Year: 1877

Cincinnati Gazette's Chattanooga Special.


The banquet tonight was signalized
by speech of POstmastC' General
Key that will attract attention. The
toast to which he responded was "The
Postmaster General He took the
liberty to make "A personal explanation
Of his Bennington expression, "eTTing
brethren" He insisted that he was
right in that designation of the South
erners, and pointed to the results of
the war as proofs. Loss of slavery,
loss of property, loss of life, failure to
establish a new GOVernment-al1 these
showed that it was great mistake TO
have begun the fight at all. He said
if any good was gained 10y the war, il
was the emancipation of slaves, if that
was a good, and in the next breath in
cluted slavery, with property and life,
as the things that would have been
saved if the war had not been begun.
The speech was heard in silence and
with concern as to its effect. Mr..
Key himself seemed greatly embar-
rasscd by the manner i'll which his
speech was received, and he closed his
remarks abruptly. There was evident
ly uneasiness as to the propriety of his
utteranccs.


Cincinnati Enquirer's Special.


At the banquet, tonight, Postmaster
General Key explained his use of the
term "erriug brothers" at the Ben
nington celebration, saying that he
had "A reception at that place that even
exceeded in enthusiasm that given the
President himself and that, feeling
very good, he said he supposed he had
been so applauded because he was one
of the "erring brothers" from the
South. The sentiment was received
with great applause, and next day he
was surprised TO find exception taken
to the phrase by Judge StoughtOn,
who said: "YOu Rebels filled the
land with widows and orphans, killed
five hundred thousand of the best men
of the nation, and plunged US S2,OO0,-
600, 900 in debt, and yet you talk of
this as mere a error Ofjudgement." ]
was more surprised to learn shortly
after that umbrage had been taken at
it by my Southern friends also. Now,
l fought in the rebellion, and did oil
that could to make il successful; and
when ii was over was sorry that ]
had not been able to fight more. ]
have no penitence to offer for my
course then, and am not sorry for It
now. But what did your fighting
amount to? 1t cannot be controverted
that there would never have been a
Union of these States if 1t had not
been that slavery had been guaranteed
protection. There is no doubt of this
fact, and when our rights in this mat
ter were infringed on we said we
would not submit to it, and we took
up arms and went to war, and after
fighting for years we were whipped.
What good did all our fighting do?
If it did any good at all 1t freed the
slaves, if you call that good, and that
was something that we did not go to
war for. If we had not gone to war,
slavery would exist to-day in the
Southern States, and many Of the
thousands who lost their lives in battle
would to-day be walking around, az
proud of port and a. brave as we are.
IF to lose all that you fought for, and
to have that done that you did not
wish done was not a mistake and an
error. don't know what the meau-
ing Of these words are.


Mr.. Key continued i'm this strain for
some time, and much wonder was eX-
pressed when he finished at his sin
gular phraseology used i'm speaking of
the peculiar institution. While Key
was speaking the President kept his
ewes east down on the table; and, iudg-
ing by his flushed face and the expires
sion of his cOmtenance, he evidently
feared that his Cabinet Minister was
putting his foot in it. Key himself
seemed to entertain the same opinion,
for he quit speaking quite abruptly,
and during the delivery of his remarks
he stammered as if not certain of his
words or uncertain of their effect.
Taken altogether il was singular
speech, and one that will cause CON
siderable difference of opinion as to its
prOpriety.


Your correspondent interviewed Mr..
Key after the banquet this evening,
as the precise meaning Of the eff good
it was, y in the phrase, "the only good
effected by the war, if good il was,
was the abolition of slaVery''-saying,
81 wish to know, Mr.. Key, il you
think the abolition of slavery was
right or wrong" "That | have left
for them to determine" was the re-
spOnse. care you willing, then, To
let the words go to the country with
out explanations" asked. Certain
ly," was the response; 81 used the
words, and of course they are mine"


Many are of opinion that the Re
publicans of the North will object to n
man holding such opinions as Key has
enImciated longer Temaininga a member
of the Cabinet, and they think trouble
will ensue ifhe does not resign or be
removed.