Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-09-10
Terrible Onslaught on the
SOn-in-Law Of Butler - A
Promise of Good Things
to COme-A Charac-
teristic Speech.

Dleu III lIOul OF lDe COURTHOUSE dt I1tI-
nando, Mississippi, yesterday, TO listen
, to the opening campaign speech, OF
: Senator Alcorn, the independent candi-
, date for governor of that State. The
. bone and sinew and the leading citizens
o OF DeSOtO county were present, while
the colorsd element was very largely
represented. In fact, it may be stated
that in point Of numbers the colored
, citizens largely predominated. At hall
past two o'clock in the afternoon the
courthouse bell rang out a merry peal,
and in response to its summons the ling
erers on the streets, the folks from the
country and the mechants began
to find their way to the court
house, in front of which a platform for
the speaker had been erected. There
was marked enthusiasm on every couD-
tenance, and all prepared themselves
for a decided intellectual treat of the
first order. A large portion Ct the va
cant space in front of the platform had
been provided with seats, but the crowd
was so large that the majority were
} obliged to stand; and to their credit be
) it said, they nobly stood their ground
for over a period Of three hours. When
Senator Alcorn appeared on the ground
be was received with cheers again and
again renewed, and warmly welcomed
by many a devout friend, both white
and colored.
Captain W. T. Nesbitt was unani-
mously called on to preside, and in a
few well-timed and terse sentences in
troduced Senator Alcorn to the assem-
bIage.
THE SPEECH.
Senator Alcorn, on ascending the plat
form, was greeted with a round Of cheer
ing, and when silence was restored he
spoke as follows:
1t may be, my cOuntrymen, that
committed a mistake when, the other
day at jackson, l announced myself a
candidate in opposition to General
Ames for governor Of Mississippi. Tina.
} have taken upon myself a labor, as
sumed a responsibility, and involved
myself in an exciting and unpleasant
struggle is apparent. l would gladly
avoid this if my duty to you, men Of
Mississippi, would permit. That it is
not self-seeking, that it is not the boon
of or desire for Office, that it is not am
bitiOn that has moved me to this action
all fair-minded men will grant. l hold
now the office of senator in the congress
of the United States for the coming four
years; an Office involving, if not less
labor, duties less unpleasant to be per-
formed than that Of governor; an Office
held to be above that of governor; one
10 which | was elected when governor
Of your State; one which / resigned the
Office of governor to accept.
General Ames who was nominated by
the late convention, and who is now a
candidate before you, is also a senator
in congress his term continues for the
coming two years. The question of his
reelection will be passed upon by the
ensuing legislature, and his friends give
this as a reason for his candidacy; no
such reason can apply to me. The
coming legislature has no power over
me-safely and securely seated until
the third of March, 1871. II self were
only involved, could sit quietly by,
aud taking advantage Of the disorder
sure TO result from the administration
of Ames, come forward three years
hence under the most favorable auspices
to renew my claims for reelection 10 the
| senate.
My countrymen, it is not office which
l seek; it is not position ! wish-these I
have. / repeat, am not prompted by
ambtion-in this l have been gratifed.
But il is the peace and repose of the peo-
pie of Mississippi which seek to main
tain. Permanently to establish this, l
come now once more before you. "Let
US have peace;" that was well said, and
was and is a most generous and noble
aspiration. But to have "peace" we
must have justice; just laws justly ad-
ministeTed, with proper guarantees that
( they will be maintained. These will
satisfy the demand Of our people, white
and colored. Without these a quasi
state of war must forever exist.
/ When the war ceased We stood face
/ TO face with the inevitable. When the
/ colOred man, who had been enslaved in
! the heart Of advanced liberty, had been
/ set loose as a result Of the war, j spoke
/ at once, an advocate of his enfranchise-
ment Liberty without guarantees for
/ its protection is but truce with ty-
raDy. Slavery having ceased among
"
! 1865 and before northern statesmen had
ventured to second the suggestion Of the
coloTed mans enfranchisement, | step
ped TO the front in Mississippi and urged
my countrymen 10 seize the OppOrtu-
nifty Of cementing a taking friendship
between the races in Mississippi. Ny
position was assailed. In the north il
was argued that If the colOred man was
enfranchised the white man would vote
him; in the south il was maintained
that the colored man would be
used to cheaper and degrade the
ballot. The liberty of the cOlOred
man it was the duty OF the
government TO protect. His freedom
had become necessity. His protection
in that freedom was a duty not to be ig-
nored. The government had either to
quarter an army in his midst TO guard
him against violence, or place in his
hands the ballot that he might protect
himself. An army for a purpose such
as this was not TO be thought Of in a re-
Publican government, the investiture Of
the ballot grouped the cOlored citizens
in equality before the law. Step by step
the nation moved in the direction of the
cslored mans recognition. First, the
thirteenth, then the fourteenth, and
nuhaAN AAAE AAAEEAAAA ~ AAAN
constitution projected for veal OF for
woe, what statesmanship could do in
perpetuating the results of the most re-
markable revolution that the world has
ever known.
-Four years since, in what | conceived
10 be the interests of Mississippi, upon
the invitation Of the masses of the col
Ored people, / became candidate for
governor, pledged 10 bear back to the
government at Washington the es-
trapged allegiance Of the white people |
Of the State, and the sworn allegiance /
OF the colored people Of the State, 10 the /
constitution as amended, as the funda- /
mental law of the nation, TO the defense |
of which our people stand to-day in full 1
accord with the States Of this Union.
was then a Republican; i am to-day /
a Republican. ] was then the friend OF /
President Grant; / am to-day the friend /
OF President Grant i was then the |
friend Of the people; / am to-day the |
friend OF the peOple-the whole people
and, above all, the friend Of the people /
Of my own State. Identified with the I
State for tae past thirty years, my all /
here my property, my family, my 4
twenty years OF public life, recorded 1
on the pages Of Nississippi's history /
dlA AhNoE DAANA Al AGHLluODN Oh ice ]
honesty and truthfulness with which /
/ now come before you. / ask 1
no Endorsement at your hands for any
thing that, as a public man, ] have |
done in the past. i ask Of you no sac
rifice Of your convictions. While have
nothing 20 take back, make no de-
mand ON you. / am, with my whole
heart, 2 Republican. You may have
warreC against me in the past: thai
matters not. A question is now at is
sue which involves our peace, our future
prosperity; our homes, our firesides.
Our State is about TO be committed to
the government ola band OF plunderers,
who have organized for our robbery, who
have proclaimed war upon our property,
war upon our right to participation in
the affairs Of government; who have
come TO antagOnize our people; to en-
gender strife; who have come as ineen-
diaries tc set fire 10 our homes that they
may plunder by the light Of the flame.
On the eightee th Of Janua y, 1870,
General Ames was elected by ire legls-
1a4ura ~ nfiacfsuffoa.f - q seat IN thn aaT-