The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-03-11
FOE UNION AND PEACE.

The sya Assrsss re- ss DeiIssrs bsgss sy @
| In 1851.
! The following is the full text of the
speech delivered by Mr. Bayard at the
Delaware Peace Convention held al
Dover on June q, 1861, and concerning
the tenor Of which some recent contro-
versy has arisen:
Afy Esllo,c Coustrynieis; By no narFoE
party name, in no narrow partisan spirit
do address you, bnt as an assen,blage OF
American freemen do congratulate you
upon your meeting this day.
Important es are the issues we are hera
met TO consider, one result is accomplished
most gratifying TO al fair minded men
which we cannot pass by without notice
mean the right of meeting unre-
strained and of free unrestricted discus.
sion by free men of their government
and the policy and measures of those in.
TO whose hands it has temporarily been
entrusted. II is we'll known TO us all
that reign Of terror was sought to be
inaugurated in this State, as it has been
throughout the entire North, and for thia
purpose troops, not of our state, were en-
canped upon our peaceful coil at the in
|
whose insolence and expressions are linn
tied only by their fear aud ability to do
mischief To-day we stand here In the
spirit Of freedom, to vindicate our priyi-
lege and perform our duty Us citizens
despite the reiterated threats of profit.
gate end lawless press of neigboring atates
upon tho North echoed by papers in
this State equally shameless and corrupt.
It il known to us all that personal intim-
idation has been applied to each man
present to deter him from coming here
to-day-that many worthy but timid men
have been affected by such miserable
means is not TO be denied---the best an
swer to these hounds of the mob who
sought to prevent a,lpWful meeting call
ed in the sacred name of our country's
| peace is the assemblage now before me.
Never in this State has it been, exceed
ed in number and respectability. We
have, it is true, no high judicial officer
10 leave the bench and take part, in the
exciting scenes of. polidcs-we have no
| delegation of persons from the city of
Philadelphia--t.rt we have the substan-
tial citizens of Delaware with as great
stake in her fair name and prosperi-
ty as any others within her borders.
In tira, s of danger and distresslike the
present, the country needs most the intel
ligent cid of her best citizens; and now,
if ever, should they give her the best eff
forts as their heads and hearts, unde-
TERED by the wild passions and frenzied
violence which has swept over the North
ern States like whirlwind. The ques-
ton for every good man now to ask is,
"My country, what can do to restore
your peace and happiness7" The past
and its lessons should not be lost upon
us, but to inquire now into the origin
OF the cause or causes of our troubles
would not be within the scope of these
remarks nor useful at the present time.
The practical question before US forbids
nero speculstions-but stares us in the
face. hard, stern fact.
Eleven states have withdrawn from
| the Federal Union with solemn and de-
| liberate action and have reunited in O.
new government, They have made decla-
ration of independence of the govern
ment under which we live, and expressed
| their determination to maintain it at
every cost. With this secession, or rev.
olution, or rebellion, or by whatever
name it may be called, the State of Della
ware has had nothing to do. To our
constitutional duties toward each and
every member of the Union We have
been faithful in all times. Never, never,
has thought, aword, an act of our fathers
lin letter and in spirit it has been faith
fully kor. by us.
But the stern fact is still before us and
but two alternatives present themselves.
Shall we make war upon, and subiugate
this new con iederacy, or shall we peace
fully treat with them and consent 60 their
-government-trus to time, which
is the great healer Oh all wrongs and pas
sions, TO bring them again, voluntarily
! into n common government with ms2
Take the proposition of war-of horFid
civil waT, My country Tnel! Grant 10 the
Northern arms complete success-~aup-
pose that every Southern city is reduced
to ghastly ruin, every peaceful Southern
home ,sesolatSd, and every Southern
man slain or made captive. This is the ev-
ident, complete realization of that dream
of conquest so horribly satisfactory to
those men who control the Northern press.
But what then? Will q union of slaves
and the possession of desert sati,fy you
Yon do. not and cannot expect love and
aid in time of your necessities from those
States yon have so cruelty, subdued. It
is too plain therefore that your success IN
such war would be the most fatal injury
to yourselves. And isauch war neces-
aary for the peace and happiness of the
United States7si For half O century we
have lived at peace with Great Britain,
with her Canadian possessions upon our
northern border. unnn the saa.h, Mex:
co holds her government, with no threats
of trouble TO us or our citizens. Why
then may not two American eonfederacies
exist SIDE by side without con6ict-each
emnlating the other in the progress of civ
iliZation D.?
The co-terminous Kingdoms of Europe
Offer many examples of similar peace and
prosperity.
With euch sickening alternative as
civil war, why should not the experiment,
at least, be made ? 1t is this question we
are to pass upon to-day.
| / believe with the late Senator Douglass
who bias already been quoted to-day, that
"war is disunion, certain, final. ineuitd6ic,' y
and, SO believing, oppose it.
I believe solemnly, that the war in
| eugnrated by Abraham Lincoln and hie
Cabinet is worse than fruitless-that it
will prove more disastrous to the North
| than to the South and will never accom-
rli4- ;ts r.cfs=sssd S5iocssss SS55iooS.sss Already ;t
has driven out of our Union four states,
while Others stand in doubt. When
take up the public papers and see the
markets of the world disordered aud de-
pressd by the mere apprehension of this
| war--when / turn to our own business
circles and see men os wealth reduced 70
| pOvity, our merchants hankrupted. otlr