The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1867-08-14
THE NEW SOUTH.
speech of senator Wilson at Saratoga,
July 25th 1867.

Senator Wilson of Massachusetts,
recently made an excellent speech at
Saratoga, in response to serenade by
his political friends. His address was
a recapitulation ofpast events, with
their bearings upon the present and
future, rather than an argument. He
declared that when we had war he was
in favor of prosecuting it vigorously (;
now that we have peace he wants to
prosecute that also vigorously. He
had delivered thirty-two speeches in
the rebel States since last spring, and
he had spoken more plainly there than
he had ever done in Massachusetts,,
but had never been met with hiss or
an unkind word. He hoped that the
North would be generous as we'll as
Just. Kind words addressed to the
South by Northern people will do
more than anything else for good, Mr..
Wilson's opinion was that the greatly
improved condition of that region was
brought about by the overthrow oft
Presidents "policy." While that
stood there was nothing but bitter
words and violent deeds. But when
Congress reversed that policy, and
was sustained by the votes of the peo-
pie who saved the Union the South
saw that it must submit, and this is
now being done with a very good
grace. The ballot, in the hands of
100000 black men, is another power
, full instrument for peace. The Repub-
licans never cheated or deceived the
, South, and the result will be the con-
version of all these communities to a
belief in the principles of liberty and
, progress.
, The concluding portion of Mr.. Will
sons speech; which we cannot give in
full, was as follows:
For one | have it not in my heart
to pursue the system of contiscation,
or any other systems that shall bear
harder than those that have already
!. been adopted to bring them into the
: country and make them a part of the
= country. | don't want an Ireland or
: a Poland in America. Applause.
But l want Free States, where every
: man is the peer of every other man
! where every man, no matter what
- blood may course through his veins,
no matter where he may have been
. born, is man whom God made and
9 for whom Christ died, and who shall
! possess equal rights with everybody
= - else. We want Free States, free men,
! and that policy that has been inaugu-
= . rated will be accomplished within
. twelve months, and all those States
', within year will be brought back
= : into the Union. They will not have
q q the power to dictate the policy of the
! ! country, but they will be the radical
y, . and progressive portion of it. We
:, shall see these things, and l say to you
> tonight gentlemen, not merely as {
! partisan, but as an American citizen
y loving my country and my whole
country, that iii enough to make
!, the heart throb with gratitude to al
: I mighty God for what we have wit
Il Il messed during the last seven years o
progress. [Cheers. The friends o
:. the country have been misreprcsentet
, throughout this contest. We wer'
told that we could not conquer thes'
" " twelve millions of people. Well, W.
y did it. We were told that we had NJ
;. constitutional right or power to do it
. We exercised the powers of the Const
't e tuition to save the Constitution and th'
q country, and we have done it. Nov
they tell us we have no constitutional
n power to pass the laws for reconstruc
e ton ; but we find the powers and hav'
/ passed the laws, and the laws will d'
: the work. The President ofthe Unit
e ed States may do what he pleases th
Is place that knows him will not know
y him great while, Laughter anc
: applause. The 4th of March, 1860
n at any rate, will come some time. 4
y voice, "What about impeachment"
/ He may stay in till that time and h
may not. [Cheers. 1t will depend
l. great deal upon his future conduct. L
Il he undertakes to violate the laws o
n the country, and arrest the conduct o
If the Government, he will have but {
,e short time to stay where he is. Ap
plause. But l tell you, gentlemen, h
may do just what he pleases, he canno
prevent anything. g Good.] Gu
friends in the South, who believe il
reconstruction, in united country ,ant
in freedom, three -fourths off million
. of them, will bring those States bacl
!" in spite ofanything Andrew johnson
e or anybody else can do. l look upol
! Mr.. johnson just as I look upon Bul
q q Run. [Laughter.] Bull Run during
. the war brought sense Of shame t.
u the cheeks of the country, but after al
! 1t was great lesson to the country
4 Andrew johnson seems to be sort o
e !, being brought into existence for pur
. pose. He stands right there, anc
. every time he undertakes to do any
' thing against the cause of liberty ant
justice, the country rallies, and goe'
D further than it would have gone be
e fore. Laughter and applause. HI
d got the opinion ofthe Attorney Gen
s. eral the other day, and all over the
+ South the rebels reared their heads
:? and began to hope again ; but in a da,
d or two went the news on the breez'
\ that Congress would assemble, and th'
is rebels closed their lips. Congress as