The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-03-05
BAYARD'S PEACE SPEECH.

Since the name of Thomas +. Bayard ha.
been prominently mentioned as Democrat
ic candidateifor the Presidency, his enemies
have been seeking to find something in his
record that would weaken his chances, and
have finally hit upon speech delivered by
him at Dover, Delaware, on June 27, 1861,
at Peace Convention. In this speech he
saays:
"Take the proposition of war-of horrid,
civil war, my countrymen! Grant to the
Northern arms complete success. Suppose
that every Southern city be reduced. to
ghastly ruin, every Southern home desolated
and every Southern man slain or made cap
tive. This is the evident completest realiza-
ton of that dream of conquest so horribly
satisfactory to those minds who control the
Northern press. But what then? Will a
union with slaves and the possession of
desert satisfy You do not and cannot
expect love and aid in times of your neces.
sity from those States you have 50 cruelty
subdued. 1t is too plain, therefore, that
your success in such a war would be most
fatal injury to yourselves.
And is such q war a necessity for the
peace and happiness of the United States
For half a century we have lived at peace
with Great Britain with her Canadian pos.
sessions upon our northern border Upon
the South, Mexico holds her government
with no threats of trouble to our citizens.
Why, then, may not two American conied-
eracies exist side by side without conflict,
each emulating the other in the progress OF
civilization? The coterminous Kingdoms OF
Europe offer many examples OF similar
peace and prosperity. With such a.scken-
ing alternative as civil war why should not
the experiment at least be made. 1t is the
question we are to pass upon. to-day.
l belle We with the late Senator Douglas,
who has before been quoted to-day, that "a
war is disunion, certain, final, inevitable,
and, so believing, l oppose it.. >"
His address was an earnest plea for
peace because he honestly believed that the
result of civil war would be ruinous to the
whole country. lie expressed no sentiments
but those of patriot whose dearest wish
was the safety of his nation If he was
mistaken, so were thousands of Others whose
loyalty was meyer questioned.
The Philadelphia Chronicle. Herald says;
"If Mr.. Bsyard was distrusttul, so was
the great body of the American people,
Right here in Philadelphia, which afterward
went so heartily into the war, the conflict
was denounced as a cruel venture for which
there was no necessity, and in obedience TO
Mayor Henry's call the people pledged Phil
adelphia to do what she could to make the
Union comfortable to the South. There
was also in New York and New Jersey
strong opposition to the war, as indeed
there was generally until we had got well
into the din ard smoke of it. Nowhere was
there stronger anti-war feeling than
among the best men in Washington.
If we were to 90 further in this line we
could fill our pages for month with utter
ances quite as peaceful as those of Mr..
Bayard, and from men who subsequently
took high Office under the Republican party,
In view of these facts it is as mean as it |
will be futile to try to damage Senator Bay. |
ard with anything he said in that speech of
1861. Mr.. Bayard may never be President
but he will always be esteemed for his ster-
ling worth and unsullied patriotism" i