The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-09-30
SPEECH
OF Mr.. W. II. Meenach Delivered nj the
Old Soldiers Reunion In This
city Wednesday.


Ladies' and gentlemen: In coming
to this reunion of the old soldiers to-
day, had not the remotest idea that
/ would be called on for any remarks
but at the earnest solicitation of your
secretary and others, have consented
to make you a short address. AS
look out over this audience, and see
the old veterans whose locks the frost
OF many winters have silvered white
and realize that 1t was their love OF
country, and their patriotism that
saved our union from dissolution.
feel that the greatest honor Of my life
has been conferred ON me today in be-
ing requested to address these old sol
diers. We are all conversant with
the issues that led up to Civil War, for
years slavery had been the bone OF
contention, the Southern States believ-
ing that it was right for one man to
hold another man as a slave, as chat
tie property, to buy and sell him, to
take the fruits of his labor without
remuneration to own and control him
as they did other property. For years
the slavery question was the para
mount issue, it was discussed in ouI
State Legislature, in the halls of Con-
gress. and in the United States Senate
The South clamored for the extern
sion of slave territory and this brought
on the Free Soil War of Kansas.
Slavery was a blighting curse to the
South, it was destroying the mental
and moral manhood of the Southland
the free school system, was not ia
vored by slave holders, it was danger
Gus to his interest as a slave holder
free schools would bring education toe
close to the slave, and when you edu'
cate a man you can't enslave him.
The agitation of the slivery question
went on until there arose a man from
the humblest walks of life, man borr
in poverty, whose childhood home was
the humble log cabin, twas this mar
who in 1858 met in debate Stephen A
Douglass known as the little Giant
Today in the hotel at Freeport, Ill
can be seen the photograph of Sepher
A. Douglass and Abraham Lincoln
and here it was that they met in de-
bate upon an issue that would soon de-
eide the fate of this union. Many Of
Mr.. Lincoln's friends had serious
doubts that he would beo able I
meet Mr.. Douglass in debate, but wher
they expressed their fears to Mr.. Lin
coin he said, stephen A. Douglass
will defeat, me for United States Sen
ator, but will ask Mr.. Douglass ques-
tions today that he will not answer
and that will prevent him from receiv'
ing the nomination for President at the
hands of party two years hence"
We all know what happened, Mr.
Lincoln ras elected president ana the
Civil War followed. My earliest recol
lection of the Civil War was going witt
my father to the little town of Spring
dale to hear what at that time was
called a union speech. This speaking
was arranged by such patriotic men as
A. l.. Redman, Benjamin F. Hook ant
jackson Tully. Springdale as | re-
member it was a patriotic town, and
few years ago the late Colonel c. c
Degman wrote a beautiful and pathetic
page Of history of Springdale's first
flag, and their devotion to the union
On another occasion l went to the
cid Methodist Church near my faith
er's farm to hear the Rev. William II
Black, a minister of the NJ. K. Church
make a speech, and from that old pull
pit where nothing had ever beer
preached but peace on Earth ant
Good viii to Man." he appealed to the
young men with all his zeal and pow
erful oratory TO enlist In defense of tho
union. AS a child ! could not under
stand why men should go to war ant
kill each other, and | asked an old
gray headed man, "Why do men go &c
war and kill each other?" the old mar
replied, 81 do not know my SON" That
night as | kissed my mother gooC
night on going to bed, | asked her the
same question that had asked the ole
gray headed man, and mother said, 81
do not know" Long years after the
Civil War was over. in visiting the
battle fields of the South, where earth
Is beloved like the waves of the ses
with the graves Of the dead, we asked
ourselves the same question we had
asked the old man and my mother, ant
we answered ourselves as they hat
answered US. II do not know"
One great blessing growing out %
the war was that II abolished slavery
ard the South realizes today that they
are far better on without slavery thar
with II and II you old soldiers were Il
invade the South today TO re-establisi
slavery you would have TO fight harder
20 do Il than you did TO preserve thu
ar ion. Since the Civil War the South
has taken on new life. Nashville
Tenn. at the close Of the war was :
little city OF four or fye thousand pop.