Year: 1867

SPEECH OF SENATOR WILSON.


OF MASSACHUSETTS,


Delicered in the Capitol Square, On thss lCity,


Tuesday, April sOA, at 10 o'clock, NJ


The audience having assembled, at the
North front of the Capitol, Senator Wilson I
mounted the platform, accompanied by Ex-
Gov. Holden, who introduced him to the
people


Mr.. Wilson then said, -


Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND FELLOW CITIZENS
I Iappear before you to-day, ineo mpilance
with pressing request made last night, to
address the people of this City to-day upon
Capitol Square. And in the outset let me
say that will speak, frankly and freely
l do not desire or intend to mlsrepresent
any man or set of men, but to speak the
truth; and if any of my statements prove IN
correct, / will take it as a special favor II
any gentleman should question ME, for then
will give him frank and fair answer; or
if any one desires to reply at length, ne mas
my hearty consent to occupy position on
this stand and portion of the time. 1t IS
my purpose to invite criticism in order to
develop the truth and the whole TRUTH
Nor am here as the agent or represen-
tative of any one, but only to see for myself,
to speak for myself and to take care OF
myself.


In the few remarks that I shall make to-
day, shall attempt to vindicate the action
of the loyal people and the government
against the rebels That people and govern
ment have been magnanimous, generous, lib
eral and just in all their dealings with the
rebelious States. God gave this magnii-
cent empire to our ancestors. They estab-
lished agovernment which the people ap-
proved and loved, and which they could
mould and fashionat their pleasure for ever
increasing good to themselves and all man
kind. Here the loving heart, the tender
Christian conscience and the free mind could
work out their most happy results. All that
the nations of earth had labored and fought
and hoped for through dark and bloody
ages was bestowed upon our forefathers and
transmitted by them to posterity. Such my
fellow citizens was our condition in 1860
SO happy and free, that our people had al
most learned to believe that the government
was immortal and indestructible. Six years
have passed away-our nation has been rent
and torn and discovered by civil war-our
green fields reddened with fraternal blood
our young men in the pride and bloom of
manhood summoned from the plow the work
shop, the counter and from school, to follow
the flag of their country or the banner of
rebellion to bloody battle-telds- while their
mothers, sisters and wives sat in sorrow
and mourning-and the country bathed.
in the blood and tears of its childfen.-
What sad and sorrowful spectacle did this
once happy nation present to the world du-
ring that dark and eventful period of frater-
nal strife ltss


Now, fellow-citizens of North Carolina,
how came these things to pass9 In this
country of free institutions, in this Christian
age, when the light of knowledge is free to
all-how came it that this nation engaged
in six hundred battles, buried hall million
OF men, and now contains half million
more of the MANNED and injured2 Some
body is responsible for this. God and the
world will hold somebody or set of men re-
sponsible for this-for the tears and blood
shed, the wealth destroyed, and all that civil
war has brought on this land.


/ have said that this was the freest nation
on the globe. Sofree that Alex. H. Stephens
in 1860, said that there was surfeit of free
dom and an exuberance of blessings He
then challenged any man to show where
or how any one section had infringed the
constitutional rights of the other. And
there is not man, who now dare say that
before the rebellion the government ever
designedly infringed the rights of any man
| or any section. The whole people of my
section had no such intention, and to-day
around an hundred thousand Christian fire.
| sides prayers go up to Heaven for the unity
of this nation and for the liberties ofthe whole
people. This is and this has ever been our
| position. sos


When Congress assembled in 1860, there
came into those halls bold, arrogant, domi-
/! neering men. who spent their time in declar-
| ing that if the Republican party, then iour
years old should dare to elect President
in favor of keeping the territories free from
the poisonous institution of slavery, that, in
the language of Keitt of South Carolina,
"they would shiver the Union from turret
to foundation stone." Clingman went so
far as to lay down the doctrine that the
election of Republican to the Presidency
was an overt act, justifying rebellion, and
] declared further that when it came to blows,
! the fight ought to be commenced in the halls
of the Senate of the United States. could
but take occasion then to remind him that
we did not propose to commence contest
| of that character, but that if it were to come,
we should be the last to begin it, and
the last to end it. (App!ause) And
as we were the last to begin it, we were also
the last to end it. (Applause) But what
is responsible for this war; 1t was human
slavery. That was the enemy which shed
all this blood. Secession was born of slavery
for if slavery had not existed then the doc.
trine of secession would never have been
known. So also slavery Influenced class
OF men who came into power, to extend


maintain-and perpetuate that institution
But in spite of the threats of these men. oul
people went to the polls and elected Abra


ham Lincoln. (Applause) When he was
elected, 1t did not enter into his heart OF


brain to interfere with the existence of slave


ry in the States. He merely held to thu


doctrine of the, fathers, that slavery was {


local institution, existing by local law.
and only within the verge of those laws


But he was opposed to slavery, for as hay,


said he held to the doctrines of the fathers
In the Convention that framed the Consti


tuition there was not a man outside of South


Carolina and Georgina that favored slavery


Washington saw its direful effects; jefferson


said that in contest to keep men in slavery


God had no attribute that would take side
with the master; Jas. Madison said it shoult


not go into the Constitution, and it did not go


Jas. Monroe said that it eat out the vitals O


these States and prayed on their prosperity


John Jay said that slavery was a sin o


crimson dye; Gov. Morris said that it wa


an outrage on human nature; and Georg


Mason, one of the grandest characters il


history, said that slavery brought the ours


of Heaven upon the country; while Frank