The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-06-25
TILE GREAT SPEECH
MADE BY lGNATlUS NNELLY
OF MINNESOTA.

|
At the Ratification Meeting i'll Cincinnati
| on the Work OF the Peoples Party-Kis
| Advice to Prepare for the Great Con-
| vcntion of Feb. ~. S9:.
The Cincinnati FonlmcrrirI-GG:etie
! reports the speech of Ignatius Don
nelly at the meeting held on the even:
ing following the close of the great
conference of February 1". saying
among it's prefacing remarks that Ibis
! effort was an excellent one, he was
seriously in earnest. and from the
standpoint of the peoples party his
speech was Il great success. Chairman
+. NJ. Davis stepped forward and IN
troduced the Hon. Isnatius Donnellv.
who came to the desk and spoke amid
great applause"
| Mn. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLE
MEN. We are here in the closing hours
of the most remarkable convention that
has ever been held in the history of
our country Remarkable not only in
numbers, but in the splendid and
magnificent enthusiasm that appeared
in all the proceedings of the conven-
tion, and, more than that, in the Won
derful unanimity and solidarity of
mind that was represented in all our
proceedings. Very few things, my
friends, have struck me with more
force than little incident that took
place in the opening of the convention,
when reverend gentleman was called
upon to open the convention with
prayer. At the close of his prayer he
repeated the words of that wonderful
invocation that can never become com
monplace, and as he proceeded the
audience, not loudly, not rndely, but
in suppressed tones. followed him until
it seemed as if all that vast body was
praying together to the source of all
good for relief from the evils that en-
compass our country. 1t showed how
deep i'll the moral nature Of the people
this revolution is bi,iltlcd. It showed
that 1t was not the tlirpant o',tgrowth
of political design or cunning, but that
it came from the hearts of q great, true,
faithful, long enduring, long suffering
people, and that the very spirit of God
seemed to have descended upon the
proceedings of that body.
Alongside of this singular and ex-
traor,linarv spectacle WAS the scene
Witnessed this afternoon. No such
scene has ever before been exhibited
within the walls of any convention ball
| the wild enthusiasm, the sight wlc II
representatives of the north and south
stood together, III the presence Of this
great convention and shook hands over
the bloody and buried memory of the
past. We rcalize, my friends. that it
was the province of this convention.
this movement to ochliterate the records
of tile past nat it is its province to
wipe Mason's and Dix"n's line from
the geography of this country. APP
plause.
| But beyond all these there was pres
ent in attendance Upon this convention
gentleman representing, in fact the
leader of, the colored alliance of the
south. The members were not here,
for they are poor and struggling: bat
that gentleman stood here in behalf Of
1,3oO, 900 negro voters in the southern
states members Of the cplored ALI
nnce. We can see from this move
ment, and We can also sec that here
likewise. the alliance movement is
working for the he.tcrmcnt and pllri
tication of our country. The
south has long been disturbed hv tho
threatening dangers If political divis
ions based upon the line Of color: over
the whole country. like an incubus. has
hung the dread of race conflict, a
conflict that if precipitated must ont
parallel any of the terrible calamitie:
Of history. The alliance movement
going among these colorel people. en-
bracing them with its membership
divides mp the colored vote of the soutl
between the alliance and the old re-
publican party. and in SO doing it viii
wipe out the color line from the polite:
of the south. SO that, my friend, W.
can sec new movement, based upon
the declaration for remedial measure.
for the redress of grievances. is not
only working for the benefit of tn,
farmer and the laborer of the north
but is working for the benefit of our en-
tire country, eliminating the last traces
of that terrible civil war, removing that
great danger of race conflict which ha.
hung suspended these many years owe,
large part of this confederation o
states. And, my friends, we hail it n:
an auspicious movement. We can be
lieve that the same line of prayerfu
consideration which went up from tho
muttcring lips of all these thousands
at the opening of the ceremonies, thai
the same line of connection has de
scended from the heart of the Mos
High God, and is blessing and inspir
ing this movement. We may for
time forget our duties as citizens, for
get our duties to civilization, but whc1
the pressure of oppression and inlus
tice becomes SO strong that it can NJ
longer be borne when the power o
self-government inherent in the breas
of all this great white race, rises NJ
despite all opposition and all confusion
and we prove again, as the race has
proved many times in its past history
that it is capable of self-government
and this movement this giganti.
movement that has spread over all tn.
prairies and fields and cities and ham
let's of this land from the Atlantic tt
the Pacific this movement is inspired
as | have said and as | earnestly be
licve, by the will of God, who designed
and ir tended that this republic shoul,
not perish. A voice" Amen" ant
APPLAUSE
, He did not reserve this great cont
nent and keep it clear of the swarmine
masses of population that in all part
of the world were in the occupancy o
J such great fertile tracts of country
} but left it wilderness for this might,
white race to settle upon, whose hant
has been manifested in every stage o
our history. / say that great God doe
not intend that this august civilzatio,
should go down under the brutal fee
of mob of brutocrats. A voice
"Amen," and applause. The same di
vine power that saved us in our infanc,
from the overwhelming strength of th
mother country, that brought victory
union, peace and reconciliation out o
our civil war. does not intend that tn
nation should be destroyed. A voic
NO. Does not intend that our pro