Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-05-22
[From the Memphis Post. May 81
Speech of Hon. w D. Kelley.

0RSOOA Va AAOAi W ~ AV41OJ
Free Speech Maintained. and the
South Indeed Made Free.
The largest assemblsge perhaps which
has met in Memphis since the war
gathered at the Greenlaw Opera-house,
last night, called together by the an
nouncement that Hon. VIM. D. Kelley,
of Philadelphia, would address his fell
low citizens of Tennessee on the politi-
cal questions of the day.
Soon after s o'clock, Judge Kelley
entered, escorted by the County Com
mittee and other Republicans, and was
greeted with applause. Hon. Barbour
Lewis Chairman of the County Com
mittee, then introduced Judge Kelley
to the meeting. He proceeded tospeak
as follows:
My FELLoW CITIzESs:-I don't know
which to do first, whether to congratu-
late you upon your acknowledgements, or
to thank you for having made me free
throughout the broad extent of my
country. Perhaps it would be we'll that
we should congratulate each other
You, fellOw-oitizens of Tennessee, have
by the terrible scourge of war, been
made free. You of the State of Ten
nessee, and of the United States, wear
ing the livery of Afric's burning sun,
have also been made free by the terri
BILE sco1rge of war and l, born in what
was known as a free State, having
grown to manhood there, and having
enjoyed such honors as my townsmen
could confer upon me, was still bond
man in my native State. l believe
from my youth and upwards in the
great doctrine of the Declaration of
Independence. 1 believe, for SO my
mother taught me from the Christian
guide, that all men are born equal. and
should stand before the institutions of
a Christian State as they stand before
God, the Father of all. IApplause.
believe thus, and having win of my
own 10 express my own thoughts, it
never before was safe for me to cross
the Potomac, or descend the grand
river which makes your city sure To-
cation of one of Americas grandest
commercial and manufacturing empo-
RUINS. The Southern cline was not
healthful for men who believed as l
did. 1t grew too many grape vines,
and they had been perverted to i'm
proper purposes. But thank God, the
day has come when every American
citizen can traverse his country, and
carry with him, not only his trunk and
his clothing, but his conscience and his
honest convictions, (Grest applause),
and express them wherever he goes.
In the enjoyment of this neW-found
right. my felloW-eitizens, have come
TO counsel with you upon that great
est of all subjects, Our COUNTRY, and
its future welfare, and thatwhich must
promote its welfare, the guaranteeing,
by proper institutions, the daily prac
tice of a just liberty to the individual
man, consistent with the general vel
fare of this, our country. Our country
is my theme. Two little Words-three
little sylables-a phrase dear to the
heart of every man, whether born upon
the broad and sunny savannas of the
South, or upon the granite hills of the
East; among the golden slopes of the
Pacific, or amidst the most sterile spot
in the world; whether born in our
country, or upon the banks of the
Litfy or the Shannon, the Tiber or the
Po, the Rhine or any other great river;
whether born upon the broad plateau !
or mountain side or top, these little
words. our country, are dear to the |
heart of every man. But to no man,
born wherever he may be, in poverty
or afhuence, do they signify so much |
IS when uttered by an American citizen.
Our country, now free to all, what is |
iti Why, it is the grandest mortal
heritage ever given to man. 1t has ex-
tended from beyond the sunny South |
Sea, over whose surface the summer |
breeze ever fingers, to that grand series |
winter lakes over which the winds of |
March and November howl the requi-
EN- of gallant navies. And from the |
roek-bound Atlantic, surging ever
against its coast, across to the quiet and |
sleeping ocean of the West. This is |
all our country; and by virtue of the
the Constitution of the United States, |
by virtue of recent legislation, carry
ing into effect the hitherto latent pow
ers of that Constitution, every man,
woman and child has personal inter |
est in it all. a voice, ''That's SO, !" and |
applause To the citizen of every
other country, "Our Country" means |
where the man was born and the child |
Graded; 1t means the spot where his |
ancestors changed from human form to
the dust of which they were created !
it means the blithe fields where child |
hoods sunny days passed into the sad |
dening memories of age; of the scenes |
and the struggles of earlier man and
womanhood. These. these associations |
are only dear to the titled and privil- |
eyed classes. But in this country, this |
is ell ours it is all mine, it is all yours.
For, under the Constitution of the |
United States, let you have been born |
where you may meath the broad folds |
of our flag, or, if you have been born |
beyond the limits of our country, and |
have been naturalized, you are enti- |
tied to all the privileges and immuni- |
ties of citizen of each and every |
State. If you are native of Tennessee
and desire to 60 to louisiana or to |
Maine, to Michigan, Oregon, Texas,
California, 10 Ohio or Pennsylvania, or |
to any of the central States, you do |
not leave your home; and at the end |
of a year, as provided by the limitation |
of the state Constitution, you become,
by virtue of our National Constitution,
citizen. No narrow Confederacy,
bounded by the Potomac and the line
of slavery, pens you in; and when our
flag floats over the Russian Possessions,
you may, if you see fit, turn your atten-
ton to the ice trade or the catching of
walrusses, and take up your home as an
American citizen there. Laughter
and applause. If you do, have a
q suggestion to make. that il that