The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-09-27
be increased were | to offer any unmanN

y
be increased were | to offer any unman>
ly apology for it. l did what you did
The General Union Man Before the War.
obeyed the command Of my State as
you did yours, and you men of the North
were guided by your consciences as we
of the South were guided by ours, and |
say to you, that up to the beginning OF
that war used all my influence to pre-
serve the Union. Cheers. | was Uns
ion. man. Renewed cheers. | did all |
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 IL
linois, | fought you as hard as | could,
and have no apology 10 make for IT.
Loud cheers and laughter. remember
especially that fought the Eighth Hi
nois, and thought it one OF the best reg
iments in the Federal army, and ! fought
them very hard indeed. Now, my friends
we went into the war believing we were
right but when the war ended we sur
rendered, and | want to impress upon
you that we surrendered in good faith,
and challenge any man living to say
from that day to this have violated in
any degree the tenor OF my parole, or
done anything inconsistent with my hon
or as soldier and citizen. CHEERS
When sheathed my sword, renewed
my allegiance to the United States Gov
ernment. l pledged myself to support
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 l intend to keep it:
Loud cheers. We surrendered in good
faith, We accepted the Constitution OF
the United States with the amendments,
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 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 ap-
peal to you for peace. We come APP
pealing to you because it is not only the
highest wisdom to restore peace, not
only because it is statesmanlike, not only
only because every theory of statesman
ship 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 pat
riotism moving strong and perpetual, it
is in the hearts of the people of Illinois.
Governor Hampton alluded to the
story that he had been threatened, and
treated the matter loosely, eliciting
much mirth, and read a letter, stating
that one hundred veterans at Rockford
had been constituted acommittee to dis
patch him from here in box.
The remainder of the speech was de-
voted to eulogistic illusions to the State
of Illinois, in regard to its agricultural
interests, to a prediction of a glorious
destiny for the Mississippi Valley, to a
brief allusion to the labor question, and
plea for universal education. He con.
cluded as follows:
We are standing under one flag, obey
ing one Constitution, and it is for us to
say what will be the future of this count
ry. Give US your help, and we will give
you our hearty cooperation. We feel
and know if this is done, that if we can
have a restoration of fraternity; five can
make the people OF this country underr
stand each other, we feel then that there
is a glorious future before the whole
country. We can make it so. We can
make it so by each and all of us per-
forming in his allotted sphere his duty,
and having done so, to leave the conse>
quences to God. Having performed our
duty, looking back to the past only to
gain wisdom for the future, and using
the present wisely, and looking to the fu'
ture with hope and trust in God. am
sure that we may all say, North and
South, paraphrasing the wish of the poet
that our States may all be distinct as
the pillows, yet one as the sea. (Ap~
plause,)
Gov. Hampton was followed by Sam
uel F. Cary, of Ohio, who spoke for an
hour and half.