Year: 1868

Gen. J. Bowman SweitZer was elected


Chairman and addressed the large assem-


bly, of soldiers gathered on that occasion


in City Hall.


SPEECH OF GEN. ]. BOWMAN SwETTzER.


On taking his place as Chairman Gen.


Sweitzer was greeted with wild applause.


After quiet was restored he said:


FeVoW-citizens, Soldiers of the Repub-


Tic, Comrades in Arms Words can


scarcely express my appreciation of the


honor you have done me in calling me


to preside over your deliberations. 1t is
an honor to be called to preside over an


ordinary meeting of citizens of this free
country, where the people think and act


for themselves, and how much greater


the honor when the assemblage is COM


posed as this is, of the heroes of an hun


dred battle fields-of the defenders of


their country-its honor and glory, and


of those who for five long years followed


the fortunes of the flag, under defeat and
in victory, untilitwaved triumphant over


its vanquished enemies.


Fellow-soldiers, we have met tonight


for purpose that is clearly set forth in


the call for this meeting. We have met


TO organize for another campaign under
our old leader. We have met to testify


our confidence in him. He led US to


victory in the field, and he will lead US


to victory at the ballot box over those


who seek again to bring about confusion,


anarchy and war.


That such is the design of those who
support the opposing candidate for the
Presidency is no idle fancy. 1t is declar-


ed in their platform it was declared
previous to the nomination, in the letter


of their candidate for the Vice Presiden-
cy, and there is every reason to believe


that this declaration caused him to be
selected.


What, under these circumstances. is
our duty? Is it not our duty to use every
honorable means in our power to avert
the threatening danger? Have not those


we fought in the field organized under
the leadership of the Democratic candi-
date, and is it not, therefore, our duty to
organize and "fall inn under the leader.
ship of our old commander?


1t may be said we can do our duty as
citizens at the ballot box, without such
organization. But, my friends, is that
our whole duty? Have we not further
duty to perform than merely to
vote? Any citizen canjd do that, though
he was never within forty miles of a
| battle. We can do something more. We
can testify to those who speak so ofiippant-
ly yet confidently of nullification by
force, first, that we intend to avoid, if
possible, any such calamity, by elevating
to the highest office in cur gift the SOL
dier who desires peace, and who will
| preserve it so long as it can be done con-
sistently with national honor, and, Sec
only, if war must come, that wd will
stand by him and him to lead us.


Now, my fellow-solders, alloy me to
say that L do not stand before you as a
mere partisan and to convince YOU of
the truth of what [ say, let me give you
little of my political history. L was a
| Wing as loEg as the Whig party existed
| During the administration of Taylor and
Fillmore, when the famous compromise
measures were passed, 1 was United
States District Attorney here, and as an
officer of the law it came my duty to
execute the Fugitive Slave law-and 1
| did it, regardless of consequences to my
self, and of the opinions of those who
opposed it. | did this because L consid-
cred it the duty of all good citizens to
obey The law so long as it remained on
the statute book, however much it con-
f1icted with their individual opinions,
and considered it my duty, as sworn
officer of the law, to execute it, repulsive
as 1t was to me and my feelings as man.
From this time, down to the commence
ment of the war, L did everything in my
power to keep the peace with the people
of the South. In the language of Gen.
Grant, was not an abolitionist L was
not even an anti-slavery man. 1 did not
join the Republican party. L did not
vote for Lincoln. L voted for Douglas
and the Democratic Union ticket |
thought l had done about all they could |
ask of me. L felt conscious of having |
done nothing to stir up war. Neverthe- !
less, nothing but war would satisfy them;
and, fellow soldiers, much as L abhor |
war-fratricidal war-I could not forget |
my duty as citizen, and like many of |
you, went voluntarily into the field and |
contributed to the extent of my ability |
and strength to maintain the honor of |
my country and nay flag. In 1854 voted /
for Gen. Mcclellan. L was in the Army
of the Potomac from its organization. I
had confidence in him. L thought he
had been hardly treated, and when he |
was nominated at Chicago l voted for
hlm-Pendle.on, peace platform and all.
L did not like the platform, but [ was
willing to trust Mcclellan, notwithstand-
ing the platform. But, my friends,
thought L saw in the action of the lead
ers of that convention determination
to rule Or ruin. I thought saw deter
mination on the part of the Peace DEM
OSi1loj VIM lhSOiy III IL, anu
made its platform, never to let victory
be won by the party, unless it brought
with it their vindication and indorse-
ment, and placed them in position and
power. l determined that thereafter /
would see the cards dealt, and know that
they were not marked by the dealer in
advance, before again consented to take
hand. 1 was opposed to the reconstruc-
ton measures of Congress. 1 was op-
posed to the impeachment of the Presi-
dent. The Senate acquitted the Presi-
dent and think they did right. Con-
gress passed the reconstruction meas
ures. The President vetoed them
Congress passed them over the veto by
the constitutional vote. The amend
ments were adopted by the requisite
number of States. They are now the
law of the land, and so long as they are
l will sustain them.


Well, my friends, we now come down
to the present crisis-for crisis l consider ,
it to be. We are approaching another
Presidential election, and it is necessary ,
for you and Tor me to take sides. We
must declare for Grant or for Seymour
No man can stand neutral in this great
emergency. Then let us determine at ,
once for whom it shall be, if it is not
already done.


Every one knows who nominated ,
Grant, and how it was done. The great :
American people nominated him long !
before the Chicago Convention met. The Z
politicians would have been glad to have ,
had some one else if they could-some ,
one not quite so much given to putting :
things through on his own line would ,
have suited them better. But they dar- >
ed not disgrace the voice of the people, :
and so the Convention seconded their =
verdict. f


But how about Seymour? Who nom- q
mated him, and how was it done? Os- q
tensibly the Democratic party nominated !
him, but who controlled the action of r
the Convention? So far as | am able to +
Judge from the result, the peace Demo- =
nrafs of the North and the War Demn- i.