The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-11-15
ISSUES OF THE DAY,
SPE ECH OF
Gen. FRAN KIP. BLAIR

A Charge Upon the Radical Lines.
What a Soldier Thinks of the
Policy of the Stay-af-HOmes.
approaching Reunion of COnser-
| vative Men Gnder the Democrat
ic Flag.
From a speech by Major General
Frank P. Blair, at Rolla, Mo-, the 18th
ult., mainly devoted to local issues, we ex
tract the following points Of general ap-
Iplication:
Those of US who agreed to Lincoln's
policy thought when the war ceased that
we should have peace. Those of us who
agreed with Mr.. ohnson's policy, which
was in pursuance and accordance with
that of Mr.. Lincoln, and in accordance with
THE speeches which he made at the time
lof his nomination, and in pursuance of
the principles upon which his nomination
was received from the Republican party
these of us who agreed in that policy,
seeing that it was threatened by those
who seemed to be radical. and so domina-
tied in this State and other States, and
Threatened to overthrow and destroy that
Epolicy, have deemed it important that we
should form an organization with the ex-
plicit declaration of support to the poll
lcy of Andrew johnson in the reconstruc-
ition of the States.
i Now, what was the policy announced
bv the President, and what was the poll
lev with which the radicals antagonized
that policy. They said that the only loyal
men in the South were the negroes, and
THAT they should be admitted to suffrage
| in preference to the white population who
were rebels, and they declared the Con-
gress of the United States had the right
to determine who should be voters iu
those States that had been, as they de.
clared, out of the Union. These radical
gentlemen veered round and assumed the
: very ground once taken by the rebels, ,thal
i these States were out of the Union, and
being out, could only get back on condi
9 tions imposed by Congress.
All good Union men of whom know
anything have claimed that those States
never were out of the Union,and that VIZ
have shed our blood to prevent their go
ling out of the Union. This country ha
poured out its blood, and expended it,
/ treasure to an amount almost incalcula
bic, to prevent those States going out o
the Union, and in claiming that such
thing as secession could not be recogniE
ed by our Government-that it was sui
cide.--that it was simply the act of th
Government destroying its own lif
for Government to acknowledge tha
those States could or had been out Of tn
Union. But in order to give Congress
the power to Legislate in the States upol
subjects of that character, the radical
had frst to claim the rebel doctrine tha
the States were out of the Union-tha
). they were reduced to territorial condi
ltion and must be subject to conditions t
be readmitted into the Union, just as j
1.-THE case of territories when admitted un
:. der the laws of Congress.
Now, my friends, need not tell yo
how dangerous heresy this is. Thos
of YOU who live in the devastated dii
tricts of Missouri should feel and kno
THAT the reviving of this old rebel de,
. trine is full of danger to our country
And the party which is the first to intel
pose-as the first plank in its platform ii
old rebel doctrine of secession and di
union, is not the party to proclaim itse
Il 1.-THE loyal party of Missouri, or any 9th,
4 State. Applause. It is heres
st fraught with all the evils that tongue ca
st tell of-evils which you, my friends, ,ha'
felt deeply. In the core of your hear
. you have felt them in your own home
land I need not dilate upon them. \
sophistry can cover this doctrine. It
J stripped of this sophistry which they a
a. tempt to throw around it, the naked reb
! - doctrine of secession which we have be.
fighting against for the last four yeal
sr, and which we have trampled under fe
2. together with the rebel armies--al
~ which, with the help of God, we W
ltrample under our feet, if it is now su
Itained by the radicals Of Missouri. EA
= lplause. No man can enlist under th
4 banner and bear i. in triumph in Il
- country. We have upon our SCARED p,
lsons the marks and injuries which Il
rs doctrine has brought 70 us; and we see
the desolation which has covered Q
land that all these injuries which be
? us sprang from this doctrine; and j I
,es, these gentlemen they can not succeed
md this project any moro than the reb
all could in theirs. They can not make
're American people swallow this atrocie
!. and odious doctrine. It is an ackno'
- edged doctrine of American politics, a
which has been undisputed since the 70,
dation Of our government, that the st
has the right to fix the sufrage--that
Congress Of the United States can not
the suffrage of the States. The Com
O.. tuition OF the United States in terms, s.
that the electors for President and Y
President, and members of Congress, ,sl
be the same as those qualified to vote
the members of the lower house of
Legislature of each State, thus giving
= each State the decision of who shall
: 1 the electors in the State, and de2riv
}. Congress of the right to interfere. The
fore it was that those who wished to
3 NIT the negroes to suffrage in the Sol