Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1867-10-09
Major General SICkieS' speech
al Philadelphia. sept. ~.

Comrades. | am glad TO see you, oaeand
al, anI thank YOU for These expressions
OF attachment and regard. This meeting
recalls the times when the country was
iu peril: when Holt and Scott were hold
ing Washington for the inauguration of
Lincoln, and Cameron was filing the
a-~eual- Floyd Lad cInptiet: when Stan
gou. the great war minister OF modern
times. created the armies th.t won the
day M Antietam. Shiloh, Ggitysburg
Chattau,sl-;t, W iucheSteT aud Richmond.
[ChcerS.l W recall tile day when crouch
InE rebellion held ~heridau's stirrup
Willie he mounted for his ride through
Jhe valley. Prolonged shouts. Wesee
HancDck repelllng the enemy last charge
0a Cemetery Ridge; va -ce Lse uTrendrr
Ms sword and las army to CI..,ut-:nvin-
cIi,ic IN the field, Trustworthy in council
Yet peace has her victories also. Now
the Government is engaged in the con-
servatiye duty of organizing loyal evil
authority in the rebel States. Of course
this can Ce only done uy giving the right
- vote To all loyal people ia the South.
Applause And until loyal State gov
crnmeut, ara established, Congress must
control. No other means being possible,
military officers have been >cat tn exc
cu1c the ll-Hs OF Congress, preserve order,
protect the loyal people. and sIperiutend
tal i'fa .ttsEAtDl4 VI sC-sttC s'fR E- .4t4l-iikS
Ii has been said that congressional ac-
ton and military protection were umne-
ss=sssaTy. Let IL stse about that Tor a mo-
mcnt. The Legislature OF South Car
O.inI, In 1855. pissed = law, approved bY
Mr.. Perry, the Provisional Governor. ~
Organizing the militia Gf State. BY that
law any officer OF the militia was author
ized, in the exercise of his own discretion,
10 ca. out lis command and shoot down
disperSe, kill, and destroy any aSeemblage
OF freed persons OF color found anywhere
under circumstances that, in the opinion
of the officer, meant mischief. That law
Was suspended by military authority
And Congress prohibited ali such militia.
Cheers for Congress and General Sickes
In North Carolina, in 1853. n law was
passed legaliZiHg all transactions OF guar
dLans. executors, and trustees, 10y which
the property OF widows and orphan chill
dren was turned into Confederate money
and Confederate bonds, and went to bols-
ter up the rebellion and inpoverish the
women and children To WHOM. it belonged.
This law was revoked by military author
ity. a worthy citizen % New York,
whose name is Mclaughlin, went 10 ;.
Carolina soon after tlic war and hired an
plantation from the Freed
mems Burea-, in whose charge il was Dla-
ced by law Mclaughlin planted and
raised crop. when along came the re-
turned rebel who claimed the land, had
MIN put in prison until ne could find for
" thousand dollars bail for trespass. and
took possession of the land and croDs.-
{ Cries of shame shame -
That i a specimen Of the treatment
Northern settlers would have received i'm
the absence OF the military protection
since given 10y Congress Ia CstswelI Co.
North Carolina, during the war. a loyal
resident, while escaping from the enelnv's
lines 10 ours where he afterwTed did good
service, took without leave one night n
piece Or iacon for subsistence on the
march When he returned home after
the war was supposed 10 be over. he was
arrested, tried on the charge Of burglary.
anu sentenced To be hung, and to pay the
costs. Laughter and cheering
While lac was awaiting trial aud pend-
ing the execution Of the sentence. the
prisoner WAS chained inside of an iron
cage aEd kept there for year, without
blanket even in winter. Information of
his case having reached the military au
thorities, the case was undergoing iny,.s-
tigatiOn when the Governor of North
I Carolina, in the exercise of power given
10 hin2 by the military commander. par
doned tins man. The costs not having
been paid, On account of the poverty of
the poor fellow, he was confined for some
time afterwards in the same place. until
released ly military authority. Here is
an illustration Of what must have been
the fate Of loyal refugees if the Govern