The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-03-22
ADDRESS OF SENATOR YATES, OF
ILLIE0IS.A

.
arg u. 1867. IN de House Of Repre-
ssntatives. Washington. D. c..
In introducing the speaker, Hon. Hen
~ Wilson, president of The association,
said: 81
We have passed tbFougt5a great var
in which we fought six hundred battles
/ for the Republic. Ia that great contest
Illinois played glorious part The Gov
error of that State1inked his name for
ever with that grand struggle for unity
and liberty. kave the honor and the
pleasure to present Governor Yates to
this assemblsge. I Applause. God grant
that in the great struggle In which We
are now engaged against the enemy OF
| human nature he may associate his name
as gloriously as he did in the war against
the enemy Of his country. Applause
i ADDRESS roF SENATOR YATES.
4 LADGEs AND GENrLE4EN: Il was not
my intention to address you at all until
this afternoon, and feel the need OF more
4 preparation before speaking to so large
au audience as this. The reason why
did rot propose 10 address this assembly
was because having SO recently associated
myself with the Congressional Temper
cnce Association. did not like to make
parade of myself before the public. Men
sometimes sign pledges, and they break
! them; but. Mr.. President, [ have signed
for good. TapL lsuse, and l have my GOV
enant with God that will keep mine
/ But felt it y ere better 10 prove first that
1 was we'll established in nay new posi-
tion before attempted to express sent.
ments ON this question in that earnest and
enthusiastic manner in which | always
address my fellow citizens 10 behalf'of
any cause which has the conviction of my
! judgment and the approval of my heart.
Some two months ago your disiin-
guish chairman, the able and eloquent
Senator from Massachusetts, in his kind
ness, in the goodness of his great big
heart, came to me with a petition numer-
ously signed by members of Congress,
and said: "Goysrnor, l want you 10 sign
call for temperance meeting" "With
all my heart" said I. signed it. But
the temperance meeting did not come off
1 went to the honorable Senator, and told
! him was tired of waiting; could he not
furnish me a pledge? He said he could
to- morrow. The next day he furnished
me with printed pledge Of the Congress
sionsl Tenn erauce Society. put it in
my pocket, took it home, took it to my
room, read it carefully, and, after one
look to God and one to home, signed
the pledge. l raised myself to my full
. heig ht. and was FREE. Great ap
plaue I II refer to myself IN the re-
marks have made, and which l intend
to make, assure you ii is not from ego
I tism, for take no peculiar pride myself
in having been addicted to the use of ar
dent spirits. But there is another reason
3 WHY l feel permitted to refer to myself.
and that is because while 1 considered
, that I was only a moderate drinker, it
E has been published all over the land that
l was drunkard.
: Fellow citizens. there was a vast deal
of error in ii too. 1 was addicted to
5 drinking occasionally as a stimulus. as l
J supposed to strengthen my nerves
, laughter land as heightener of social
Joys. But. Mr.. Chairman, differently
from other men, had most unfortu
nate difficulty with myself. and that was
l had a wonderful facility, whenever l
drank of letting everybody know it
, Laughter. My sprees we're not fire
quenl. but they were long and they were
loud. Laughter. The grand praires
of Illinois did not furnish area enough
for one of my forward movements.
Laughter, Tha, was not only the last
seventeen years-whether had to make
a speech to political meeting; whether
l spoke against the Nebraska bill upon
the floor OF this House, whether as Gov
ernor. I wrote a message. or published a
! proclamation. or prorouged a secession
legislature--[great applause 1.-THE uni
versal charge of the opposite party was,
that all these acts were done under the
influence of whiskey. Laughter. Now,
fellow citizens. have concluded 10 put
stop TO this matter. The editors and re
pOrters OF newspapers are an honorable
class of gentlemen whom I respect; but
I want these libelous scribblers vino have
made so many misrepresentation as to
my course of conduct, to understand that
from this time henceforward their voca-
ton in that respect is gone laughter
and applause and they may now pub
isl: their libels until the hand that writes
them s;,1ll fall withered and palsied; but
! | never inlscd that they shall have any
license or authority TO publish me as
drunkard again, even s. | nave to abstain.
as will abstsin, from the Tnildest glass
of elaret that ever the fair hand of the
fairest lady in this land should present
me. Applause.
There is the evil of the thing: this mis-.
representation. this liability to misrepreseu.
tatiou. Why. sir, after had made these
speeches some sharp article of abuse
would be published in some paper, and
some Friendly Indian Of mine-Tlaugh
ter l-Wsuld mark around it with black
lines and send it to me for my Christian
contemplation and supreme delight
/ Laughter. 1 will stop it. 1 have
1 promised my country; have promised
that proud Common wealth which for
twenty five consecutive years has honor
ed me with all her public positions, in
the Legislature, as Governor, as member
OF both houses of Congress; 1 have
promised all who love me, and have
! promised Katie and the cbildren-Tloud
applause that 1 never will taste, nor
handle the uucleau thing applaus Il
and by the blessing of God and my own
unfalteriDg purpose, intend to fight il
out on this line TO the last day in the
evening of my life. Applause ri
all you, gentlemen. would do the same