The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-09-26

a noble Plea for Peace and Reconciliation
and the Equal Rights Of al
PITrsBURa, Sept. 10. 1872.

and the Equal Rights Of al
PITTsBURG, Sept. 49, 1872.
FELLOW CITIZENS: The wise King SAYS
there is a time for war and time for peace
The city Of Pittsburg has recently witness
Ell rehearsal OF the pOmp and pageantTy,
the blaZonry and circumstance of civil war.
A very large number of men were collect
ed at vast expense, with the single purpose
of reminding the bitterness and hatred, the
luminosity and antipathies the fears aud ex-
ultations of civil war for the advantage Of
political party. | take you to witness
that the journals of Pittsburg, as well as
the orators on this occasion, have been try
ing their best to make us, the people, hate
each other for the sake of partisan advant-
age,
stranger would imagine, who was read
ing the journals of Pittsburg for the last
few days, that we were still at war, and
that their purpose was to revive and exas-
perate the hatred and aninosity OF civil war.
In order to intensity and invigorate their
side of the conflict they talk about rebels
and traitors.
Fellow citizens, are we never to be done
with this? We demanded of our ADVERSE
rieS in the great civil war that they surren-
der their arms and go to their homes. They
surrendered them. We demanded that they
enfranchse the blacks, and the blacks are
enfranchised. None but white men now
stand disfranchised on the soil of our coun-
try.
We demanded that they stipulate that the
emancipated slaves shall not be paid for,
and that the Rebel debt shall never be paid
by the Government or by the States, and
they assented to that. SO far as | eau see
every demand made on the part of the loyal
States and the loyal people has been fully
complied with.
On the part of those lately in rebellion
every thing has been done that we asked;
pyyn fncr hoe Anfl Ind
they tell US, "why, we want them to repent"
Have they not brought forth words meet
for repentance? and this coming together
in solemn convention of the representatives
of the Southern people have given their as
sent to the platform of the Cincinnati Con-
ventiOn, which was the most intense, the
most complete Republican platform that
had ever been presented by any National
Convention whatever.
All this being done, we arc told by these
gentlemen who met here, all this is mocke-
ry; all this is fraud; you don't mean any
thing by it, and the cry goes on, 'Rebels
and traitors Rebels and traitorG!' De-
nunciation, prescription, the same as ever.
Four years ago, IN the Republican Ma
tiOnal Convention, 1t was declared that this
prescription should speedily cease. Four
years have passed. and still it is maintained
that there are this day thousands of people
of Arkansas alone prohibited-the most in
telligent, the most responsible people of
that State-forbidden to exercise the right
of suffrage; forbidden exclusively by the
party that meets here and shouts for Grant
and Wilson. Nobody else asks for prOscrip-
ton but them. No one doubts, no other
party requires, that any human being
should stand prescribed on our soil for re-
bellion that ceased seven and a half years
ago. No party, no men of any party, doubts
this.
The very party that held a great military
parade this week in order to farther and
further separate and divide the hearts OF
Oh l., =, 9Th
they hold essential to their triumph that
hatred should continue; that distrust, sue-
picion and alienation should contine. Do
what you will, do what you may, they are
determined not to be satisfied.
Now, fellow-citiZenS, 1t Is not enough that
those who fought against the Union should
be prescribed. Those of us who stood for
it are equally denounced, il we do not hap
pen to agree with them in our present poll
tics. Here stands one who Is charged by
them with being secessionist, Could that
be true, felloW-citiZens? Look facts in the
face. When Lincoln had been elected, and
this conspiracy for secession began to advO-
cate itself, the Republicans were told by
our own men, and told still more by those
out of the circle. "YOu must back out of
your Republicans; You must surrender your
opposition to the extension of slavery, or
consent to a great civil war" This they
said, was the only alternative. Bloodshed
and devastation, over the whole country, or
you shall surrender the principles on which
| you have just carried the election. / was
one of those who said, mo; there Is no
such alternative" l denied that the South
ern people, the great minority of them, are
against the Union. / denied that there shall
| be open, free discussion before the Southern
people of an honest, unterrihed, uncOn-
strained vote. If they approve, IL the peo-
| pie of the South say they want disunion,
will consent 70 it. | know they Will not.
know that the Southern people, that the
great majority. would have voted as they
| did that wnter-nOt for secession, but tor
| clingiug to the UniSn. And now, to-day, if
| the Nation were to be imperilled. and there
were just two modes of saving it: to trust
| to the chances of civil war, or to the chances
| of a free fair vote of the Southern people,
| | would very greatly prefer to take the lat
| ter chance rather than the former. For, tel
| low-citiZens, they do greatly misunderstood
| and malign this American people when they
assume that in cold blood, before there had
| been any clash or arms, the people In the
South any more than people in the North
| desired disnnion. In its inception, In It's
| orr gin, the great masses or those VINO con-
| scented to the secession movement, meant
/ nothing by it but to back down the North
| and make US consent to the extension of
| slavery. That was their purpose, and that
| purpose did my best 20 resist and defeat
| Well, the war is ended. l think it ought
/ to be ended. We had great, terrible,
| bloody, a destructive, civil war. Our sue
| cess was perfect. The defeat of the adver-
/ sary was more complete than any defeat re-
1 corded in history. 1ney nave GuIkeFeu ulucU
| They have conceded all. Can not we afford
| to be magnanimous, at least! They say,
/ fellow citizens. that the Southern people
may vote. Some of them may; but the in
| slant they vote the cry is raised, See how
| these fellows vote" They cry, ''YOu must
vote the other way" Is that an election !?
| 1t is only the fashion Of war In another as
pect.
| Fellow citizens, you belong TO one of the
| great hives of American industry. /
| plead here for peace and recOnciliation-for
the interest, especially, of this busy, pros
| perous energetic people. How have sympa-
! thised with Pittsburg! How have rejOiced
in her prosperity! How / have wondered
and admired her magnificent growth. You
surely do know. No place on this conti-
nent has been dearer TO me than Pittsburg.
There has been no spot in whose prosperity
have more heartily rejOiced, and this is be-
cause believed her prosperity was firmly
linked and bound together with the pros
perity of our whole country.
Now appeal to her business men, APP
peal to her merchants, appeal TO her man
| ufacturers, 70 stop this war. it has gone on
long enough. You cannot afford to teach
| part of your country to hate You-to feel
that your success, your greatness, is
identical with their humiliation.
People of Pittsburg, ask you 70 take .
Hgenerous part in this great work of recon-
ciliatiOn. You are countrymen to each 9TH
er. ask you to take the hand held out to
you by our Southern brethren In the ad0p-