Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1867-04-17
SENATOR " lLsoN's spEECH AT PETERS.

I. publish q full report Of the speech whic
4, Senator Wilson lately made at Pe.ersbur
aud the Richmond Wing characteristics
:, as clear, manly aud to the point"
N says that the premises, doctrines all
- conclusions" of the speech are .'an,agoni
- ed by the whole tenor Of Southern though
90 and sentiment, but it is impossible I
10 doubt The sincerity of one who speak
/, with 50 much fraukness and with sue
IS apparent conviction, and none will fail t
award him credit for the spirit aud TEN
i, per of his speech" Such remarks fror
! such journal as the Rhg are siguii
cant. and the fact that Massach usett
Senator can announce his political princi
!, piles as freely at Petersburg as in Eaneui
Hall itself, certainly shows that there ha
: been some political progress in Virgins
within tie past six years.
The speech was prefaced by brief intro
duction to the people by Mayor Collier
!, aud, after expressing his qualification a,
the opportunity of addressing the people
Of Petersburg. Mr. Wilson told them
that he was a radical Republican hat
he had been asked to declare bis political
opinions, and he should speak as frrcly
as If he was in Massachusetts. He said
there was only one case of the recent civil
war-human slaVery-and North aud
South had been guilty 10 reference to that
cause He discluimed all feelings of bit
terness. resentment or revenge toward the
Southern people. and declared that When
the last gun Was fired he was in favor of
forgetting all the bitterness eugendorod
by the contest" and willing to march
shoulder to shoulder with the South in
support of a united country. The soldiers
of the sou,h had fought bravely upon six
hundred and twenty, five battle fields, but
the cause for which they fought was lost.
and now that slavery was forever abolish,
ed, North and South could march on to.
gsther in unfolding the hopor of the com
mon flag, .t ..r
When the war was over Mr. Wilson
said that the people of the North had no
desire for the lives or the lands of the
people OF the South They had fought for
the liberty of the lowly. and desire to
lift men up rather than to pull them
down. The Southern people had made
mistake before the war 10 listening to the
announcements of the Democratic party
of toe North, for many of the men who
had told them that the North would be
divided were drawn into the war and
fought side by side with the most ultra
radicals. And after the war, when the
difference arose between the President and
Congress- the south had made a mistake
IN looking to the President for help, and
hey were now making just such mistakes {
u looking toward the Supreme Court and G
he Democratic party. Congress had pre- +,
'erlbed terms of reconstruction, but these \
efms were not meant to humiliate or DE.
grade any man, and be would sooner cut
Ut his right hand than vote for any meas,
Ire with such a motive, lie spoke of the S
work that had been already done by the I
republican party, its glorious history, I
nd said that its organization would soon !.
xtend all over the Southern States. The
republican party Was master of the con-
lnent. the protector Of labor and toll. and =
he champion of education, and there was :,
o party that can cope with it. To this !
arty the south must look for assistance :
nd encouragement 10 educating the PEG
lie, developing the resources of the coun. GO
~ and completing the work Of political CT
{ 81 5la'G dis 10
The speech was concluded with an allu. .
ION to what had been done to secure the hi
'eedom OF the colored race, and with an /,
Shortation to his colored auditors to for. ~
ct that they had been bondsmeD, to ig. hi
ore all old prejudices. ard to act in the gt
'terest OF temperance, education, liberty pr
bod order ADD religion. They had the &
allot' and they must hold it sacred to \
's'lce, liberty aud neutrality-suspicious. a
lat must neither he bough, nor sold. We TO
nd been told that emancipation would oh
ing about q war ofraces. but the negroes W
ust so act that such war, if it came. -
uid not be laid ut their doors. He mr.. q,
d The people of Virginia. whites and Al
acks. to elect a convention of true men. an
revise the Constitution. to send men to WI
'ngress who could take the oath. to re ="
gnlze the rights of all citizens, and to no,
Yelop the resources of the State. 1t iue
eY would act in this way, the people of
assacbusetts and Of the North would be no'
listed with the war. and would feel ~ ~.
npensated for its enormous sacrifices me
Boston journal trss ,, lvI
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