The Ouachita telegraph., 1877-09-21

you to look back to those trying days |
when the Presidential contest was un-
Dettled? What was the conrse Of the |
South thenf 81
Gov. Hampton alluded to the possl- |
bility of civil war in which famiIier
would have been divided in civil was
had not the South stood firm for peace,
and said: s{.|
I tell you, men OF Hin Nois-and r.
speak not ~ Democrat; don't know
and don't care whether / speak to
Democrats or Republicans speak as
an American to Americans, and say 10
you today that you owe debt Of graft
tude TO the people Of the South lcheers]
In Congress,t to what some people Of the
North have called the Confederate bri-
satllers-preventing filibustering and
who stood by the result of the
Electoral Commissions work. During
the recent strikes and riots, too, she
evinced her feeling by uphOlding laws
and standing conservatives. She has
given bonds to fate to preserve the
peace, and she wants peace. She wants
you, men Of the North, to understand
her condition. She wants you to realize
precisely what she accepts as the result
OF the war. She wants you to under.
stand the motives which have actuated
her not only before and during, but
since the war. I for myself, my trends,
have ..E
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 1t. did what you did
obeyed the command Of my own State
AS you did yours, and you men of the
North were guided by your own con-
sciences as we of the South were guided
by ours; and 1 say to you that up to
the beginning of that war I used all
my influence to preserve tho Union.
newed cheers.1 did all could to
prevent it; did all could to avoid
war, but when South Carolina called
her sons, as Illinois called hers, l
obeyed her command and, men of H.
linois, I fought you as long and as hard
as 1 could, and 1 have no apologies to
make for 1t. Loud cheers and laugh
ter. L remember especially that /
fought the Eighth Illinois, and 1
Thought 1t one of the best regiments in
the Federal army. I fought them very
hard indeed. [Great cheering and
Now, my friends, we went into the
war believing we we're right, but when
the war ended we surrendered, and
want to impress that upon you. We
surrendered in good faith, and 1
CHALLENGE ANY MAN LIVING
to say that from that day to this have
violated in any degree the tenor of my
parole, or done anything Inconsistent
with my honor as u soldier or u citizen.
Loud applause.1 When I sheathetl
my sword renewed my allegiance to
the United States government.
pledged myself to support the constitu-
ton Of the United States. When / took
my official oath the other day as Gov
ernor of South Carolina, 1 swpre to up
hold it as 1t now stands, and so help
me God intend to keep it. Loud
cheers We surrendered in good
faith. We accepted the constitution OF
the United States with the amend
ments. Though we opposed the latter
we accept them now, and propose to
obey them, right or wrong; that the
constitution shall stand equal for the
protection of South Carolina and of
Massachusetts,, OF Illinois and Louisi-
ana, 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.
CCheers.]
So much, my friends, for the views
we entertain. Then we come appeal
ing to you for peace. We come ap-
pealing to you because it is not only
the highest wisdom to restore peace
not only because it is statesmanlike
not only because the very theory of
craftsmanship and politics requires the
restoration Of peace-but we appeal to
you because it is the very handspring
of patriotism, and If there is anywhere
the handspring of patriotism moving
strong and perpetual it Is in the hearts
OF the people Of Illinois.
Gov. Hampton, alluding to the story
that he had been threatened, treated
the matter jocosely, eliciting much
mfrth, and read II letter stating that
one hundred veterans at Rockford had
constituted u committee to send him
back from lrere in box. The remain
der of the speech was devoted to eulo-
CYSTIC illusions to the State of Illinois
in regard to its agricultural advantages;
to prediction of a glorious destiny for
the Mississippi valley; to IL brief allu-
sion to the labor question, and to II plea