Year: 1866




this hearty welcome. This is the first oc
casion | have had to visit region of which
| have thought much and read much, and
in regard to which have felt high pride
because of its steady adherence to those
great truths which after having triumphed
on the field of battle against armed treason
are again put in jeopardy. The history of
country like this is, as it were, an epitome
of the great conviction and conversion
which have seized and enchained the pub
lie mind in many localities Not long ago
the party that now controls it by SO decis-
live majority, was in minority, but
owing to the progress of principle and the
triumph of truth, it is now a stronghold of
that great Republican column upon which,
under God, our Republic now reposes.
i Cheers. Why is it that the great mind
of the nation is SO exercised at the present
time3 Why, instead of gathering up and
enjoying the fruits of our unparalleled tri
umph over treason and slavery, are the
multitudes of the loyal States who gave
their millions to the army and their
billions to the treasury, now stirred as by
the presence Of some impending calamity,
as if Providence himself had removed His
gracious presence from our pathway, and
! we were about to be committed to the trea-
son of new enemy? We are here delib
Grating as if we were in the forefront OF a
new rebellion, as if in fact we were the de-
fcated, instead of being the victors. We
are here agonized at every household; the
hearts of the bravest and best are disturbed
and doubtful. Those who went to the
army and survived that terrible trial, are
Questioning each other whether despOt
can usurp the Presidential Office; that in


stead of securing liberty upon this the fair
est portion of Gods footstool, we have sim
ply fought for a new monarchy, a new tyr
amy and a new master? Why is it that
at such period as this, when all should be
peace and harmony, everything is threat
and dissention9 Even where [ now stand,
day after tomorrow will appear an un-
! blushine advocate OF civil war-the agent
and the organ of the bad man in the Pres
idential chair. In making this alIusion to
the calamitous persouage who is TO come
among you to ask your suffrage for Andrew
johnson, do not invoke disturbance. |
trust that he may have fair and honor
able hearing. Indeed, nothing could bet
ter suit our cause and secure our success,
than the fact that such men are sent fora
ward to speak among religious and orderly
communities like these, and that they are
permitted to speak, for they show the mad
ness, the contumacy, the insolence and the
arrogance of the wretched recreant now
occupying the Presidential chair. Cheers.
Why are we threatened with civil war /!
What have we done! What is our offence {?
For that conceive to be the mission of
the gentleman to whom | refer, Mr.. Mont
gomery Blair, 70 Maryland laughter, to
establish. He is here, as | understand, to
answer these questions, and to show to US
that we are the guiIty-that it is we who
have offended.


If his errand can amount to this and
nothing more, what have we done? Is it
because we have given these millions of
men ard billions Of money TO save the Re-
public; that for saving himself aud his own
possessions, we are arraigned before the bar
| of Christendom, as worthy of all the hor-
rors of civil war, unless, indeed; we submit
to the demands of himself and his master.
Mr.. Montgomery Blair has history which
may not be inaptly referred to at the pres
ent moment He was the evil genius of
the administration of AbeahGm hincoln,
and was compelled, as al who know the
history of the times, to leave his position
there, after the Baltimore Convention, by
an acclamation so sublime and terrible, that
even Mr.. Lincoln could not resist it with
all his kindly and forbearing disposition.
That convention demanded that this gen
tIeman who now processes to speak in the
name Of our murdered President, should
retire before the indignant voice Of the
masses of the Republican party, whose
teachings and whose doctrines he sought
constantly to pervert and to bring into dis
repute. Compelled thus to retire before
the irresistible expression Of the American
people, and afterwards by their representa-
tives in national convention assembled, he
is now the agent of Andrew Johnson-the
man who in my presence two days after
the murder Of Abraham Lincoln, expressly
told me, as he told others, that he was re-
solved not to administer the affairs Of the
Government according. to the last will and
testament Of Abraham Lincoln. Mr.. Mont
gomery BIair's political history is interest
ing in other respects. A little more than
a year ago he started out assuming to pos
sess, what we then denied, the confidence
of Andrew Johnson, for the purpose of eff
fecting areyolution inthe very States which
he is now traversing. He declared then,
and with perfect truth, although the great
and indulpent party which elevated An