Speeches of Benjamin Harrison, Twenty-third President of the United StatesHarrison, Benjamin
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Speeches of Benjamin Harrison, Twenty-third President of the United States
Harrison, Benjamin
Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901; Speeches, addresses, etc., American; United States -- Politics and government
But now the Union has been saved and restored. Men of both armies
and of all the States rejoice that England's hope of a commercial
dependency on our Southern coast was disappointed. The South is under
no stress to purchase foreign help by trade concessions. She will now
open her hospitable doors to manufacturing, capital, and skilled labor.
It is not now true that either climate or the habits of her people
indispose them to manufactures. Of the Virginias, North Carolina,
Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Missouri, it may be now said, as
Mr. Spence said of the more northern States, "They possess the same
elements as ourselves [England]--coal, metals, ships, an aptitude
for machinery, energy, and industry--while the early obstacles of
deficient capital and scanty labor are rapidly disappearing." And I
am sure there is a "New South"--shackled as it is by traditions and
prejudices--that is girding itself to take part in great industrial
rivalry with England, which Mr. Spence so much deprecates. These great
States will no longer allow either Old England or New England to spin
and weave their cotton, but will build mills in the very fields where
the great staple is gathered. [Applause.] They will no longer leave
Pennsylvania without an active rival in the production of iron. They
surely will not, if they are at all mindful of their great need and
their great opportunity, unite in this crusade against our protected
industries.
Our interests no longer run upon sectional lines, and it cannot be
good for any part of our country that Mr. Spence's vision of English
trade with us should be realized. [Cries of "Never! Never!"] Commerce
between the States is working mightily, if silently, to efface all
lingering estrangements between our people, and the appeal for the
perpetuation of the American system of protection will, I am sure,
soon find an answering response among the people of all the States.
[Loud cheering.]
I thank you again for this beautiful and cordial demonstration, and
will now be glad to meet you personally.
INDIANAPOLIS, SEPTEMBER 25.
The third delegation from Wabash County during the campaign arrived
on September 25, a thousand strong, headed by Hon. Jesse Arnold, Col.
Homan Depew, Thomas Black, W. D. Caldwell, Obed Way, Thomas McNamee,
Rob't Thompson, Wm. Alexander, Robert Wilson, Andrew Egnew, C. S. Haas,
W. W. Stewart, W. H. Bent, Robert Stewart, and W. D. Gachenour. Their
spokesman was Capt. B. F. Williams. Parke County, Indiana, contributed a
large delegation the same day, under the lead of John W. Stryker, Jacob
Church, John R. Johnson, A. O. Benson, W. W. McCune, Joseph H. Jordan,
and A. A. Hargrave, of Rockville, and 300 school children, in charge of
A. R. McMurty. Dr. T. F. Leech was orator for the Parke visitors.
General Harrison spoke as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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