The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-09-28


the patriot should tend to the same end
My friends, speak for the South. We of
the South have had not only enough but too
much of war Laughter,] We seek peace.
We come now to plead in the interest of
peace, and it is for that am before you to-
day. [Cheers.J Can you doubt, my friends,
that the South wants peace? Go look at
her ruined fields, the misrule under which
she has lived for twelve years, and you will
doubt no longer. Do you men of Illinois
doubt her sincerity? She has been charged
with faults, but among these faults her worst
enemies have never said she was hypocriti-
cal, or that she spoke with double tongue
lmpetuous, rash, shs may be, but, thank
God, false, never. Cheers.
DO you want proof Of her sincerity p
Look in the recent past, and tell me, if you
can find sympathy more conclusive than is
given by her conduct. Need tell you to
lock back to those trying days when the
Presidential contest was unsettled? What
was the course of the South then?
Governor Hampton alluded to the posi-
bility of civil war, had not the South stood
firm for peace, and said: | tell you Of Hi
nois, and | speak not as a Democrat-I
don t know aud don't care whetber.f .f'.sspeaik
to Democrats or Republicans, speak as an
American to Americans, and say to you to-
day, you owe Il debt of credit to the people
of the South cheers in Congress, to
what some Of the North have called the
Confederate brigadcrs. They prevented
tlibustcrins and stood by the result of tn ,
Electoral Commissions work. During the
recent strikes and riots, too, she evinced her
feeling by upholding the laws and standing
| conservative.
She has given bonds of late to preserve
the peace, and she wants peace. She wants
you, people Of the North, to understand her
condition. She wants you to realize pre-
ciscly what she accepts as the result of the
war. She wants you to understand the
motives which have actuatcd her not only
before aud during, but since the war. L,
for myself my friends, have no concealments
to make for the past. | have taken part
in the war, nor would your respect for me
be increased were [ to offer any unmanly
apology for it. did what you did.
obcyed the command Of my own State as
you did yours and you, men Of the North,
were guided by your own conscicnccs, as we
Of the South were guided by ours. Aud
say to you that up to the beginning of that
war | used all my influence to preserve the
Union. Cheers was Union man.
Renewed cheers | did all 1 could to
preserve it. did all | could to avoid
war, and when South Carolina called her
sons, as Illinois called hers, obeyed her
command. And, men of Illinois, fought
you as long and hard as could. and have
no apologies to make for it. Loud cheers
and laug ghter. remember especially that
| fought the Eighth Illinois, and thought
it one Of the best regiments in the Federal
army. fought them very hard indeed
Great cheering and laughter1
Now, my friends, We went into the wal
ended we surrendered, and want to I'M
press that upon you. We surrendered in
good faith, and challenge n man living to
say that from that day to this | have viola
ted i'll any degree the tenor of my parole,
or done anything inconsistent with my
honor us a soldier or u citizen. [Loud
cheers. When sheathed my sword re-
ncwed my allegiance to the United States
government, and | pledged myself to sup
port the Constitution Of the United States
When | took my official oath the other day
as Governor Of South Carolina, | swore to
uphold it as it now stands, and, so help me
God, intend to keep it, [Loud cheers
We surrendered in good faith We accep.
ted the Constitution Of the United States
with the amendments, though we opposed
the latter. We accept them now, and pro.
pose TO obey them, right or wrong; shat
the Constitution shall stand equal for the
protection of South Carolina and Massachu.
sets, Of Illinois and Louisiana; and we
have the right to ask that every citizen in
every State should be equal before the law
and under the Constitution of the United
States. [Cheers.
So much, my friends, for the views we
entertain. Then we come, appealing to you
for peace. We come appealing to you, be-
cause it is not only the highest wisdom to
restore peace, not only because it is states
manlikc, not only because the very theory
of craftsmanship and peace requires the re-
storation of peace, but We appeal to you be-
cause it is the very handspring of patriot.
ism, and if there is anywhere the main
spring Of patriotism moving strong and
perpetual, it is in the hearts Of the people
of Illinois
Governor Hampton, alluding to the story
that he had been threatened, treated the
matter jocosely, cliciting much mirth, and
read letter stating that one hundred yetcr-