The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-02-13

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The Southern Relief Meeting in
New York.
SPEECHES BY PETER COOPER AND HORACE
i GREELEY.
i The telegraph has briefly alluded to the
1 Southern Relief Meeting, at the Cooper
Institute, New York, on tho night of the
25th. New York papers Of the 26th con.
tain full reports Of the speeches made on
the occasion subjoined are those of Peter
Cooper, who presided, and Horace Greeley,
who followed Henry Ward Beecher:
SPEECH OF PETER COOPER.
/ Ladies and gentlemen-W6 are met here
4 tonight to fnaugurate measures that will,
1 / hope, save thousands throughout the
| Southern States from starvation and death
many of them persons whobnt two short
years ago were Arriving with all their
might, to work out the destruction of our
National Unions But, thank God and that
noble band Of patriots who braved death
to preserve the nation, our glorious union
of States was not broken up and destroyed
a Union that is both able ard willing to
take into its sheltering arms avery ,inhab-
liant Of our common country. [Applause.
The people Of the North are determined
| to show their Southern brethren that they
J! are not and never were their enemies
(Applause) After they have given bread
to the hungry and clothing to the naked,
the South we hope will see that there is
nothing better for them, as we'll as for US,
than that all should insist upon every pos
sible guarantee being given against the
recurrence of these scenes of misery and,
death that we have met here this evening
to deplore. (Applause) We hope the day
will soon come when the people of the
Southern States will unite with us and ask
for measures that viii establish justice as
the only possible way to promote the well
| fare and effectually secure the. blessings Of
liberty for ourselves and our posterity.--.
(Applausc.)
| SPEECH OF HORACE GREELEY.
| Hon. Horace Greeley was introduced, and,
said that he did not desire on this occasion
! to speak of the political and social differ
ences that had heretofore alienated the
North aud South, but should confne him
iseif solely to the question of the present
sufierilg Of The santhern people: He had
been specially called to tfsna thoroughly
and carefully the history Of the struggle
through which we had passed, aud could
speak with some knowledge of their pre-.
sent condition. In the first place there
were half a million widows in the South
caused BY the war. They were willing to
work for living, but they have not the
facilities for doing the work suited to
them a q
In the second place there were half
million MANNED and crippled men in the
South, who, in consequence Of their injl-
ries, arc no longer able to support their
families. Our MANNED and crippled SOL
diers have pensions which mitigate their
suferings, and besides this we have null
titude Of charitable associations which
afford relief, and which are unknown in
the South. Then again the seat Of war
was mainly in the South, and one can
scarcely realize the difference in the deyas-
tation produced by the war there aud here.
When the war closed the producing power
of the South was almost entirely gone
Millions of dollars were lost in the South !
last year, in consequence of the want of
good seed to SOW, and in addition to this
the animals and implements of hnsbandry
were nearly all gone, making it next to
impossible to produce half the usual crop
even it there had been the same laboring
force as before the war.
AN the people Of the Sonth of all politi-
cal views were now suffering alike. Look |
ing at it in the light even Of self-interest, |
if there were no higher motive, one million
dollars distributed through the South now
in the way Of food, seed and agricultural
implements would return ten millions next |
year. God had made us one people. and
there could not possibly be a genuine,
healthy prosperity at the North while
there was want, and suffering and inca
pacity to produce in the South There |
needs to be q complete reorganization of
industry in the South -mannfactnring and |
mechanical industry was needed there now
and in his opinion this reorganization of
Southern industry was more important, to I
them and us than any political reorganiza-
ton. (Applause.) Just let the North |
speak to the South and say: 'Do what
you can to help yourselves and we will |
do what we can TO help you," and this will I
be worth more than all else f6r national |
restoration and harmony. Greeley closed
by exhorting every one to give his energies
to the work that had called them together
this evening. New York, he said, ought to
commence the work by subscription of a
million of dollars Boston, Philadelphia,
Cincinnati and other cities would follow,
and before spring opens tho South would
be put in o condition, to enter upon the
cultivation Of the next years crop with
hopeful prospects Let us say to the South.
/" Be Of good cheer, the dark hours are pas
sing away" The South needs to be cheer
ed and encouraged snd to feel that friend
" words are spoken to them from the
North. (Applause.)
The meeting was attended by two thou.
sand persons. as
In some comments upon the meeting and
its purpose, the New York Times remarks
II must not be put TO the discredit Of the
South that human feeling still exists there
and that the character Of the once proud
race, now defeated and wrecked. has yet in /
it a touch Of the old pride. Naked and
hungry, they have baided for years with
the giant power Of the North, and had |
suffered and bled until they fell with ex-
haustion. To continue to suffer and perish
and seemed at last to be their doom, and as
in war they had borne it uncomplainingly,
so in peace they endure it with hardly
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A Gentleman to the Last.
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