Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-09-28
The Presidents Speech at Louisville.
Bsllow-Citizens of Louisyille

n
! 1 thank you for this Kentucky welcome.
The people of Kentucky and the people OF
Ohio are old acquaintances. The early his
tory of the two States is SO blended that
you cap9ot write the early history of Ohio
without having more than half its pages filed
abnut yOurs State of Kentucky I suspect
you cannot write the history of Kentucky
without occasionally mentioning the State Of
Ohio. .gighE aaf giIstuTg .NUR a. .aTIs H.'
Eight years ago had OCCASION to join in
welcome to the Legislature and other dis
tinguished men OF Kentucky I cannot un-
dertakeyto repeat the remarks then made,
but 1t seems to me not inappropriate to pur-
sue the same general course of remarks with
which, L welcomed the Kentuckians eight
years ago. I'D -.,.,.,. .,.-...s.f.....
My earliest recollections, my earliest know
ledge, Of Kentucky is associated indelibly
with the conversations and speeches of that
tay9red. and most eloquent Governor q Ohio
was fond, in his eloquent speeches and still
more eloquent conversations, of talking of
Kentucky and Kentuckians He used to say,
with that habit OF his Of drawing illustra-
tions from the Scriptures, that il any people,
since the dispersion on the plains of Shinar,
were literally Graded in war, 1t was the peo-
pie ofzKentucky. In childhood aud in youth
they fought the savages in the block-house
and stockade, by the side of their mothers
and sisters; aud in manhood they pursued
the hostile sayages and British invaders from
Ohio and Indiana.
The common observation is that Ken
tueky, the first, State and most prosperous IN
early times, and by far the most powerful,
was always ready to help Ohio when she
needed help. In every moment and on every
occasion Of apprehension Ohio always ap-
peaIed to Kentucky, and never appealed in
vain. The bones Of Kentucky's sons whit
ened on everybattle- field in the Northwest;
W.
longer, and peace was smiling over both
these States, the cordial and friendly rela-
tions between them continued on and on.
In 1924 Ohio rejoiced to cast her vote for
Kentucky's favorite, Henry Clay, and twenty
years afterwardI am glad and proud to be
able to say that, with the majority OF the peo-
pie of Ohio, cast my first vote for Henry
Clay, of Kentucky. And yet this feeling of
friendship was not confined to one of'the
political parties, for our adversaries rejOiced
to vote for Col. r, r. johnson for Vice
President; and afterward Butler for Vice
President; and you reciprocated the feeling
and gave to our farmer patriot, Gen. Har-
rison in 1910, the largest majority he re-
ceiyed in any state of the Union. .
This was the, course of events in early
times. But afterward there came an estrange-
ment, and there came division and discord,
and the old friendship seemed to be gradual
ly disappearing, and afterward there came
war; but for the cause of that estrangement
and hostility Kentucky was not responsible,
and Ohio was not responsible. Ken
lucky alone could not remove it; neither
could Ohio alone remove it, nor both togeth-
er could not remove 1t, And any man who
sees in the affairs of men, on any occasion,
the finger of Almighty God, sees in that
great struggle the ends of Providence, and
the difficulties perfectly removed-the only
causes that could separate Kentucky from
Ohio, or Ohio from Kentucky. And when
tba - % NrNno A.. -
understand me, Iwould not narrow the dem
onstratiou to-day; the true history of Ohio
and Kentucky 10 an epitome of all the re st
of the country--and now, when the
cause is removed, whatever the hostility,
whatever the prejudice, whatever the es-
trangement, let them also be removed.
+ have been, fellow soldiers, during the
last few days among the soldiers of the
Union, and they, the men most early to come
together after this great division, are those
who made the acquaintance of one another
or the field OF carnage. ! have found it true
on the other side OF the river, and have
found 1t true here in Kentucky. A distin-
guiAbed statesman said to Gen. Scott during
the war; "When the armies of the Union are
successful there will be peace and content
eYerywhere."r v Gen. Scott remarked; mo,
sir; not for some time after the war; for
after the Successful close of the war you will
find the whole power of the General Gov
ernment necessary to keep down the 'bellig-
erent NON -coubatants OF the country" Per-
haps the old man had the spirit of prophecy
inihimsa VI Said my friend: % Those who fight
upon the field learn to respect each other
TIE soldiers of both armies imperiled their
lives Tor the cause. and such men always re-
spect each other,n 1t is for them to come
together. In the beginning l was under the
impression THAT our Southern friends had the
advantage OF us--tlIat you had better marks
men and better hOrsemen. We had TO learn
to shoot and to ride; but after we had learned
1t then II, became light between Greek and
Greek, and we al know what that means.
And now, my friends, that being over, why
shall We not come together Oh, we have
come together! This demonstration In Lou
isville tells the whole story. / need not
shout myself hoarao before this great audi
enee IN making a Apeeoh about the happiness
and peace that we are now enjoying in all
sectiofis'of the Union This demonstration
has mad the speech of the occasion. Moth.
ing can be added To it, j think we can con-
fidently look forward TO a fraternal union on
the basis of the Constitution as IL now is,
with all the amendments.S My friends, my
Confederate friends, do you intend to obey
the whole Constitution and the amendments?
j thought you would. / believe you will,
and that removes the last cause of dissension
between us. 1 look, forward happily to the
bright realization OF the bright vision of a
popular English author when he said: "I
see a vast confedefacy, stretching from the
frozen North to the glowing South from the
white billOws Of the Atlantic to, the calm
waters Of the Pacific main, that would con-
tain one people, one language and one faith,
and everywhere "a home for freemen and a