The National tribune., 1902-02-20

then All active center of loyalty. Ths
house OF my father and mother was a
rallyins point for supporters Of the Union
their doa: always stood open to returned
soldiers.
The theme uppermoSt in every converse
tion was the war. and the intense conflict
OF opinion in the North growing out of
the war.
THE ANTI-wAR PARTY.
In 1861, when the shock of conflict
struck the country, there were many lead
ing citizens in the North opposed to the
war, but the tide Of public opinion was
strong in favor of supporting the Ma
tiOnal Government in an effort to save the
Union that this opposition did not assume
shape at the outset; but in 1863 the anti
war sentiment had taken definite form.
II was under the management of able
leaders: it had carried the elections of 1867
in Illinois and some of the other States,
and was now an aggressive, potential fac
tor in the politics of the country.
The pol tlcal leaders of this anti-war
movement had control of the Democratic
party organization. and had been able to
array the party machinery against the
war measures. National and State. which
had been brought forward in State Legis-
latures and in Congress-
southern Illinois had for years been
overwhelmingly Democratic. Senator
in 1861. large proportion of this peO-
pie had emigrated from Southern States.
or were descendants of families who had
been reared in the South. They were
friendly to the South. hut they were in
tenseiy loyal to the Union.
The first large meeting held in
southern Illinois after the surrender of
Fort Sumter at Metropolis. dur
ing the session of the Circuit Court. on
April 23. 1861. The attendance was large,
many prominent citizens from Paducah
KY, beirg present. 4 number of lawyers
were attending the court at Metropolis.
At an impromrtu street meeting held
the evening before some of these gentle
men had expressed themselves earnestly
in opposition to making war upon the
South and these sentiments were loudly
applauded ny the crowd. | was called
upon to address that meeting. Instead "f
doing So I announced a meeting for the
next day at which | proposed TO address
the peorle. The crowd approved this
course. and the meeting was announced
accordingly.
was at the time a guest at the home
of Thomas n. Smith. attOrney-at-law. who |
was afterwards Lieutenant-Col of III"
4Sth H.. and fell at the battle nf Fort |
nonelsoR. During the night we discussed |
the Importance Of the meeting which was
to he held the next day. | expressed to |
him the responsibility which I felt in fac |
ing so important an occasion, and outlined |
to him the topics which I proposed to dis |
cuss.
At | o'clock in the afternoon. April 81 |
the citizens assembled. News had gone
ont through the County Of the meeting.
and there had come together 4 crowd Of
the most intelligent and influential peonle
of Massac and adjoining Counties. Nv
address on that occasion occupied about
two hours. It was plea for the nreser-
-, - |
of the great Renuhlic under tho ConStitu
tion of fnrefathers. | threw all the
power of argument and arneal TO patr- |
otism I could summon into that speech. |
insisted that secession was no remedy for
any ALLEGED grievance of the South. ! in
sisted that il we cnrld not live at peace
in the TTrion the States would have per
pptual diScord and war when the Union
was dissolved 7 painted nut that the
Souihe nlan was that Virginia Ken
tuclSy and Missouri were to ion the Con
federacy. thus making the Ohio River and
the upner MiSsiSsippi River the frontier
betvvaen the two Nations with the lower
Mississippi rnder control of the South. 7
insisted that the interests Of Illinois were
with the Union. and that these Western
rivers would run red with blood before
the neople of Illinois would surrender their
right TO the free navigation of those
streams.
"that IL Kentucky undertook to sec"de
from the Union that It would not be Ohio.
Indiana and Illinois that would he in
vaded. Int that the fertile fields of Ken {
tuelSy would he torn bv the iron wheels
Of, war" I concluded by declaring that
''whatever others might do. had decided
to stand by the Administration of A"ra-
ham lincoln in an effort to save the Union
and the Constitution BY force of arms
The reonle present almost unanimouslr '
iadnrsed my sneech. The leading mon NJ {
the County gathered around me and px n
pressed great satisfaction at the outcome
of the meeting. .
A current of patriotic public oririo, y
at once went out in every direction from (
this meeting. =
That night at Springfield, before the r
Illinois Legislature. Senator Douglas de "
liyeI ID his great speech against secession. (
in which he gave ufterance IN those SEN
are but two parties in this country today
-patriats and traitors"
''The surest road TO peace is the most :
stHDendous preparations for war"
II was of this sneech that Bancroft "
said: "bouglas spoke as with the voice il
of a millicn" g
In the Spring and Summer of 1881 7 +
delivered speeches in a number of Conn {
ties TO encourage enIistments. and did al a
of the public speaking to raise the 5Gth III ! T
Inf \
AGAIN on THE RosTRUM.
had been at Golconda but a few hours
when number Of citizens called urOn 9
me with request that I should address il
one more public meetings during m o
visit II was represented TO me that no s
Union meetings had been held in southern
Illinois during the previous six months: in
fact. none since the Emancipation Procla ,
nation had been issued; that the opp0-
nents Of the war were active. and were
soon to hold a great anti-war meeting near
the corner Of Pope, Saline and William,
son Counties TO he addressed by Hon
S. S. Marshall. Hon. W. ]. Allen and '
Judge A. u. Duff. 1t was urged that a
meeting addressed by men of such recog-
nized ability and prominence would exert
a bad iRfluence upon the public mind. and
that the friends of the Union should h.
up and doing. ! consented to make tNq"
speeches. and il was therefore arranged
that two meetings should he called. one A
at Spout Spring. near the corner of Pope.
johnson and Massar Counties, and the
other at Metropolis, Ill. d
The first Of these meetings was to come 4
of on the same day the anti-war meeting
in the northwest corner of the County
was TO be held
| fully recognized the importance Of
these meetings. and entered fully into the
spirit OF the people who got them ur.
felt confident that the people of these
Counties could be rallied to the support