Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-04-26
Speech of Hon. Geo. =. Boutwell,
at the Fancuil Hall Meeting i'm
Regard to the Negro Exodus

In the month of September, 1864, the Cit-
zens of Boston and vicinity, called together
without reference to party associations met
in Fancuil Hall to celebrate the victories of
our arms before Atlanta and in Mobile Bay
No one then toresas or imagined that in less
than fifteen years those victories would he
followed by the enforced repatriation from
their homes, from the scenes of childhood.
from the graves of ancestors, from rude
churches made dear by the welcomes there
given to freedom after years of slavery in I'M
told misery, of those and only those who,
from grateful hearts and with willing hands
then gave even cup of water to the famished
heroes by whose tolls, sacrifices and suffer
ings the victories were won. On that occa-
sion my words gave offence to the democratic
party. ! cannot hope for better fortune to-
day. When great public interests and the
most sacred private rights are menaced, as
sailed and in imminent peril, whoever speaks
cannot fully perform his duty unless he seek
for the causes and suggest remedies and ade-
quate securities. In popular government,
every invasion of private rights and every
assault upon public interests is open to in
quiry, redress and remedy Otherwise pop
ular government is u failure.
A SAD SPECTACLE.
Since the assassination of Abraham Lin
coin no other so sad spectacle has been pre-
scented to the country as the flight of thou
sands of American citizens from their hum
BILE homes,-but homes around which the
purest sentiments and attachments cluster
and lineer,-that they may escape the fiends
of assassination and of other kindred and
only lesser crimes which darken the recent
history of the States of the Lower Mississ-
ippi and the GULF of Mexico. Applause.
t,s,v.l a.. :.
fury since from this platform the Hungarian
exile, Louis kossuth, made his eloquent and
rcsistless appeals in behalf of his oppressed
and exied countrvmcn fleeing even to Tur-
key Il refuge against Austrian dcspotism
His words reached every ear and kndled
sympathy in every heart in all the non-slavc-
holding States Of the Union. And even Tur-
key, dcspotc brutal Mohammcdan Turkey,
as the refuge of the oppressed and the pro-
tector of the exile. was cheered and applaud
ed by libcrty-lovdg Americans in every part
Of the republic.
But what were the suffprngs of those Hun
garians, when compared with the miserics
now endured by our brethren. American
citizens all, accepting absolute destitution.
fleeing from sunny climes to comparatively
frigid regions, and from accustomed and
agreeable pursuits to new and untricd and
/
Our fathers were exilcs, but British history
is not blackened by crimes such as have been
perpetrated in Mississippi, Louisiana and
South Carolina upon weak, libortv-loving.
| in0fiensive race of men. The brutality of
the slavcholding class has been stimulated by
| the lust of power.
The negro has been the victim, and if lib
crty were not above all price, and if the flu
ture were not certain TO bring to him peace
and security in the enjoyment of his rights
he might well doubt the advantage of free.
dom.
But the future is secure. The overthrow
of slavery was not more certain when Abra-
ham Lincoln said that the nation could not
endure permanently half slave and half free.
than it now is that the domination of the
siaye-holding class will soon come to an end.
The PREsEsT STRUGGLE.
But the struggle Is for power-poItical
power-and as was the case during the war.
the reliance of the South Is upon the demo-
cratic party Of the North. Had the slave
holders not been led to accept the promises
and pledges of Northern democrats. they new
er would have engaged in the attempt to over