The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1872-09-27
let. Could that be true, fellow-citizens'
Look facts in the face.

let. Could that be true, fellow-citizensi
Look facts in the face.
When Lincoln had been elected and
this conspiracy for secession began TO adj
vocatc itself, we Republicans were told
by our own men, and told still more by
those out Of the circle, you must back
cut Of your Republicanisml You must
surrender your opposition 10 the exten-
sion OF slavery, or consent to great
civil war. This, they said, was the only
alternative. BlOodshed and devastation
over the whole country, or you shall sur
rcnderer the principles on which you have
Just carried the election. was one Of
those who said, No. there is no such al.
tentative. | denied that the southern
people the great majority Of them, are
against the Union. ldcmand that there
shall be open, free discussion before the
Southern people, and an honest unterri-
fed, unconstrained vote. II they approve
if the people of the South say thsE want
disunion, | will consent to it. know
they will not. know the Southern pco-
pie, that the great majority, would have
voted as they actually did that winter,
not for secession, but for clinging to the
Union. And now to-day, if the nation
were To be imperriled and there were u
be two modes Of saving 1t, to trust to the
chances Of civil war or To the chances Of
free, fair vote of the Southern people,
| would very greatly prefer to take the
latter chance rather than the former. For,
fellow-citizens. they do greatly misunder'
stand and malign this American people
when they assume that in cold blood, be
fore there had been any clash Of arms,
the people in the South, any more than
thepeople in the North, desired disunion.
In its ipcsPiicn in rs origin, the great
inasses of those whe consented to the Sc
Iocssion moyemeni meant nothing by il
but to back do~n the North and make
,us consent ID the extension u slavery.
|fhas was their purpre, andsirat purpose
u did my bessp e nnd defcat. q
wsll. she war is esded. fthipk il
ought q. be ,euded.we had great, I
terrible. a bloody, a destructive ciyilvnr
COR ~occsss wss pesfect. The - D
the adyes~ries vas ,nsre cympIs,e -,
any deslss recordsd hi.tory.< Ihs,
have suffered much. '1hey have con
ccdcd all. CAM M We afford to be mag
nanimous at least They see, fcllow-cit
iuens, they see that tm Southern
people may svote-sOme Of them may
hut yIse instant they vvte, the or,
isx>ised See how these fellows vote
d ery You must vote the other way.
Is that an election. Of IN only the fash
ion of war in anothessspect.
Fellow-citizens, you belong to one 9
the great hives of.Anerican industry.
|, plead heefbr peace and reconciliation
'for the interest especially of this busy
prosperous, energetic people. How hav
with Pittsburgh, how hav
. rsloiced in her prosperity, how j hav
a wondered and admired her magnifcer
\ growth, you surely do know. No plac
on this continent has been dearer to IN
Ihhan Pittsburgh. There has been n
i spot whose prosperity have more hear
ily reioiced al, and this is because | belie'
] ed her prosperity was firmly linked an
bound together with the prosperity an
, growth of our whole country. Now
appeal 10 her business men, | appeal
her merchants, appeal tn her manufa'
turers, to stop this war. 1t has gone o
/ long enough. You can not afford to teac
part of your country 10 hate you, to fe'
/ that your success, your greatness is ideI
} teal with their humiliation. People {
/ Pittsburgh, | ask you to take genero1
part in this work of reconciling you
, countrymen to each other. ask yon
take the hand held out to you by ou
Southern brethren in their adoption I
the Cincinnati platform, those who wei
, our enemies. | ask you to grasp TIN
) hand, and say brothers we differed. W
fought The war is ended. Let US agai
be fellow-country-men, and forget th'
: we have been enemies. Friends and fe
4 low-citizens. | hid Won goodnight"