Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-07-11
Why We Fought!
hon. K. ". farfnlan S adj
dress to the Old Soldiers.
causes that Led to the War"

Mr. CHAIRMAN, 0LD SOLDIERS,
LADIES OF THE w. X. c., AND
LADIES AND GESTLExKs:
You have received from our wor-
thy mayor a welcoming of such a
hearty, cordial nature, that you
must necessarily be in condition 20
listen to an address from me with
patience and resignation.
The subject of my address is one
that should occupy two hours in
order to do it justice; but | shall
engage you but briefly upon the
causes leading up to the greatest
war the world ever knew. There
was really bat few things which
caused TIE Rebellion and led to the
civil war.
FIRsI:-Tbe different construc-
tion put upon the National Constr
tuition by the people OF the north
and south.
SEcoSD:-The different systems
of labor IN the north and south.
THIRD:-Hith the invention of
the cotton gin. slave labor became
important, slaves valuable and the
system of slavery a deep rooted and
fixed institution.
FoURTH:-The Notification acts
of South Carolina.
FIPTH:-The annexation OF Texas
SIxTH:-The want Of intercourse
between the people Of the north and
eouth.
SEvRSTH:A growing public opin
ion in the north against the instr
tuition Of slavery itself; a hostility
Unborn and inbred against human
chattelhood as q fact.
From the very foundation of this
government slavery IA fostered
and permitted by the laws OF the
land. The black man was con-
sidered as much of a chattel as a
horse or COW. At no time were his
desires eve taken into consideration
by his white owner. Children were
torn from the breasts of their
mother and sent to far and distant
homes; wives were placed upon the
auction block, the clothes torn from
their bodies and their physical
development discussed pro and col
by prospective purchasers.
A system of the intermingling of
the black and white races was
inangurated which will last as long
AS the memory of These
black slaves were treated with the
greatest cruelty. No dumb brute
received the terrible bsatings that
was meted out to the negro in the
palmy days of slavery. | do not
mea TO say to you that the aboli-
ton Of slavery was the direct
or the Rebellion: there were many
causes which led up to this fearful
var, but the abolition Of slavery
became, after the war was finally
inaugurated, the main issue.
God never. in his infinite wis.,
dom, branded the black man as u
slave. He was a human being as
much As you or |, and as such was
entitled to the same privileges.
The abolitionists believed that slav-
cry was a viper that would finally
poison the breasts Of every man.
They believed that the institution
Of human slavery could not De de.
Tended at the bar Of public reason.
They believed that it could not be
defended in human conscience.
They said that no man could stand
and defend the right to rob the
cradle, none to defend the right to
sall the babe from the breast of Its
frantic mother, none to defend the
claim that lashes on a bare back
~e-s payment ffJT oT performed.
They said that no man could live
upon the unpaid labor OF another
without being a thief. The insti-
tuition of slavery said: "You shall
not reason, You shall not speak,
and the lips Of free speech were
sealed
The institution Of slavery was the
disturbing element of these troub-