The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-09-06
The Southern Loyal Convention
ADDRESS OF WELCOME.
REPLY OF GuV. HAMILTON

The Philadelphia Convcntion-to
the proceedings Of which, loyal men,
North and South, look for maniies
tation of the true spirit, which should
enter into all the efforts for restoring
the Southern States to their former
places in the Union-met on the Sd |
Of September. Delegations Of loyal
Southerners were present, and the
special kilograms from Philadelphia
described their reception TO be such
as true men, whose hands are not red
with blood, and whose hearts are not
black with treason, should be received.
We have not space this week Tor
lengthy account Of the incidents and
proceedings.
Mr.. Charles Gibbons, Chairman of
the Committee on reception, in his
speech to the delegates from the
South, greeted them as "fellow-loyal-
, lists, fcllow.citizcn friends and broth
ers. There was no loyal blood on
their hands and their souls were free
from guilt of trerson. They had held
fast to their integrity. although their
; homes had been desolatcd, their pleas
ant places laid waste, aud themselves
and their wives and children driven
into exile"
He proclaimed it as the honest SEN
: timcnt of the North that when the
r South returned to her duty, she must
, come in new robes with covenant
=. for equality and justice led by loyal
, Unionists who are free from treason
! [Cheers. What hope had they in
the future, or what security if uupun-
ished traitors were to be rcinstated in
! power by the arbitrary and bcsotted
i will of one man, under a Constitution
, they had forsworn. The answer was
already written in the blood of the
:, murdered loyalists of New Orleans
!. The men of the South were there on
the solemn mission of establishing
the Union on n broad and sure found
alton of equal and exact justice to all
Cheers.
lie closed by reiteration of thu
: words If welcome to the city of Phil
!, adclphia, where the experiment of {
/ government based on the equality O.
a man, has been inaugurated
d Gov. Hamilton then replied as fol-
: lows:
;, In behalf OF the assembled loyal
:, lists the South returns her thanks #,
Il the welcome they have received
II They had hoped that after the triumph
8 of the national arms, those who haC
) suffered so long would have somo in
% dcmnity for the past, or at least sccu
! rity for the future. They had hope'
Is to be permitted to return PEACEFUL
= to their habitations and to renew thei
|, associations with their friends forn
u whom they had so long been parted
J. but the experience of the last twelv
" months had taught them in bittcrnos
8 of heart that the spirit which anima.
/ ted the rebellion, was as rampant to-
J day as when the rebels first drew tn
u sword TCrics-that's so. The pro
p scription of all who aided the gov
A." crnmcnt, is now as rampant at tn
A. South, as defiant, as denunciatory, a
20 vindictive as at any period during tn
= war. Seeing this, aud realizing tha
/ so far from being permitted to retur
" ~ that, hAp,ng thn,. nNnnSnI 4
II the same dangers which sought thei
!, destruction and that of the Govern
q ment. They believed that they nc
u only saw danger to themselves but
: cloud no longer than mans han
y on the verge of the horizon whic
. might ultimately spread over the en-
+" tire country.
70 There was not congenial spot @
soil for them in all the South, no plac
where they could meet unless the
= would brave the fate Of those VIII
II met in New Orleans. 1t had bee
~ truthfully said in one of the leadin
Administration papers that they woul
not have dared to meet on Souther
soil. Their eyes turned instinctivel
to the goodly city of Philadelphia
n, Cheers, whe civil constitution
Is liberty on the American continent ha
v its birth. They had come assured {
welcome, but what they received Fl
c. exceeded expectation, for which b
Mt returned thanks, in behalf of the col
er vcntion and of every man, woman an
child represented by them, wheth'
c. white or black. Cheers.
er They had hoped that henccforwar
so tais Government would be such
en- Government as our fathers had inter
u ded-oGgiving freedom to every HI
of man being within its limits, by pla
he ing on sure foundations the rights I
every citizen, but they found that the
of were only to be RENTED to the ter
BY der mercies of the States which migl
rd at their will and discretion strike dow
n, their dearest human rights, while 1
en- protecting power over them was to
of found in the Government. They il
voked assistance and council of a
Nv their brothers throughout the Unite
of States. They asked delegations tht
o. come here froan the loyal States
1t, give them the hand of welcome an
to help them to have faith in the Go,
ernment in a purer spirit than befor
or aud to prove to all Presidents, Cab
IS nets and Councils that the peopl,
u North aud South, who were loyal
the Government would be satis6e
IT, with nothing but written secarity NJ
NJ der the Constitution to all men. A
nd soon as thoy cosld be met in th'
nd spirit their hearts would be with thos
,ir delegations from the loyal States. A