The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-08-21

are as fertile as ever, her daughters
are as fair, her matrons are as vir- /
tuous. Is she less dear to you |
because she has opened her /
bosom and received to |
her embrace the noblest and bravcst |
OF her sons? is she less your mother |
because she has been insulted and
wronged2 Oh, she Is dearer-a thou
sand times dearer than she was IN
her strength and her glory. Her for
titude In the midst Of her des0lation
has attracted the admiration of the
world, and now the great Democratic
partv of the Union throws over her a
banner inscribed with the principles
of constitutional liberty for which
she fought; and | am here to- night
to ask you to come up to her altar,
and let us again pledge to her our
lives. our fortunes, and our sacred
honor. The Democratic party offers
the most honorable terms. 1t en-
dorses- principles for which you bat
tled-not because they were the prin-
ciples upon which the C0nfederacy
was founded-but the Confederacy
adopted them because they were
promulgated by the fathers of
American Independence, and were
vindicated BY the war of the
Revolution. Under them the
American colonies advanced to q
mighty empire, and In their observ-
anee is the last hope Of American
constitutional liberty. Not only does
| it declare in favor Of that Constitu
ton so dear to you, but it most SOL
EMMY declares that all those acts Of
reconstruction, so totally destructive
of your rights, and SO repugnant TO
every honorable feeling, are uncon-
stitutional, null and void. The hon
orable gentleman who will follow me
| tonight may perhaps tell You some
thing of the circumstances that at
tended the adoption Of that platform.
| He may tell you how conflicting sentI-
ments were recOnciled and harmony
| secured. How every heart bounded
with manly impulses when Wade
Hampton portrayed the condition OF
South Carolina, and then asked the
incorporation into the platform OF the
declaration that the reconstruction
acts were unconstitutional, null and
void.
The speaker then pulled Seymour
and Blair, and continued:
I viii not ask you to endorse the
platform, for it incorporates the prin-
ciples for which you have ever con-
tended. | will not ask you to sup
port Seymour and Blair, for they are
. the champions of constitutional lib
E erty for which you have braved hun
, bred battlefelds; but | do not ask
you to bring into the canvass the high
, qualities OF courage and f0rtitude that
: you have so signalized in your pas
career. Press to the front-carry
your color's deep into the enemy'S
! lines-dedicate yourselves to your
country-labor, labor assiduously fol
its Advancement in every element Of
greatness. Labor is the lever tina
moves the universe. But we are tOlC
that our purposes are revolutionary
Who makes the chGfye? Usurpers
Men who have changed our Republi.
can system into a military despotism
and are using every engine of oppres
sion to perpetuate their power.
No, fellow eitizens, we want nc
l revolution, above all, no bloody revo-
{ luton; but if God help US, we will
restore the Government to its origua
position. If God prosper us. we vii
turn back the tide of revolution, anC
! sweep the infdel band, that riots il
: the destruction of constitutional lib
e erty, from the face Of the earth. w,
g appeal to the masses to ! lay aside the
G weapons of war and come to the bal
6 lot box, and by its decree we arr
6 ready to stand. II we triumph at The
G polls-if the great masses of thu
. American people vote for Seymour
g and Blair, and settle the GOverumen
on the principles enumerated IN tn,
D | Democratic platform, the irregpla
| and revolutionary government Of thu
Southern States must give way to re
publican constitutional governments
r aud this is all we have declared. Blu
| if Radicals will precipitate revolu
ton, if they defy the popular will, ant
], In cOntraveDtion of law attempt tt
maintain their usurpations by force
OF arms, the army must vim
dictate the national honor; and il
maddened by the lust of power, anC
frenzied by an unhallowed ambition
they fire upon the flag Of the Union
then may Heaven shelter the head
uncovered in righteous cause, ant
damned be he who first cries hold
enough |" The responsibility will no
rest upon the National Democracy
I but it will rest upon the revolution
lists who would subvert the Govern
ment to the unhallowed purposes 0
party.
z We want peace. Every pulsatiol
of our hearts demands peace. w
trust that the Angel of God, descend
ing from Heaven, will stamp upol
~ American constitutional liberty thu
4 seal of Omnipotence, and swear b,
Him that loveth, war shall be n
more. Butanything, my countrymen
is better than dishOnor. Come wa
r and pestilence, come death in all it
terrible array, rather than suffer tn
slightest stain of dish0nor. LII wa
must come, in defense of the Unioi
= and the Constitution, patriots of th
y North and of the South will gather
around the proud ensign Of tn
Republic, and, planting it OIL
the perilous edge Of battle, gathe
> around it to the carnival of death
u But we repeat it; we invoke the &c
e MUS of peace to rebuke the mad spIr
= it Of party; we appeal to the patriot
!, of the North and the South, the Eas
. and the West, to unite every elemen
; of national prosperity and nationa
5 glory, and forgetting past animoslties
n carry forward the American Unioi
in a career of usefulness and homo
unparalleled in the history of nations
Here [ had thought to close, but
!, wish say to our colored friends, VIII,
d have united their banners with ours
Q that our swords were not drawn t
: perpetuate their bondage. Our OBJ
2 ject was higher nobler. grander. w
q fought for the perpetuity of constitu
T tional liberty and the right Of self