The weekly clarion., 1875-10-27
GEN. VESTS Speech at Holly
Springs.
HoLLY SpR1Nas Oot 1a. 187l.

pearance IN the political arena was III
the advocacy of ''the Union, the Con-
stitution, and the enforcement of the
laws, in pressing the election of Bell and
Everett in the memorable campaign of
1850. That the. expectations of the
people were aroused, was manifest by the
large audience that packed the court
house, there being present most all the
prominent citizens of Holly Springs, and
a large number of colored men, too, upon
whose esteem and affections Gen. West
| is said to enjoy strong hold for his uni
form kindness and good advice to them.
| At o'clock, and after music by the
Holly Springs band, Gen. West was
gracefully introduced to the audience.
by the President of the meeting, Gen.
H. +. Williamson, one of MarshalPs
most popular citizens.
The speaker commenced his address
by saying: Z" Invited by friends of both
races, in whose opinion he had conf
dence, to speak in this canvass, he had
consented to do SO, not only as an act of
reciprocal courtesy, but also in obedience
to a sense of duty. He would not attempt
to entertain the audience in the adornment
of rhetoric or display of oratory, or flashes
of wit and humor, for this was no time
for literary pastime, but that questions
affecting the foundations of our social and
political system, of great magnitude, and
of far reaching Importance were now be-
fore us for solution. The sacredness of
their character should subordinate the
faculties of our minds and all mere per-
sonal ambition, to an honest and dis
passionate discharge of every personal
and public duty" Adverting to the
answer of the ancient oracle, that the
highest attainable wisdom was to know
thyself," he dwelt at length, as to each
nation having its own peculiar constitu-
tion, its own laws and institutions, its own
instincts and passions, each alike, a
grand or glorious destinyhe accomplish
or to mar. That while the American
people had made wonderful progress in
the arts and science, in civilization, and
in all the elements of power, they had
never reached any harmonious agreement,
but had been in one unceasing conflict as
to the character of the institutions of their
country, and as to the tendencies and ma
ture of its constitution. The convulsive
throes through which the country had
passed, had brought the people to self
/
we should know ourselves, substituting
thought, science and statenanship for the
prompting Of impulse, whim and passion
that we might unite in building upon du-
rable foundations, grand political super
structure of we'll defined powers and rights
of liberty, and political equality before
the law for all citizens, native and foreign,
white and colored, challenging the ad-
miration of mankind, and grandly exhi-
biting to the world the triumphs of reason
and patriotism over prejudice and pas
sion.
All had duties to perform and respon-
sibilities to bear; each voter should know
himself that he was sovereign, and
the officer created by his vote was his
servant, and thus he should cast his
ballot intelligently All knew that we
were in the midst of bad government,
with high and oppressive taxes; almost
all wanted a change, but want of conf
dence in each other had prevented its
being accomplished. He did not believe
there was any cause for the continuance
of this distrust of each other, but that
all should unite in a sympathy with
suffering, and Danish race antagonism
and foster spirit of union in the resist
ance Of wrong.
For more intelligent understanding
of the political questions involved, and
with the hope of developing in the minds
of all a charity for and disposition to
forgive each other for past or real or
fancied injuries, and unite all for one
common welfare, he would briefly review
portion of English and American his
tory, especially as to the laws bearing
upon the relation which existed between
the two races at different periods. This
he did at the proper time, in a mastery
manner, quoting numerous authorities as
to the colonial era, rehearsing the history
of the formation of the Constitution, its
provision about continuing the slave trade
for fifteen years, the connection of North
ern ship-owners with it, the propositions
of Southern members being opposed by
Northern members then, coming to
later times, the fugitive slave law and
its enforcement, the war and its results,
the enfranchising Of the blacks and dis
franchsing of the whites, &c. All of
this be desired to do not as party man,
not having participated in a political
party meeting since the late war not |
however, from an Indifference to the |
public veal, but that he could do no |
good in staying the furious storm Of pas
sions, prejudices and conflict of ideas
which inevitably followed the war, and |
could only end from their own exhaus-
ton.
The problem whether distinct races,
possessing equal political power could
dwell together in peace, in free county
like ours, was before us for consideration.
He discussed this subject at length, show
ing that there was a community of inter
ests in the various relations of life between
friendship towards each other in all things
except that of politics that once this
settled, the question of races dwelling
together in peace settled itself. He then
proceeded to show how this could be ac-
complished. Closing this part of his
address in these words "Now, declare
that it is my firm conviction, that if the
colored men and white men will unite
politically and work together, as they
can and should, that we can live together
in peace and grow in honor and prosperi-
ty, and build up government full of
power and resplendent in its glory"
Gen. West made SO many strong points
in the elucidatlon of his argument, that
it would be impossible to give anything
like full report of his splendid address
without occupying column after column of
your valuable journal. Nothing seemed
to escape him. The arguments and APP
peals addressed to the minds of the coIored
element were irresistible, and his analysis
of the character and purposes of the great
head-centr of Radicalism in Marshall
county, Capt N. G. Gill, was terrific.
The large rumber of colored men who ,