Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-10-03

+ nary circumstances | should scarcely
c haveleit my official duties TO participate
" in an occasion OF this sort, howevc
4 gratifying the honor might have been
s but the invitation of the Winnebagt
Q Agricultural Society carried with il
I such weight that il imposed upon m,
/, an obligation which | felt / could moi
neglect. It was this society n yeai
' ago, before the political spirit which
has now so happily subsided and abat
cd, that was among the first TO inau
I gurate that spirit Of reconciliation
, which is now spreading with such
! wholesome force over this land of ours
. Therefore when they made q call upon
, me, a Southern man, felt that il
: was not only my pleasure but my duty
} to go and make responce in person,
and thank them for their course in the
interests OF harmony, and to pledge
my cooperation in this patriotic and
noble work. [Applause.
} If 1 comprehend the purpose Of your
, invitation TO me it was not that should
! speak to you, merely on agricultural
subject, but that | should discuss those
graver and broader issues which are
destroying friends, in doing that the
country. But my you need not fear
that | shall violate the properties of
the occasion by giving you a political
speech. / shall speak 10 you for no
man, no party nor no election, but for
this whole country [Applause.] And
in doing that, | shall strive truthfully
to sink all men and to place myselfup-
on that grand high plane where true
and pure patriotism can be found. [Ap-
plause. As | construe the motives of
this movement, my friends, it is in the
interests of peace. Understanding it
so, it was that that brought me here,
and if by anything can say or do, If
! can the slightest degree assist these
gentlemen IN the noble work that they
have undertaken, then, my friends, /
shall feel that my mission has not alto
gether failed.
OBJECT OF THE GOVERNORS VISIT.
The chief thing | had in view in
coming here was TO promote n true and
correct understanding between the
people Of the North and South. You
must admit that very many of the evils
which have fallen on the country have
come from u manifestation of the pur-
poses, each Of the other and you re-
member there is a profound truth as
well as knowledge of human nature
embodied in the fable where it is told
that in olden times, shield white on
one side and black on the other was
hung out at the intersection of two
roads and two knights approaching in
opposite directions disputed as TO the
color Of the shield. Finally, their Ian
ces were put in rest and they perilled
life, each to support his own convic,
tons. 1t has seemed TO me in looking
over all these questions that something
Of the same sort happened between the
North and tho South. The Constitu-
ton was the shield, and viewed as it
was from different points and construc-
tons, the dispute upon the points wax
ed warmer and warmer. The sword
was called in and under its red arbi-
trant many brave and true and
knightly soldier laid down his life IN
support ofhis conviction. What might
have happened, my friends, had pru-
dence and not passion ruled the hour
1t is useless for us to say now. The
statesman looks to the past perils Of
his country, simply that he may guard
against them and the prayer and work
Of the patriot should tend TO the same
end
THE SOUTH DESIRES PEACE.
My friends, | speak for the South.
We of the South have not only enough
but too much of war. daughter. I
We come now to plead in the interest
of peace, and it is for that | am here
before you today [Cheers.l Can
you doubt my friends, that the South
wants peace2 Go and look at her ruin
ed fields, the way in which she has liv-
ed for twelve years and you will doubt
it no longer Do you, men of Illinois,
doubt her sincerity? She has been
charged with faults but among those
faults the worst enemies have never
said she was hypocritical, or that she
spoke with double tongue Impetu.
Gus, rash, she may be but thank God,
false never, [Cheer.] Do you want
proof of her sincerity, look in the re-
cent past and tell me if you can find
sympathy more conclusive thanis given
by your conduct. Need | tell you TO
look back to those trying days when
the Presidential contest was unsettled 4?
What was the course of the South
then2
THE PRESIDENTIAL STEAL.
Governor Hampton alluded to the
possibility of civil war, in which ia.
miles would have been diverted in civil
war had not the South stood firm for
peace, and tell you, citizens of Illinois,
and speak not as Democrat, | don't
care whether speak TO Demo.
Gratis or Republicans, speak as
an American to Americans, and | say
to you today, you owe a debt of credit
to the people OF the South. [Chccrs,l
In Congress, too, what some of the
North called the Confederate brigade,
prevented fillibustcring and stood by
the result of the Electoral Commission
work. During the recent strikes and
riots too she evinced her feeling by up-
holding the laws and standing Conser.
vative. SbS has given bonds to the
State to preserve the peace and she
wants peace. She wants you people
OF the North TO understand her condi-
ton. She wants you to realize precise.
ly what she accepts as the result OF the
war. She wants you to understand
the motives which have actuated, not
only before and during but since the
war. for myself, my friends, have
no concealments to make for the past
| have taken part in the war, nor
would your respec. for me be increased
were ! to offer any unmanly apology
for it. ! did what you did
THE GENERAL A UNION MAN BEFORE
THE WAR
obeyed the command of my own
State as you did yours, and you men
Of the North were guided by your con.
sciences as We OF the South wero guild
cd by ours, and say TO you that up
to the beginning of that war used all
my influence to preserve the Union.
[Cheers.1 | was Union man. Re
newcd cheers.l Idid all could to
avoid war and when South Carolina
called her sous as Illinois called hers !
obeycd her command, and men of Hi.