Year: 1875



 zens last night in response to a serenade, very large crowd gath cred in front of the Metropolitan hotel to listen to him. Not long after 9 o'clock Mir. Wilson appear ed, and was introduced by Judge Wiltshire. MT. Wilson spoke sub- stantially as follows:

 Fellow Citizens of Arkansas: l am very grateful to you for this manifestation of your interest, and this expression of your regard. l am here not Tn the pursuit of bus mess; not on any errand touching public affairs, nor connected in any way, directly or indirectly, with any political affairs. l am here not in my official capacity, but to see for myself this portion of my country and this portion of my countrymen.

 Gentlemen, you know we have passed through, in the last few years, one of the most bloody civil wars in the history of the world. Before that war came, there was a struggle of ideas, growing out of human slavery, ill portions of the republic. These ideas of liberty on the one side and slavery on the other, grappled; and then came the civil war. You, men of the south, as we claim for the men of the north, fought as bravely as any men have foughtin the history of the world. We learned one thing, at least, and that was to re- spect each other. The war is over. Thank God for it! The system of human slavery has perished, and will exist no more forever on this continent.

 Gentlemen, 1 have faith in the American people, faith in God, faith in our great destiny, and that every year since the war this na- tion has made some progress, and that it will continue to make pro gress; that we shall be more and more united; and that we shall accept, in our heart of hearts, the sublime doctrines born in heaven, that all men were created by God, that christ died for them all, that every man who comes into this breathing world has the right to cultivate his head and heart, and to make of himself all that Al mighty God intended, and that this right has no reference to lines of latitude or longitude, to races, or to men born in or out of our country.

 Now, gentlemen, great duties grew out of the results of the war. I believe that there was the time when, if certain great truths had been accepted the war might have been prevented. But that time passed, and we came to the bloody struggle, and when that struggle was over, patriotism, humanity, christianity, the good God above, commanded us all-of the north and of the south-to accept the result of that war, and to do all that we could do to tighten the terrible evils that have grown out of it.

 You, gentlemen, can do a great work here in your state. think you are making progress-at any rate, l hope you are. Iknow pro- gress is being made in portions of our country, in the right direc- tion. But let ne state to you this plain fact, and 1 want you to carry it home and remember it. Let me say to you that you have extended to me a friendly hand and kindly word for 1 have re- ceived nothinn else in Kentucky, nothing else in Tennessee, noth- ing else here; let me say to you that kind words and kindness will not satisfy men in my own section of the country, unless it come out and is understood, as a truth, as a living and vital reality, that the humblest man, be he black or white, that treads the soil of your great state, and is a citizen of the United States, is safe and secure in all his rights as citizen of the United States.

 Now, gentlemen, you know, and l know, and the world knows, that you have many thousands of