Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-08-08
THE sITuArIoN Nonrn AND SOUTH
speeeh by senator wilson, OF Mass.

I
ming made speech on national affairs,
from which we extract the following:
SOUTHERN PROSPECTS,.
Ithas recently been my fortune to travel
| fur four or Ave weeks through the rebel
| States, and as they invited me to speak
! to them, said just what / thought. |
| held them responsible before man and
| God for every drop of blood shed in this
country, for every life lost, for every dol
lar expended. I spoke to them palmer
than ever spoke even to the people of
Massachusetts,; but tried to do 1t in
spirit of kindness, that | really felt. |
pitied their misfortunes. They were
more severely conquered than / dreamed
Of. l tell you here tonight that the peo-
pie of that section Of the country put into
the contest all they had of blood and
treasure, and they were defeated, utterly
annihilated, their powers gone. Noman
! who loves his country and his fellow-men,
| and who regards those States as part OF
| the country, ana the people as part OF his
cOuntrymen, car witness the condition
of that section without having his heart
! sofiencd and stirred within him. For
! myself, while Ispoke TO them plain words,
! | desired to speak to them III Kindness
! and in thirty-two speeches | made in
! that section of the country, to various
]
! hiss, or whisper, or unkind word. But |
| have now inuumerable invitations from
various portions OF that country to speak,
| which | cannot accept | trust that the
men of the North, who can afford to bc
generous as well as just, while they have
resolved that treason shall never more
sway the country, viii De Kind and gen
erous, and forgive the faults of their err
ing cOuntrymen. Applause | trust
h.t l,lt s,f rTi ION nI
country will visit that portion of it
Freedom Of speech they have not had for
generation; they have looked only on
one Side--on the side of slavery, nulliit-
cation, secession, diSunion, civil war, ha-
tired of Yankee institutions. Now, when
the truth Is spresented--when the cause of
liberty justice, and humanity is present
ed to thcnl--they listen as no people ever
Before listened, and say to you it is the
great missionary ground of the country.
Kind words, words addressed TO the
heart, conscience, and reason, will do
more there than in any other portion Ui
the country for good. So much for the
position of that portion of the country,
M comprehend it,
Aud now | viii tell you what I think
has brought about the rapidly improved
, condition of the country, and that it Is
: the overthrow Of the policy of the Presi
a dent of the United states, and the utter
- hopclessness on the part of the people
:, that the Presidents policy can ever be
4 sustained by the nation. Loud cheers.
: That policy brought bitter words, violen
1 deeds wrongs and otltrages. Loyal mer
were ccvtrywhere in-lIlted, freedmen were
y outraged, and even murdered; but WheI
the Congress of the United states, sus
. tanned by the voice of the people wh'
had fought them on six hundred battle
/, fields, laid down the terms and 'c0lldi
= tions of reconstruction, and when TIT
!, Presidents policy was repudiated, whel
!, their hopes in Northern friends failed
r, when their hopes in the Supreme Cour
r failed altogether then they saw that they
= must submit to the authority of the ma
= ton, and they are doing 1t with very
4 good grace. There is another thing tina
i has contributed to the peaceful aspect o
most portions of the States lately in in
/ surrection. That Is the ballot put int,
the hands of 600, 600 black men. Thoa'
men, let me say to you, will bring thes'
States back loyalto the country, and full.
and unrescrvedly committed to the caus'
:. ofhumnn liberty in America. Applause
| make the prediction that eight or nine
=, and think nine, of these ten States vii
y not only comply with the terms and con
= ditiOns Congress has laid down, but vii
.. elect men who can take the irOn-clui
y oath, and will send men to the Congress
> of the United States who will think
, speak and act as the loyal progressiv
Y representatives think, speak and act
" TChccrs.l | will tell you why. Thcs
500, 900 black men feel that they are fight
/ ing the battle, not only of the country
" but of their own liberties and rights. q
t course, they will vote for the Union, Io
=, they believe in this country as no peopl
} ever believed in it before; and they hay
l. reason to. They revere the memory &
Abraham Lincoln as no portion OF on
countrymen do. [Applause. The wor
: "UniOnn IL engraved on their hearts
they will vote not only for Union an
Liberty, hut for school houses and church
Ie es, and for liberal and progressive po
T. ley in that section of the country The
will carry it, too. Old Virginia, this YER
autumn, within ninety days from thI
~ time, will put herself alongside of Wei
n mont and Massachusetts and ohio, as
ii strong, liberty-lovine, progressive, lta'
~ ical state of the Union. Applause. J.
. South Carolina will follow. [Applause.
Other States will DO the same; and then
/ gentlemen, | predict that these State
Ie will enter on liberal, progressive policy
NJ such M is pursued In the New Englan
~ and great Central and Western States {
- the country.
iltIt " I'tl IL l'Nill''libl' lltiE A'''''l'i
r. from the Potomac to Florida, and the
>. dare not raise one. The people Of tn
South will tell you that the Republican
- never cheated or deceived them. The.
At were led into the rebellion by words {
te announcement from the North. Bt
,c they will tell you the men who said thes
y, words had to go into the fight, and the
y met them ON battle fields. Then the ol
1t Henry Clay Wings who are in the rank
" Of the opposition of that part of til
# country, let thcm raise the Democrat
- flag, and they fly aud carry thousand
~ with them into the ranks of the Repui
4 lican party. The old national men of .
v ARE doing the same. OF course the 70
~ lowers of John G.. Calhoun and his the,
ries of government wouldnot be eXpccte
to do anything but to maintain the pos
I, tion and spirit of hostility; but the
la will be defeated, and sink down one /
: one to disappear in the end from I'll
~ government of the country as the 'Hori'
= of the revolution disappeared. For m!
r., self want no more punishments TIM
H. have already hoen inflicted on these me-
They have suffered, and have been di
appointed more than any body of me
ln the history ofthe world, Seven Yea
90 ago these chieftains trod the halls
4 l..