Year: 1863

My FEIIOW-CTTIzENs: The reception fhl


this mass Of my old friends has extended /


me to-day calls for aa expression Of my pr,


found thanks and ferYent gratitude. Ol


memories have been busy with me to day; IT


miniseenees of the past have been crOwdin


constantly upon my mind; but amid those (


the future that may come up to me. either j


my waking or sleeping dreams; 10 one remem


braDee will bold more precious or greene


place In my heart than that OF your eOrdialit


and kindness to me here to-day. Yet, in a


this vast crowd, miss the familiar face an


the cordial grasp Of one whom It would bar


delighted me much to meet-ihe companion 0


my boyhood, the political and persona


friend of my manhood and one whose sou


was all full Of honor, and all full of integrity


an original and lifelong Democrat, who


was a Jackson man when il was almost


crime in this country TO be one-a Democrat


in AL things, without guile; and yet, when the


crisis OF his country came, he paused not tC


consider party lines, to see on which side were


the defenders of his country, but went forth


at the head of bis regiment. to the battle field
to meet disease and death in the camp, and


was brought back to be laid 10 the grave oil


bis patriotic fathers Peace TO bis memory,


aud light lay the sod and green grow the turf


on the remains Of Colonel Jesse Hildebrand!
One who knew him well, and loved him dearly,
desires to drop alike tear and an evergreen


upon his grave.


There is but a single topic which one who


appears before an audience at this time is ex-


pected to discuss, and that is the condition of


the country in view of the most fragrant rebel


lion which history has ever recorded. In en-


teriDg upon the discussion Of this matter to-


day, Idesire, in order TO save myself trouble


and avoid misaPPrehehsioD, at once TO define
my position.


Ineed not tellthis vast audience, assembled
il this my native county, that, from the days
of my boyhood up TO this hour, I have been
ranked with the political party known the
Democratic; and believe the time has never
been known, from my entrance into its ranks
till now, that have ever wayered or been
false 10 it. I am, in al things appertaining
to the general policy of the country, Demo
crat to-day, and ever hope to remain one,
without mitigation, without change, in all
those great principles on which political par
ties divide. But when crisis of this kind
arises, it is a principle ofmy Democracy and
l shall not attempt 20 interpret other gentle
mems Democracy for tbem-that the first
great duty every man owes is to his country, |
that this is where the principles of his party |
ought to lead him.


Although there is President in Office that
1 did not help to put there, and although in
all human probability would not cast vote
for him to morrow, yet in this great contest 1
acknowledge him-not the head of party /
out as the head of the Government, as the
Executive officer of the nation. Cheers. -
And, like soldier fighting in the ranks, l !
hold it to be my duty to obey him, my com /
manding officer, in all things without question
ing his policy in this great contest. BY and
by 1may have something, as citizen, to say |
on this subject; but at the present time my
duty lies in another direction. 1t is true that /
have differed with Mr. Lincoln on many ques-
tions, but they are minor ones, and this is no |
time to cavil. 1t is not whether this or that
mans rights have been infringed upon, or
whether some cannon-wheel has been run over
a corner of the Constitution; but the question
now is, what is the duty of every man to his
Government in this contest2 Let us first
settle with these rebels, and, when we have
done that, we can begin to take matters at
home in hand, and l have no doubt we will
be fully eaqual to them.


In discussing this question, shall necessa-
rily recur to a topic on which public speakers
profess to have great delicacy iu treating, but
on which have none at all. | have no more
delcacy in approaching the topic of slavery
than any other; but in doing It'll viii first say
that with slavery as a domestic institution,
both as to master and slave, I have nothing
whatever to do. l have no care in regard to
it. Wbateyer may be my opinion in regard
to the relation Of master and slave in the
South, is entirely imEateriaI in this discus
sion; it has nothing TO do with this contest
| have always been willing to leave them free
in the enjoyment of their slaves; and if it be
their curse. have no right to complain that
they hug it 20 their bosoms. And as between
the master and his slaves, have always been
to believe that the servant had the
best oft 1 have been content that the
Southern people should have all the laws they
desired for the recovery of their slaves when
they escape from their bondage and would
be willing to it now. don't wish to disturb
the relations existing between them; if they
will keep their relations to themselves and a
way from the people of the free States, have
no disposition to meddle with it. 1t has east
a blight and midew ever their whole coun-
try, but it has cast none here, nor do we de-
sire that it should


But there is another character of the insti-
tuition OF slavery and against it 1 do fight 1t
is the political character which has been Civ
az, to II for lost onJ |
and that is the character which our people are
looking to to-day. So long as the slavehol-
der was content to keep the institution in his
own territory, it didn't become an element of
alarm to either section of the country; but
there came up, as long ago as the notification
times of Calhoun, the idea that slavery was to
be made the balance of political power in this
country. 1t was conteDded, on the part of
Southern statesmen, that whenever a free State
should be admitted into this Union, a slave
State should enter at the same time-that in
Congress free and slave States were to be rep
equally When speak of slavery
10 this con nectiou, desire to be understood
as speaking of it in its political character, and
not as a domestic institution


Now we come to inquire what is the great
Oouo0 anu SOHtioiihS SpIit Vi lHIS T6oStlioD
With which the country is now concerned p
Ii we would look to the end, we must first
find the beginning. Two causes have produ.
ced this state of things; and if any gentleman
in this assembly imagines these causes have
been suddenly sprung upon this country, be
has not been good political student of the
times in which he lived. The first cause was
the inordiuate thirst for political power and
domination on the part Of the Southern lead
ers; and the second was the determination to