The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-03
GENERAL sICKLEs' SPEECH.
On Thursday last, in Philadelphia, GEN. srcKLEs
made the following speech. :"

COMRADES: I am glad to- see you one and ALL
and thank you for these EXPRESSIONS of attachment
and regard. This meeting recalls times when the
country was in peril, when Holt and Scott were
holding Washington for the. inauguration of Lin
coin, and Cameron was filing the arsenals Floyd
mode II times, created armies that won the day at
had emptied when Stanton, the great war minister
of Antietam Shiloh, Gettfsbnrg, Chattanooga,
day when the crouching rebellion held Sheridans
strrup while he mounted for his ride through the
Valley. prolonged cheers. ~ We see Hancock re-
pelling the enemies's last charge on Cemetery
Ridge. We see Lee surrender his sword and his
army to Grant, invincible the field Trustworthy
in council, Yet peace has her victories also. Now
the Government is engaged in the conservative
duty of organizing loyal civbanhority in tho rebel
States Of course this can only be done by giving
the right to vote to all Loyal people in the South
are established, Congress nanst retain control no
other means being possible. Military officers have
been sent to execute the laws Of Congress- preserve
order, protect loyal people and superintend the
formation OF the State Governments. Il has been
said that congressional action and military pro-
lection were unnecessary. Let us see about that
for moment. The Legislature OF South Carolina
in 1865, passed n law, approved by Mr.. Perry,
Provisional Governor, recognizing the militia OF
the State. By. that lazy anyeaacer of. miitia.was
authorized in the exercise o&his own discretion to
call out his command and Shoot down, disperse
kill and destroy any assemblage Of freed people Of
color found anywhere. Under the circumstances
military milf yAS authority and Congress- Prohibited ali
such militia. [Cheers for Congress and Gen.
Siokes.l In North Carolina, in 1865, a law was
passed legalizing all transactions of guardians,
executors and trustees, BY which property Of
federate bonds, and went to; bolster up the rebel
lion and impoverish the wemen and children to
whom it belonged. A worthy citizen Of New-York,
whose name Is Mclaughlin, Fent to South Carolina
soon after the war and hired On abandoned planta-
tlon from the Freedmen's Bgssau, in whose charge
it was placed by law. Mclaughlin planted and
raised q CROP when along came returned rebel
who claimed the land had him put in prison until
he could find $4,000 bail for trespass, and took
possession of the land and crops lCries Of Shame,
Northern settlers would have received in the abb
sence Of military protection since givon by Con-
gress. In Casswen County, y. &C, during the war
loyal student, while escaping from the enemy's
took without leave ono night piece OF bacon for
his subsistence on the march. When he returned
home after the war WAS supposed to be over, he
we as.arrested, tried on charge of burglary, and
sentenced to be hung and to pay tie COSTS Laughter
and cheering.1 While he wat awaiting his trial
and pending the execution Of his sentence, the
prisoner was chained inside an iron cage and kept
there for year, without blanket even in Winter.
Information Of his case was undergoing inves-
tigation, when the dovelnor Of North Carolina,
military commander, pardoled the man. The
costs not having been paid on account OF poverty,
he was confined for some ne afterward in the
same place. until released by military authority,
Here is an illustration Of what must have been the
fate of loyal refugees if the Government had not
afforded them military protection, Three thous-
and schools for the education Of the freed people
have been established under the protection Of our
bayonets. Two hundred and fifty thousand color
ed people attend these schools nor has our pre-
sence aided only loyal friends, Rhom we were
bound in honour and humanity 10 protect. AS
sured Of Justice free labor has produced this year
2,500.000 bales OF cotton, and the largest crop OF
grain raised in many years. The value OF this
crop in money is more than s200 000 000-its value
to the population of the South can only be measured
by the estimate to be put on their lives for without
it they must have perished by famine and yet
without military protection the freedmen would
have fed from their old masters, and sought secur-
ity and employment in the free States. Congress
did not send Us there to compel the rebels to pay
the expenses OF the war, as Bismarck would have
done. The north paying the costs Of the rebel
Hon after winning victory, and we have been
helping our former adversaries to feed and clothe
themselves, and to recover from the mire in which
they have involved themselves. The crowd here
became very much excited History may be
challenged for another instance in which van
quished enemies have been generously treated By
their conquerors. My strength and your patience
will not hold out if my remarks be prolonged.
l.
gence, before l say "Good night" Comrades
This Government is Republic where the wflpf
the people is the law of the land. This maxim,
80 full OF wisdom and truth, We have from Grant,
General in-Chief OF our armies. No military au
thonty has been exercised in rebel States not au-
thoriZed by Congress and sanctioned by the laws
of the land. Military force is there only to execute
the laws. Under military protection loyal civil
will be established and maintands BY
ballots put in tho hands Of loyal men. IT that
could have been done ten years ago We would have
had no rebellion. If we DO it now We will not have
another. Have no fear that the colored race will
not know their friends from their foes. Their
heats full or grtitude will govern their conduct as
citizens. Loyalty dorder are othen almost as
sacred as religion; indeed, they believe their free
dom to be the work OF Providence. Safe aud trust
ed at homo, they will con tribute vastly to the re-
sources Of the nation, and take nothing away from
the employments or franchises ofany other race or
class. Within the sound OF my voice is the spot
where the sublime truth was proclaimed that 'All
men are created free and equal" Upon this rock
our republican institutions are built; nopower can
prevail against it. Comrades, let us not forget
our brave companions who fell in thewar for the
Union. Their shroudless forms lie buried in many
a forest and field like Autumn leaves; their name
less graves are numbered OILY BY tile recording
angol Let us sometimes isten to their sad voicesI
as mufaed drurns and, heard even
through the yielding sod, they say to us-now
brothers. you WHO are spared, leave not undono
the work we did not live to help you do:
Tho Army of the Republic made an imposing
procession with torches, transparencies and ban
ners.