The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-11-02

southerner's Eioquence.
Henry Watterson, OF tho Louisville
Courier journal, Ky, secessionist
during the war, and Democratic
uhionist since the war. was one oil the
speakers at the banquet Of the army
of the Tennessee held at Chicago, Oct.
3. Mr.. Watterson spoke To tie toast I:
'fhe war is over, let us have peace"
He said the people OF the United States
are nearer together in ali that consIi-
tutes kindred feeling and interest, than
they have been since the adoption of
the Federal Constitution. He WAS glad
that IL was SO, as roses smell swseter
than gunpowder, the carving knife
WAS preferable to the bayonet or the
saber, and as choice between cannon
balls and wine corks he mad decided
preference for the latter.
Mr.. Watterson il at all times elo-
quent, anti on this occasion he was
notably SO. Surrounded by Union
soldiers with his bridges burned be-
hind him he was never more happy.
Said Watterson:
THE war Is over, and 1t is we'll over.
God reigns and the Government at
Wash ugton still lives. anu glad of
that. can conceive nothing worse
Tor ourselves, nothing WORSE for our
children. than what might have been
II the war had ended otherwise, leay-
ing two exhausted con batants to be-
come the prey Of foreign Intervention
and diplomacy setting the clock OF
civilization back u century, and split
ting the noblest of the continents Into
five or six weak and warning republics,
like those Of South America, to repeat
In the new world the mistakes OF the
old"
We wish we could give Wattersons
speech entire, it is 50 eloquent, SO
touching, SO sympathetic, so different
from what the people OF Wilmington
are accustomed to hear from Ken
lucky editors. But we must give the
closing gem OF his speech. Here tits:
"a little while after came home
from the last scene OF all, found that
woman's ha:.d had collected the in
sigma had worn in the magnificent.
melancholy p0Reant-the orders as.
signing me to duty and the funeral
scnrfs and badge6-and had grouped
and framed them, unbidd5n, silently,
tenderly, and when | reflected that the
hands that did this were those OF d
loving Southern woman, whose father
had fallen on the Confederate side in
the battle. l said: The war, indeed, is
over; let us have peace Gentlemen,
soldiers, comrades. the silken folds
that twine about us here, for all their
soft and careless grace, are yet us
strong ashooks OF steel They hold to-
gsther united people and great na.
tion. for. realizing tho truth at last,
with no wounds to be healed and no
etings OF defeat To remember, the
South says to the North, as simply as
was said three thousand years ago ii
that far.away meadow upon the mar.
gin OF the mystic sea: Whittier thou
goest l will go, and where thou Iodg
est | will lodge; thy people shall be
my people, and thy God my God. ."
1t will be recolleeted that Mr.. Wat.
terson became a strong personal frient
of General Grants, was with him il
his sickness aud was ono of his pal
bearers at his funeral. which accounts
for his touching allusion to tile fuue
rIl insignia that his wife had France
for him. There are many men in til,
Bjnth who feel just as Colonel Waiter
ION does upon that subject, and Il
they had the same gift OF eloquene,
would talk as he docs, but how care
full Mr. Watterson was not to refer tt
the fact til 1t the results for which the
war was W lged and ended ARE not re-
alizod in tho States for which he Sc
oil ~ Mt Pleads. Tho hoie in the
n7uluLi9n he referred to, which le
cry in and let it be perpetuabsd
u ii it brought war has been stopped
- is true, but how about that consti
tuition that is broken in spirit and il
aetioH whenever an election is held il
the South2
He las but TO apologize to the ioya
peopio OF the nation as he looks ovel
the South, benefited and made rlcheI
and more prosperous by the war, bn
yet IN sabiugation bya minority ever,
time somatliing called an election i:
held, but which are nothing but stu
pendoas farees. II the liberties anC
rights of oae-third of the people ar,
TO be tralnpled upon and rniuoritiei
Instead OF majorities are permitted t
rule, 1t will be a question of how lon;
Ut viii be said that God reigns and TIN
G sernnent at Washington still lives.
traternai feeling and gushing senti
ment are good things in their places
but justice is the strong arm of tn
government and that is what subju
gated people in the South arc callinj
n But We are not finding faal
~ III Mr.. Watteisen's speech. It wa
. noble tribute to the principles 10
which our government wa. foundec
even IL they are not carried out, and
etlll nobler one to the memory @. hin
who led the Union army to final vi,
tory.
The DEATH of Marls Taylor remove
From Wilmington one Of her best cit
sens, and one who, though lie la
reached the three.sGere and ten Hun,
" ls' loss will be sincerely regretted