Year: 1863

Speech Of Governor Yates, Of Illinois, ut


the Festival Of the Atlantic and tsrear


Western Railway.


In our report % the proceedings of the At
Iantic and Great Western Railway coiebra-
ton, we we're forced by the pressure Of mat
tor on our columns to omit full report Of
the speech Of Governor Yates, of Illinois, in
response to toast TO his health. The speech,
though an impromptu ono, for the Governor
had decided, on account Of the latcness Of
the hour, not to deliver longer and moro
carefully prepared speech, was full Of fire
and force, and SO favOrably impressed all who
heard it, that We we're yesterday frequently
requested to give it a place in our columns,
and have accordingly prepared as full re-
port of it as our imperfect notes would allow.


Governor Yates remarked that he had con-
eludsd, while sitting there, to lot q somewhat
longer and more carefully prepared speech go
to the winds, and attempt only to give a SEN
sible reason why he had left his duty in car
ing for a hundred and thirty thousand Hi
nois soldiers in the field; (applause) and had
accepted this invitation and come here. 1t
was not because new railr Iad had been
built, for they had plenty of railroads at
home,-Illinois was eob-webbed with rail-
roads. Its already the fourth State in the
Union in that respect. 1 came, he said, to
this Cslebration, because the completion of
this railroad will be another bend Of Union
between the East and the West. (Applause.)
1 want to see the right feeling everywhere
existing between all parts Of our country.
And every link Of National Union is a bond
of iron, binding together East and West,
North and South. This Atlantic and Great
Western Railway is enc of the miraculous
achievements of our age and country. With
the Erie RAILROAD it brings a six foot guags-
Old Abe's length exactly laughter from the
Atlantic to Ohio. But what is q railroad
worth which terminates east Of Illinois
daughter and spplause Our State is COW
cred all over with glory from the achieve
ments Of our soldiers in the field. In every
battle it has been made illustrIous by the gal
Iantry of its sons. Yes, if God ever made
better soldiers than those Of Ohio, Indiana,
Pennsy lvania and New York, you will have
to 90 to Illinois to look for them. (Applause.)
And though the Governors of other States
NAV be more talented and learned than the
Governor Of Illinois, they cannot, thank
Heaven, be more patriotic. This six foot
track must come all the way through to IlIi-
nois. We must have it in order to carry our
corn and beef and pork along to the Atlantic.
And then, too, should there be a difficulty on
your lakes-such one as recently alarmed
you so, when kindly communicated to you by
the Governor General Of Canada and Lord
Lyons, we want to send twenty thousand of
our brave Illinois boys right up to Cleveland
to say John Bull, how are you ?" (Great
applause.)


The health Of Queen Vietoria has been
proposed in terms of deserved compliment,
but we must not forget that we have among
us a million queens who


walk in beauty like the night


OF cloudless caimes and starry skies"


I have still some sore spots in my memory
about England, but 1 am willing to lay
aside all ill-will on an occasion of such
hearty union and good feeling as this. But
England mustn't ask Us to give up any more
Mssons or Sidells. ApPlausel. Seward
and Lincoln may call that act diplomacy-I
call it natianal cowardice and submission,
and my gorge rises at it.


I cams.up to this celebration, too, to see
and get acquainted with the men Of mind
and force Glong these mighty lakes, s5Ln- as4
binding together East and West North and
South into the same country, under the same
laws and-high AsatiDg over sll-the same
glorious star spangled banner. wanted to
re-assurs myself Of the loyal patriotism of
the men Of the North and East, and I am
re-assuTeG. We are now, as nation, safe.
The crisis is over. We have passed over
JordOn- and can sing the song Of redemption.
These links, commercial, civil and military,
which bind our land together, are too strong
to be broken. And the lakes, surging from
shore to shore, can hoarseIy hymn an anthem
Of rejoicing over a land that shall be one and
undivided forever.


As the Governor ctnciuded he was greeted
with storm. Of enthusiastic cheets.