ABOUT LEE AND STONEWALL JACKSON. 53 



was not merely beaten in the late contest; she was profoundly 

 astonished by the result. Her people have not fairly got over their 

 amazement at their defeat ; and what they see of us are these thieves, 

 who represent the North to their jaundiced vision, and, representing 

 it, they disgrace it. They are the greatest obstacle to the triumph 

 and permanent ascendancy of Republican principles at the South, 

 and as such I denounce them. [Applaiise.] 



" Well, then, do you justify the Ku-Klux? " I am asked. Justify 

 them in what? If they should choose tp catch a hundred or two 

 of these thieves, place them tenderly astride. of rails, and bear them 

 q.uietly and peaceably across the Ohio, I should of course condemn 

 the act, as I condemn all violence; but the tears live in a very 

 small onion that would water all my sorrow for them. [Laughter 

 and applause.] But they do nothing like that; they don't go for 

 the thieving carpet-baggers ; but they skulk around wretched 

 cabins, and drag out inoffensive negroes, to lash and torture them, 

 merely for standiii.g up for their rights as men. For this, I do exe- 

 crate the Ku-Klux. I say they are a disgrace to Southern 

 Chivalry ; and tliey would be drummed out of the South if there 

 were any true Chivalry there. 



But it has been reported very widely that at Vicksburg, address- 

 ing a mainly Southern audience, and trying to awaken in them 

 something of the sentiment of nationality and patriotism which 

 burns in a true American bosom, I said that I trusted the time 

 would come when we of the Korth would honor Lee and Stonewall 

 Jackson. I did not say that. What I did say was that I hoped 

 the time wovild come when Americans North, as well as Americans 

 South, would feel a just pride in the soldierly achievements and mili- 

 tary character of Lee and Stonewall Jackson, just as I trusted the 

 late Confederates would learn to feel a patriotic pride in the achieve- 

 ments of Grant and Sherman, and Thomas and Sheridan. I said 

 that, or something very like it. Possibly, you are not willing to go 

 so far as that. Very well, there is no hurry. Take yovir time ; I 

 can wait. Yes, I can wait. 



THE NEW DEPARTURE. 



But, gentlemen, my voice fails, yet I want to say a few words 

 about the New Departure. When men ai-e in a bad fix, I reckon 

 they had better depart from it ; and I fully justify those Demo- 

 crats who have determined to depart from the foolish old busi- 



