Year: 1864

lhe nfSt resolution provides Tor call
upon the Governor to assist in the res
tOration of civil government If the
Governor will not assist US, it may be
necessary for the people to act for their
own preservation l hope the time will
not come for the country to resolve into
its original elements | intend to aid
in the preservation of the organic law
Of the State. do not want to see an
archy; | want civil government, cOnsti-
tutional liberty, rights of property, per-
son, and conscience secured Believe
me, we will sooner or later see twill
see it not with this wild revolution,
with its devastation and slaughter
But out of this revolution will come a
brighter day-a perfect realization Of
the benefits of Republican Government
We have been six or eight months
afraid to speak above our breath. Now
a Federal army is here, and we speak
openly and freely. If thought it was
the purpose to attempt to stifle the free
expression of political opinion / should
not arise to-day.


Three and half years ago we met
together citizens of one country-the
same government. Now a portion are
here with arms, as Federal soldiers
Their purpose is to re-establish the
authority of that government we were
once proud to boast was the best in the
world. ! understand that to be their
object-their only object ] have felt
that the consequences Of their presence
as an army are those that attend all
wars


In 1860 l went to Washington and
Baltimore ] took the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, and as | was conveyed
rapidly through Pennsylvania, Ohio, In
diana, Illinois, into Missouri on the
Great Central Road through Illinois to
Cairo, felt all the way that | was in
my own country. l was permitted TO
address public meetings in Illinois as |
do here to-day | told the people of
Illinois that | thought they were wrong
| heard Republicans and Abolitionists
more severely denounced by an Illinois
candidate for office, than | had ever
heard them denounced in the South
When ! returned | told my friends we
had nothing to fear, but that to break





tuition was dangerous-ticklish


Alabama should at once rescind the
ordinance of secession am confident
we shall then have as many years for
getting good radiance of this institu-
ton as we want As far as the execu-
ton of military orders on the subject is
concerned, the officers and men of the
Federal army are bound to carry them
into effect | am in favor Of such pO-
litical action of the Government, as
will Obviate the necessity of such or
ders.. Do not misapprehend me- be-
Eeos the Institution Of SlauGiy IS gone as q
permanent Hng-orsrthr0r,s By tie action,
Of the Southern States. believe in case
of q return to the Union, we would re
ceiye political cooperation 50 as to Sc
cure the management Of that labor by
those who were slaves. There is really
no difference in my opinion, whether
we hold them as absolute slaves, or OBJ
Yin their labor by some other method
of course we prefer the old method.
But that question is not now before Us.


We are, for the present calling to the
authorities of Alabama, and TO the citi-
zens of other parts of the State, to heed
what we have felt, and that they need
not feel. If ] am to be considered an
enemy to my country for telling them
those things, let it bo so-let the sen
tence come. But that state Of affairs
will no longer exist. The people OF
Alabama say that the State was precipi-
tated-wrongfully precipitatcd-Out of
ha fV,T. hav 4,
take their stand IN the old UniOn-that
Government in which they always
found sperity-which gave them
strength at home and abroad. Since
the action of France, does any one
think that an alliance with her would
have restored popular rights, secured
States rights? Dees any man say sO2


Since we have been at war Napoleon
has sent his armies into Mexico He
would not have dared to do so if there
. had been no dissolution Of our Union
Can it be said that am less friend Of
my country than Davis and Benjamin.
because | prefer the old country with
its old Union and Government to an
alliance with Napoleon?


Davis, B. F. Butler, Caleb Cushing,
Buchanan and John Slidell sought to
destroy the Government The first act
of Butler at New Orleans was to seize
the estate Of Slidell They housed to-
gether at Charleston, and endeayOred
to overthrow the Government by over
whelming the political power Of the
South Judge between my patriotism
and theirs. Mine lay here; their s
there had no hand in breaking up
this Government They are responsible
for the blood shed in this unnecessary
war


Ny countrymen, has there not been
enough blood shed? Have not enough
widows and orphans been made ? Or
has the poor heart Of man become steel
ed 30 that it can look upon his manned
and bleeding fellow man, the destitute
widow, and the homeless orphan with
out emOtion2 Do not Manassas, Shiloh,
Boston Mountain, Malvern Hill, Get
tysburg, Perryville, Donelson, Vicks-
burg, and the fatal field Of Chickamau-
ga satisfy the mad ambition Of the
land?


From the time / left Virginia, our ar
my has been continually receding-the
Union army steadily advancing
tory has been continually lost True
our army has stood aad fought valiant
ly for it, but it can not stand against
superior power What territory can
now. be said to be within the power or
under the control Of the COniederacy.
from the time this rebellion began
up to the present, Davis and Benjamin
have not had an idea that the States OF
the South could stand unaided by for
eign powers. You hay Mt thought oil
that. but il Is true. That was the posi-
tion taken By them at the incipiency OF
the rebellion Such il still their belief
Without the assistance OF some strong
power, the independence Of the South
ern States could not be established
Hence, Slidell and Mason, were sent tC
Europe as a sort Of ministers, before
the Confederate Government was cloth
ed with the semblance OF power, before
the blockade was commenced, to form
an alliance with England and France
with instructions TO urge the impor
tance Of recognizing the indepen
/ dence OF the COnfederacy Thus they
hoped to get France and England
so mixed up with the affairs Of the
/ COnfederacy that they would be obi
ged 10 assist its maintenance. II the
Southern COnfederacy should achieve
its independence with a foreign al
lance. it would be destruction to usr
the overthrow Of the very INSTITUTION