-a power
! that makes and unmakes these high in
strumcntalitics, and to that power DO We
now appeal. (Applause.) 1t is the voice
of the American people, expressed at the
ballot-box. that is he final decree lrn N
which there i, no appeal, aud which can
not be reversed (Applause.)
II you ask us what you can do for our
relief point, as your Governor has point.
ell, to the example of Vermont. point
to the example of Maine, and say. go
you and do Likewise" (Applause) My
countrymen, as look upon the present
condition of affairs, see that the issue
of the time is not. as has been stated by
many people, whether we are to have a
| Union of 26 or 36 States. That ques-
! ton has long since been settled, and been
made matter Of record by the glorious
arms Of our soldiers They bore the flag
through more than six hundred fights,
with 30 stars cmblazoned upon the blue
union, aud they bore it on to ctory.-
(Applausc,) No star has been oblI'era
ted; no lost Plead, thank Gud, has es
eaped from the III perial constellation -
| cloud appiause) That is not the ques-
tion Nor is it the question whether ten
of these States are out of the Union VI
IN the Union Not at all The question
is simply th,s; Who shall administer
the affairs Of the country? shall the
men who have saved It administer its af
fairs or shall they be turned away or
controlled by combination Of Southern
rebels, aud :heir Northern allies, sympa-
rhizers, and associates? ('No," "No,"
Never
The question OF reconstruction, We
are told, is the great question Of the
time. Well, that is an important ques.
ton, admit; and it is important just in
this way. Here are ten States in con
dition that is supposed to require what is
termed reconstruction and the question
is, whether you will reconstruct them, OF
whether tn y shall reconstruct you. No
eiferous and prolonged applause } Wheth
er you who conquered in this fight shall
give the law to the South, or whether you
will accept it at the hands Of those yhom
you conquered"
Mr. NJ. presented the deep personal
interest which the Union men of the
South have in the ecision OF this ques-
tion and made thrilling appeal Tor a
right decision at the ballot box
Gov Brownlow was greeted with a
tremend, us outburst OF enihusi asm, which
continued for some length of time. He
was evidently in quite feeble health, aud
as he rose upon the platform, supported
himself by chair. He excused him
self from making an ordinary political
speech [ he certainly made no ordinary
one both on account OF his health, and
Tor another reason -
IL an now Governor of the great aud
reconstructed State OF Tennessee, and iu-
stead of dabbi.ug N party politics, | want
to MAINTAIN the dignity of the ofice. -
! (koars OF laughter aud great applause
Ii viii do ior an acc,deatai President.
who publicly announces that he has Iald
aside his diynity aud his robes ci Office.