Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-06-26
THE DOVER SPEECH
VI senator Thes. I. Bayard in 1861
on the War Between the
States.
The One Speech Upon Which the Re
puelicans Hope to Defeat His
Nomination.

MY Fellow. Countrymen-By omar.
row party name, In no narrow parti. |
san spirit do ! address you, but ne an
assembiage of American freemer do / |
congratulate you upon our meeting of |
TINS day. Important as are the issues
we are here met to consider: one result |
Is accomplished, most gratifying to ail |
iair-minded men, which l cannot pass
NY without notice. / mean
the right Of meeting un.
restrained, and ST free, unrestricted
discussion by freemen of their govern
ment and the policy and measures of
those IN whose hands II has temp,-
rarily been intrusted. 1t is well known
to US oil that reign of terror was
] sought to be inaugurated In this state
as IL has been throughout the North.
ana for this purpose troops, not of our
state, were encamped upon our peace
ful soil at the instance of these politi-
clans among us whose iusoIence and
oppression are limited only by their
fear and their ability to do mischief.
To-day We stand here In the spirit
OF freenen TO vindicate our privilege
and perform our duty as citizens. de-
spite the reiterated threats of profit
gate and lawless press In neighborlng
cities upon the North, echoed by papers
In this state equally shameless and
corrupt.
1t is known to us all that personal
intimidation has been applied TO each
man present to deter him from com
ing here to-day. That many worthy
but timid men have been tiected by
| lnnh rlniaarahta L.
; denied, but the best answer to these
hounds of the mob who sought to pre-.
vent lawful meeting, called In the
sacred name of our country's peace, is
the assemblage now before me. Never
in this state has 1t, been exceeded ia
: numbers and responsibility. We have,
1t is true, no high judicial officer to
. leave the bench and take part in the
: excited scenes of politics; we have no
: delegation Of persons from the city OF
Philadelphia, but we have the sub
stantial citizens of Delaware, with as
great stake in her fair name and
prosperity rs any Others in her borders.
In times of danger and distress like
}. the present the country needs most the
intelligent aid of her best citizens and
now, II ever, should they give her the
| est efforts Of their hands and hearts
! undeterred by the wild passions and
q irenZied violence which have swept
q over the Northern states like a whirl
ind.
/ The que 'tion for every good man tc
J. ask is: My country, what can / dS
IS 10 restore your peace and happinessH
IS The past and its lessons should not b,
d lost upon us; but to inquire now into
O the original cause or causes Of oul
70 troubles would not be within the scop,
a of these remarks nor useful at present
10 The practical question before us forbid
d mere speculation; il stares us in tn,
1t face-a hard, stern fact.
d Eleven states have withdrawn from
n the federal Union with solemn anC
he deliberate action, and have united un
a der new government. They hav'
81 made their declaration of independ
OF ence of the government under whict
as we live. and express their determine
is tioh to maintain II at every cost
1T With this secession, or revolution, o
n rebellion or whatever name 1t may b
I'd called, the state of Delaware has ha
co naught to do. To our constitutions
"a duties toward each and every membe
@. of the Union we have been faith
at full ut all times, Never, never has
as thought, IL word, an act OF ours beef
w unfaithful to the Union of our father
~ lin letter and in spirit II has bee
It's faithfully kept by us. But the ster
he fact is still before us, and but Two a.
It. ternatives present themselves. Sha
%. we make war upon and sublugat
I'd this new confederacy, or shall "
n. peacefully treat with them and cor
in sent to their self-government, trus
is ing to time, which is the great heal'
ne of all wrongs and passions, to brin
Iy. them again voluntarily into commo
of government with us"
IL Take the proposition OF war.-ol no
-. rid civil war, my countrymen! Graz
# to the Northern arms complete succes,
q. Suppose that every Southern city
IA reduced to CHASTITY ruin, every .peac
y ful Southern home desolated, and eyel
a Southern man slain or made captiv
of This is the evident completest reaiiz
do ton of that dream of conquest 80 nc
,as ribly satisfactory to those minds TN
on control the Northern press. But VIII
ia then? Will q Union with slaves al
m. the possession of desert satisfy yo'
~ You do not and cannot expect love III
cd aid i'm times of your necessity iro
~. those states YOU nave so cruelty ~
no. dued 1t is too plain, therefore, IN
Pa, vour success in such u war would
,er The most fatal injury to yourselves.
~ And ia such war necessary Tor u
~. neace aud happiness of the Unlt'
s,;s states? For half century we ma
lived at peace with Great Britain, WI
~, her Canadian possessions upon O
I l~d northern border. Upon the sou
'ha Mexico holds her government win
nr IN reats of trouble 10 us or our citizei
oi Why then, may not two Americ
ovi con;aderacies exist side by side VII
~; ont conflict. each emulating the OIL
III in tre progress Of civilization J.
iso coterminous Kingdoms of Europe OIL
a MI MANY examples Of similar peace q
W.. nroa1erity. With such sickening
snS iarnatiye as civil war, why should !
,iee tha experiment at least be made' II
'ie % this question we are to pass upon
ices day. ~, Tho late Sena,
'on Douglas. who has heen before quo'
eh' AZ that IN war Is disuni0n. .
oie' toin final. inevitable" and 80 bell
mr. ing, i oppose u. ~. al. war
OF nanrated by Abraham Lincoln Q
our aus nahinet Is worse than fruitles
Of his caplnv' v. more disastrous
cial that ~ Mn , ian 10 the south, a
lpce tue Nol. .,, 'ancomnlish its profess
lans ne Already it has driven OUT
cry loyoy, fuIr states, while otn
'nai oui In doubt. When ! take up
not stanu ~ 49, and ace the markets
rger puom .,orId disor0ered and depressed
iety the wo. .a .norehension of war; wbe
an tue me'o nwn business circles