The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-06-03
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SPEECH OF GEN. PALMER, In THE ElNATIONAL
10 REPUBLICAN CONVENTION, ATCWClGO.

SPEECH OF GEN. PALMER, INTHE NATIONAL
aa REPUBLICAN CONVENTION, ATGHICAGO.
!. On motion of the delegate from Ken
tneky the soldier, statesman and patriot,
Gen. John M. Palmer, was called out and
received with much enthusiasm. He spoke
as follows ino 3nlsi 9i9o9q aid ld9Ddid
m Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the Re.
publican Convention: Iattended this Con-
vcntion to witness and observe its earnest
action, without any disposition IN my part
to contribute to the volume of words that
usually attend assemblages like this, as you
viii see have outlived in great measure
the estimate that young men place upon a
mere speech. [Applause, and cries of Good n
Years ago, when the great questions before
the country were matters of argument and
deliberations, I endeavored as best Icould to
contribute my share to their peaceful asolu-
tion. In 1851 it was resolved Byaa portion
of the people of this country that the prob
lens OF the hour were to be settled in more
Stern and decisive manner. Inmy way-Ato'
the extent of the power IpossessedAI con-
'tributed to the settlement lof those problems.
| [Apphuse. o II seemed to me ut the close OF
the war; and it seems to me now, that the
sections Of the country were settled upon tile
battle field, and that all have desired since
! that time is, that the logic Of the battle
field should he recognized, and the decisions
there made should be carried into effect
| [Applanie.l Years ago. in the beginning of
7 the controversy, the question was whether
men in all parts of the Republic should be
/ allowed to speak. I valued freedom of
speech, not much speech, but free speech.
[Iaughter and applause,] While 1 com
manded no large share of tile populargift, |
| did insist that those who loved speaking
| should be allowed to doit 1t was denied,
not only in the South, but in many districts
in the North. At that time it was insisted,
not only that men should speak as they
| please and for themselves and ourselves
| l'[Apphuse. believe that while every man
should be- allowed to speak freely,
and speak for himself that all men
Should lie allowed to act freely, and act for
4 themselves, that every man he allowed to
own himself He should he allowed to own
not only himself, but to own his own wife
and his own children. This question has
f5been decided by the arbitrancnt Iof,the
sword, and nOt'Onlywa that great fnnda
mental, essential doctrine established, but
it was also set led conclusively as any ques
| tion could be settled, that hereafter men
should not only be free in their own persons,
1 but they should be alike free and equal be-
fore the law, everywhere in this great Re-
public; [applausel and the issue of the Re-
/ publican party to-day is not to discuss
theories, but to give practical effect to the
I great doctrines established Upon the battle
field. Applause Nott the loyal men
alone, nor for the North not for the S0nth,
but for men everywhere within the limits of
4 the Republic Nor for white men, not for
I red men, not for black men, but for all men.
/" That's SC" and applause And we sup
4 posed that the voice of the eAmericanpeople
during the progress of the war, and at the
4 close of the war, seemed to Indicate that
! hereafter there would be no. difficulty that
I these doctrines wnnld lie accepted--atF fcnst
4 by the Republican party everywhere. Six
months ago what man supposed that there
remained any further distractions to the ex-
ecutlon of the popular will, and that we
4 were still to struggle on in vindication of
these great principles. .. We had triumphed
9 during the war at the Presidential election
4 of 1864, and at the close of the war in the
greater conflict of 1866, when johnson mp
/
ted their'determination that these great doc
/ trines should be hereafter American doc
trines everywhere. [Checrs. 1.-THE public
. voice was spoken ip language not to be mis-
understood. 1t was supposed then that
every man who accepted the name of Re
publican recognized these great essential
! doctrines, and that they were; hereafter not
to be resisted, at leastaby the members of the
Il Republican party There was but one thing
4 then in the pathway of the people, In
Z 1864, when one yof those signal ablunders
which seemed like the dispensations of the
Almighty in his wrath, we elected Andrew
johnson Vice President, thouShtless men
may characterize it as blunder, but
thoughtful men may we'll wonder whether
what we deemed, a mistake was NIT the
/ Judgment of the Almighty inflicted upon
the country for some sin, and certainly.c,ex-
cept the war ITSELF no curse could be heavier
than the election of Andrew, oJohnson.
] TCheelsl In 1S665the distinct issue was
4 presented to the American people, whether
that curse should be removed 4 The people
of Illinois, by majority unheard of inlOur
history, instructed its Representatives, upon
that question Iowa spokeBOuta Kansas
spoke out other States spoke ont upon this
question: There was no possible room tor
| mistaling the williof the people of the
country there was but one way by which
4 all the departments OF the Government could
he brought in harmonylDJA demand was
made to impeach the President = butait has
failed. Itis not for me to speak of the
reasons of that failure; it is enough for me
to deplore that result The removal of
| Andrew johnson was demandetlhy the ma
tional safetyJu We may talk about ait,y we
may discuss itas p judicial or political ques-
ton; but as question OF common sense, it
is that Andrew Johnson sto0dlin the way of
the peace of country, and ought to have
been removed. II Prolonged cheers. i'm
peachmentis is the substituteio of modern civ
4 ilizaton for old-fashioDed resistance and de-
4 capitation that is all there is Of Cheers,
and cries of "Good, good.rli Sir, in old
times, among barbarousi people, when the
4 ruler stood in tile way of tile people, they
took of his head In America, under the
| influence of civilization and Christianity,
when the ruler stands in the pathway of
principles andsthe prosperity OF the coun-
1 try, it is Ivy impeachment that we take off
bhis political head. 90 Cheers and ,applnuse.
Nice captious questions borrowed from a
Police Court, have no application here. 1t
is enough that the interests OF the millions
of American people demand that this iob
/ struction should be- taken, out Tof the way,
and it ought to- have been done ,lcheers} or
to use the lawyers phrase, johnson onghtto
have been indicted. He should have been
charged, convicted and removed Mr.. Pres
/ ident and igentlemeni of the Convention