Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-09-25

KENTUCKIANS-I am now making my
first speech of a new campaign.
Herein your city is now assembled
what is called the Southern Exposition.
I ask any man frankly to tell me here
tonight, or to tell me through your
press, how long you would have waited
under the old barbarOus prO-slavery
system before you would have had such
Il spectacle as you see now exhibited IN
Louisville these days and nights. GA
hundred yearsr' ''TwO hundred yearsw
And yet when [ am asked to speak in
the city, which / knew before it was as
large as many of our villages that are
considered but little better than cross
roads, your leading journals do not find
a place for my name. 1t was proposed
to pay for the advertisements announcing
this meeting, but neither by love nor
money can YOU obtain hearing from
the representatives of the dominant
party in the south But we will get
hearing all the same. To me this is an
Old-time thing But to these young men
who knew nothing about the difficulties
of the initiation of this movement
against this old barbarism of slavery it
may be a new thing. But is not to me.
And that brings me, men of Kentucky,
to say here in the beginning Of this cam
paign that | am a Southern MAJ, born
on Southern soil; and | insist that in
speaking AS | do | speak for the highest
interests Of the South. 1t vii be found
that ii is not advantageous to place me
in false position.
Aud this at once precipitateS me into
the midst Of my argument. That the old
spirit of barbarlsm sill remains in the
SOuth-the same spirit [ fought when [
was Young; and that same spirit L am
fighting now. Among the animals the
prevailing principle is that Of force. 1t
is a contest, and, as Darwin says, there is
a survival Of the fittest. 1t is true that
we see some glimpse of that aggregation
Of Interests and that appeal to the senti-
ments which characterize the man above
al other animal creation, but it IS very
partial TIE sheep in the mountains
stand together in circles when opposed
by wolves, and he wolves band together
when seeking their prey. That is the
nearest approach we see among the ami
mails to the brotherhood of man-among
them there is an equality when they are
defending themselves against an enemy,
or when they want to make a general at
tack.
But when you pass to man created in
the image of God, almost. a new prinCi-
pie comes up. What IS that? 1t is the
idea of common interest, 1t is the idea
Of a creation of power so as to maintain
the rights Of not only the highest but of
the lowest citizen of the Commonwealth
or Of the Nation, whichever it may be.
Now, let me tell these BourbOnites-
and | am going to give them harder
name than that before [ get through,
which shall stick to them for centuries
that as to that letter Of mine to the New
York Sun, in which [ gave my reasons
for again taking the stump, they mis-
Judge me when they think that l am
afraid. They beg me not to be afraid.
They tell me they are not going to hurt
me. Thank you, gentlemen. My object
was to place a typical figure before the
people Of this country, and, if l assume
to be the highest, that which was posi-
BILE in my person was more possible Of
course in the person of the humblest cit
izen of the commonwealth; and in desir-
inc to protect myself desired to protect
the humblest citizen also. That is the
first principle of progress from barbar-
ism to civilization; when you learn to
respect the rights of your neighbOr
Well, now, | asked the New York Sun
whether | should be allowed to vote for
Blaine and Logan without being assault
ed, without being striker down in my
person.
[ am not pleading for Cash" Clay; [
am pleading for the humblest citizens of
the commonwealth. am pleading for
seven millions Of colored men, for seven
millions of native Americans. [ am
pleading for the humblest foreigner.
who has fled from foreign force and
original barbarism, that yet fingers in
the civilization of our timeS-fOr the
humblest Irishman, German or French
man, who is united without distinction
with ourselves: I am pleading that the
right Of free speech and free action
a should be as sacred in his person as it
may be in that of Cassius NJ. Clay, whose
prowess, they say, no man can dispute.
Applause.
That is the whole idea. [ didn't say
[ was afraid Of anybody Gents, read
that letter over again. [ didn't say
was afraid TO vote. I am afraid to
plunge into the Falls Of Niagara. where a
man will be swept over the rNcks and
be drowned; [ am afraid to stand on the
highest mountain of Europe and plunge
myself down; [ am afraid ito cast my
self over the cataract: but [ am not
afraid to stand in defense of my own
life against one OF a million for my prin-
ciples; nor am / afraid to champion the
cause Of the humb'est citizen, north or
south, and to say that he shall be al
lowed to exercise the same rights that
I exercise.
Now as to the Democratic Party: /
have been wandering from my family,
from the house of my friends. for the
last eighteen years have been i'm
nloring the Democrats for these eigh-
teen years to become civilized and to
abandon their barborous ideas to Law
down tie pistol and the bowis-knife and
appeal to reason,
Ihave in my pocket letter, which
op ned as I came here, from man il
Kansas, who knew me in carly life. He
says: 8 Clay, have read your letter anc
agree with you. /, like you, for the
last fifteen CT eighteen years, pleaded