Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-10-03
General sic4Ies 10 his comrades.


COMRADES 81 am glad to see you, one
and all, and thank you for these expressions
of attachment and regard This meeting re-
calls the times when the country was in
peril when Holt and Scott were holding
Washington for the Inauguration of Lincoln,
and Cameron was filling the arsenals Floyd
had empti d /; when Stanton, the great wal
Minister Of modern times, created the armies
that won the day at Antietam, Shiloh, Get
tysburg, Chattanooga, Winchester and Rich
mond. (Chcers) We recall the day when
crouching rebellion held Shcridans siirrup
while he mounted for his ride through the
Valley. prolonged shouts.) We see Han
cock rcpellng the cnelny's last charge on
Cemetery Ridge; we see Lee surrender his
sword and his army to Grant--invincible in
the field, trustworthy in council.
Yet peace has her victories also Now the
Government is engaged in the conservative
duty OF organizing loyal civil authority in
the Rebel States. Of course this can only
be done by giving the right to vote to all the
loyal people in the South (Applause.) And
until loyal State governments are established
Congress must retain control. No other
means being possible, military officers have
been sent to execute the laws of Congress,
preserve order, protect the loyal people and
superintcnd the formation Of State govern
ments.
1t has been said that Congressional action
and military protection were unnecessary
Let us see about that for moment. The
Legislature of South Carolina, in 1865, passed
a w,approyed by Mr.. Perry, the Provisional
Governor, reorganizing the militia OF the
State.
by that law any officer of the militia was
authorized, in the exercise of his own dis
cretion to call out his command and shoot
down, disperse, kill and destroy any assem-
blage of freed people of color found any
where under circumstances that, in the opn
ion of the officer, meant mischief. That law
was suspended by military authority. And
Congress prohibited all such militia. (Cheers
for Congress and Gen. Sickles.)
In North Carolina, in 1865, law was
passed lcgalizing all transactions of gllardi-
ans, executors. and trustees, by which the
property of widows and orphan children was
turned into Confederate money and Conled-
crate bonds, and went to bolster up the Re
bellion and impoyersh the women and chill
dren to whom it belonged This law was
revoked by military authority. A worthy
citizen of New York, whose name is Me
Laughlin, went to South Carolina soon ai,el
the war, and hired an abandoned plantation
from the Freedmens Bureau, in whost
charge it was placed by law. Mclaughlin
| planted and raised n crop, when along came
the returned Rebel, who claimed the land,
had him put in prison until he could find
| forty thousand dollars bail trcspass, ard took
possession of the land and crops. (CIies ol
"shame!" s'shame!'')
That is n specimen of the treatment North
ern settlers would have received in the alb
sence of the military protection since giver
by Congress. In Caswcll county, Nortl
Carolina, during the war. a loyal resident
while escaping from the eIemy's lines tt
ours, where he afterwards did good service
took without leave, one night piec,
| of bacon for subsistence on the march
When he returned home after the war wa.
on the charge OF burglary, and sentenced tt
be hung, and TO pay the costs. (L,ushte
and cheering)
While he was awaiting trial, and pendini
the execution of the sentence, the prisone
was chained inside of an iron cage and KEEP
there for year, without blanket even il
winter. Information of his case havin,
reached the military authorities, the cas-,
was under going investigation when the Gov
ernor of North Carolina, in the exercise o
power given to him by the military com
mandcr, pardoned the man. The costs no
having been paid, on account of the povert,
OF the poor fellow, he was confined TO
some time afterwards in the same place, un
til released by military authority. Here i
an illustration of what must have been thu
fate of loyal refugees II the government hat
not afforded them military protection.
Three thousand schools for the education
of freed people have been established undel
the protection of our bayonets. Two hun
dred and fifty thousand colored people at
tend these schools. Nor has our presenc
aided only our loyal friends, whom we ar
bound in honor and humanity TO protect
Assured of justice, free labor has produce
this year two millions five hundred thousan
bales of cotton. and the largest crop Q
grain raised in many years. The value o
: this crop in money is more than two hun
dred millions of dollars.
Its value to the population Of the Soutl
can only be measured by the estimate to b
put on their lives; for without it they mus
have pcrished by famine. And yet withou
military protection the freedmen would hay
fled from their old masters and sought sect
rty and employment in the free States.
Congress did not send us there 10 compt
the Rebels to pay the expenses of the wal
us Bismark would have done. The Mort
is paying the costs of the Rebellion atte
winning tile victory, ,and we have been hell
ing our former adyersaiies to feed and cloth
themselves, and to recover from the ruin j
which they have involved themselves. 9Th
crowd here became very much excited
History may be challenged for another in
, stance in which vanquished enemies hay
been so generously treated by their cor
querors
My strength and Your patience will NJ
hold out If my remarks be prolonged. (Crit
of SEQ on we like to hearyou.n 'Don
, stop.'') will add one or two observations
with your indulgence, before say 5000
night"
, Comrades :--..1'his government is n i,
!, public, where the will of the people is I'll
law of the land" This maxim, SO full {
| wisdom and truth, we have from Grant, til
, General in-C Chict OF our armies. No mil
tary authority has been exercised in I'll
, Rebel States not authorized by Congress an
sanctioned by the laws of the land. Mil
tary force is there only TO execute the law
Under military protection loyal civil go'
crnments will be established, and maintain
7 cd by ballots put in the hands OF loyal mel
If that could have been done ten yea
. ago we would have had no rebellion. Ii "
i do it now, we will not have another. Ila'
| no fear that the colored race will not kno
b their friends from their foes. Their heart
i full of gratitude, will govern their condu
s as citizens. Loyalty and order are to the
e almost as sacred as religion.
e Indeed, they believe their deliverance
n be the work Of Providence. Safe and trus
b ed ut home, they will contribute vastly to Il
resources OF the nation, and take nothil
: away from the cmployments or the francl
# ses of any other race or class.
G Within the sound of my voice is the sp
/ where the sublime truth was proclaimed til
/ "all men are created free and equa
c Upon this rock our republican Constituiio
V are built No power can prevail against
v Comrades let us not forget our bra
c companions who fell in the war of the Unio
= Their shroudless forms lie buried in many
n forest and field, like autumn leaves. TIL,
il nameless graves are numbered only by t
Ii recording angel. Let us sometimes listen
" their sad voices, mournful as mufiled drum
o and heard even through the yielding 50
II They say to us now, brothers on WI
y are spared-leave not untone the work
ir did not live TO help you do"
|