The weekly loyal Georgian., 1868-02-15

- FREE SPEECH.

If any one doubts that free speech
allowed in Gcorgia-ori if our Northern
| friends suppose that the Reconstruction
Convention is composed of delegates electe,
by loyal votes exclusively, we commend t
them a careful perusal of the speech de
liyered in the Georgia demonstrations
Radical Niger Convention (as our Con
se'rGttee Literatures style it) on Friday last
by the Hon. Mr. Waddell, of Polk county
/ Mr.. President-It was not my intention
to trouble the Convention with a single
word upon the subject Immediately before
us; and should not now, but for some re
marks which fell from the delegate from
Richmond (Mr. Bryant. He complained
. because allusion had been made to the fac
that some of the conspicuous delegates to this
Convention those oftenest. on the floor
were recent residents of Georgia, and
| intimated that in consequence Of. that faci
prejudice was endeavored to be kindled
against those delegates Of Northern birth
| have sat in this Convention nearly forty
days, and ] appeal to those around me to
know if twenty illnatured filings have not
been made at Georgians where one even
respectful allusion has been ma to New
Englanders.
Four-fifths Of the white people Of Geor-
gia were rebels, $50 called = and not day
has been suffered to pass when those "feb.
els" have not been denounced, in some
shape or form, by those who have assumed
the task of. migrating upon the stock of
Georgia ignorance New England ideas and
New England civilization. They seem to
have an intense loathing for those who bore
part in the struggle for hbertv-they de-
nounce them as rebels and traitors No
terms of reproach are rigorous enough to
characterize them by-no punishment is
severe enough to inflct upon them. When
we tell them we have surrendered in good
taith-we have laid down our arms upon
the honor of soldiers we have abandoned
what they call the '.heresy of secession''--
henoel0rth we mean to stand by the Union
under the COnst1tutiOn--lt is all to no pur-
pose, all without avail. They are not con-
tent They are greedy for The pound of
flesh !; nothing shOn of our ruin, degrade
ton, eternal disgrace, will appease or
satisfy thenlt y -
Now, sir, | have borne Stuperaton long
enough. Lam not ashamed Of my record.
There never was a moment since the
date of my political accountability, when |
was not true to the great principles of
popular liberty as LAID down in the Consti-
tuition of the United States. 1t was pre-
cisely because Feonceived that that C0nsti-
tuition was practically overthrown, that its
principles were in jeopardy, that it's spirit
and essence were violated by the election
to the office of President of the United
States Of a sectional candidate upon
. ectional platforms, that espoused the
cause of Georgia. Through her sovereign
voice. size commanded me 20 evoHah my
hgstss-ss:ith my sword > g6awed 10 Ger
of tile United States. conceived She had
the right to absolve my citizenship she
commanded me to defend her; the Federal
Government commanded me to crush her.
] could not obey both masters. l elected
without hesitation in obedience TO the in
stincts of my nature, to stand by Georgia
the home of my childhood and man
hood; the graves of my neighbOrs and
friends the affairs of my kindred; the
honafed ashes of him whose name bear.
OF whom then shall be afraid OF what
shall | be ashamed Let nae here speak
one word for myself alone, and if my voice
could reach to the uttelmOst boundary of
creation, creation should hear the declara-
ton. To-day, poor as | am, / would no.
exchange the memory of the part / bore,
humble as that part was, in the noble strug
gle of Georgia to be free, for the crown Of
the Bourbon lost. | would not exchange
the memory of my poor part at Manassas,
Gettysburg, and Chickamauga, and
dozen other proud but melancholy fields
for the best hope have, II erred, 1T was
on the side of my State and my section,
an error. if one it be, that stands recorded
In Heavens Chancery upon mercy's page.
erred too in company with the best, the
brightest, aud the braveat of my State. |
erred with men whose names are garnered
IN in her heart, whose valOr shed unfadlng
lustrc upon her arms, whose fame is among
the Jewels of her crown, aud over whose
hero dust her most precioHs tears have
been shed.
Mr. Baldwin here interrupted by in
.oniring whether Mr.. Waddell still held TO
secession
MIR. WaddeIl-Seces was settled by the
war. | accented the result. When | sur
rendered nv sword [ surrendered that doe
trine. | surrendered TO General Grant, who
is a man Of honor, and has kept his pledge.
have kent. and mean 10 keep mine. Would
that could say as much for some OF his
sunporters here. My honor was pledged,
and hat i sustained. But | will not sit
silently by ,aud hear the memory Of those
xba peris6ed, in the effort to make secession
glorious. calumnaied. Those Christian he
roas Tom Cobb and Stonewall jackson,
who baptized your cause and mine, Mr..
President, in their blood-who sacrificed lite
IN maintaining it-over whose graves glory
weeps-they are denounced BY party on
this floor as traitors to the country, while
Butler. the beast, who inclted q ruflian SOL
diery at New Orleans TO violate detenceless
femaIes-who went there bankrupt in for
tune. as he is now bankrupt III fame-who
grew rich by plunder, robbery, rapine and
theft-he is now patriot Put me down
among the traitors
DEMOCRATS Young mems Democratic
Clubs are organizing In Georgia for the
purpose of restoring the Constitution OF
our fathers. - Exchange.
The Georgia Democrats" ."under Hardee
and G.. w. Smith, organized few years
ago in great numbers for the purpose oil
DESTROYING the Constitution OF their fathers.
AS we were able to preserve the constitu-
ton IN spite of their hostility we shall
doubtless succeed in still maintaining IT