Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-10-09
Reported Expressly for the journal
THE SPEECH OF
DR.. J. B. PURCELL,
BEFORE THE
DEMOCRACY OF WILMINGTON.
ru,.J,N HALL, September 25. 1865.

AND FELLOW -SI14Z-L~~'o GILL
m iie,o Club of Wilmington. [ feel
+Ln honor deeply of being here. But when
r look around upon the beauty and the
brave of this ancient town here assembled,
Tfoel the honor still more, and | can find
no words expressive of my thanks. thank
God I stand on this platform-the plat
form of the Democracy-which embod1es
the rights, the interests, the intelligence,
and the virtue Of the whole country
come before you, not to Butlerlze you
with the notions of a Jack-Cadelsm, or the
notions of any Infamous ism OF any pOlltl-
coI Donberry' but in obedience to that
sting of conscience which urges every hon
orabIe man to come forward in times like
these of peril, and distress, and tribula-
tion. when demon discord is loose in the
land. to do his duty, his whole duty, to
his country, and for his country's good. I
come before you, not to set myself up as
stpolitical MASTER" but rather as q Paul of
Tarsus at tie feet Of GanaalieL to be taugM
1cc0rdi4g to tie perfect manner Of tie httr Of
lie fathers of our Constitution. [ come
before you as man who, knowing them.
dare assert his rights, and who has at heart
the perpetuity Of civil liberty in this land.
For what am I here? Is 1t to enlogize
that flag? Is it to poster your patience
with what you hold dear, and what is dear
and cheering to every social circle is 1t
TO portray some terrible ordeal-the Juno
vatiOns. the cOrruptiOns, the lnconsIsten-
cies, of the fiend of all peace and prospect
ty? Is it, in a word, to expose the wicked
tendencies of that party which knows no
honor knows no honesty, knows no man
hood, knows no law ?
For what are you here DID you slmp-
" come out to cheer for the banner of our
hope and Of our principles, the Consarva-
tive banner of 'G9, and then go to your
homes reckless of the vital issue which is
to-day rocking, from the Rocky Mountains
to the Alleghanies, from the Alleghan1es
TO the sea, from ocean to ocean, the cIt1-
zcns Of this vast continent in one grand,
terrific sea of billowy commoti0n No.
No. No. You are present, and L am,
fcllOw-citizens, to sift this matter; to show
It's Importance, to picture its varied forms
Of monstrosity; to review the detestable,
the evil Vaccinations of that party which
scruples not to employ every means in its
power, right or wrong, honorable o. dis
honorable, constitutional or uncOnstitutiOn-
nj, to propagate its illegal, impious, it's I'M
Just and impolitic policy. We are present
t. prosecute the case without fear without
favor; as a man and as freeman, as men and
as freemen, as lovers of liberty, of justice,
of honor, and of law. We are present to
advocate our party which has inscribed on
its banner honor, and honesty, and man
hood, patriotism, and the permanent rights
OF the whole body polite.
am 40 politician. l never belonged to
any political organization. Was this a
struggle for precedence between two rival
political parties, l would not be here [
have been led here from motives of hon
orab!e, honest, and virtuOus patriotism
honor to the fallen brave, honesty to the
plighted faith of the nation, virtuOus patri-
oti8m in preference to the itching palm for
gold. 1t is ever noble to stand up for the
weak, the oppressed, the prosecuted, and
of those robbed of their ancestral freedom.
How could one more receive the approving
smiles of Heaven than by standing breast
t. back, shoulder to shoulder, with the he
role sons of that land which now lies
crushed and bleeding, and impoverished,
and grooming beneath the iron heel of des-
potism, the degrading cloven-foot of Radi-
alism-unconquereds still, and unconquer-
able Did [ act otherwise my hand would
be traitor to my heart my tongue would
ceaYe to my mouth, be false to my con-
science. My left hand would be palsied
did | use it in deceit, and my right poi
soned and burned did [ attempt to crack
the Radical whip of scorpions. Maryland
would crimson at the shame. She is wise
enough to understand the rights of others
liberal enough to befriend impartial
enough to Judge honorably, and too honest
10 mix with the pilfering hordes that are
now crawling all over like army worms the
fair fields of the unfortunate South. To
her school an l indebted of whatever pO-
Iitictl notions L entertain. She is the f0ua-
tgin and origin of liberal craftsmanship in
this crusade. She teaches her citizens to
go forth armed with valor and Defiance to
hurl cOntemptuOus wrath on those mer-
conary upstairs, those despotic and dis
honest demagogues, who are now lashing
the colored men Of the South into furious
excitement against their own people,
against their own interest, and ultimately
against their own welfare, and who only
use them as pack-animals to ride in on
their backs to every office of honor and
profit, and notoriety in the land. The
States of the South were the first to pro-
claim universal liberalism, and to introduce
the most Democratic forms in the govern
mcnt.
Fellow-citizens, let US explain this by ar
ragning the New England States with the
Southern, or the colonies of the former
with those of the latter. 1t will be dis
tinctly seen that suffrage was always more
popular in the Southern than it was in the
Northern colonies. Though Democracy
was at first resisted, it nevertheless crept
onward, slowly but surely and in silence
1t became as party principle the cradle
of our civil and political rights. The penal
laws of New England did more to resist
the spread of liberal sentiments in religion,
in local civil government, and in the free
discussion of general politics than did
ever any dark gathering of the Inquisition
of Spain, of the Wings of England, of the
Republicans of France. They branded the
poor Quakers as can accursed race of
heretics," drove them from their happy,
humble homes, and often deprived them
of liberty and life. When they did not go
this far in their zeal of brainless bigotry,
they passed law the most iniquitous that
has ever disgraced the page of any history,
whether of theology, of philosophy, or of
politics. All captains who brought over
Quakers were heavily fined and imprisoned.
The Quakers were seized, fogged, their
books burned, and they were then driven
without money and means from the State.
-Four of these harmless people were pa
toll fD1~~ L