The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-02

son for the good of Rome. (Applause.) The
election that Is approaching is one of transcen-
dant Importance; it involves not the success OF
party, but the preservation OF the country.
(Applause.) In one aspect the issue may decide
whether we are TO have a permanent peace, or
an immediate civil war. Therefore ii is ladies
and gentlemen, ask you to lend me your ears
while speak on these momentous questions.
What is the question for our decision? Un-
hesit8CinRly / answer, the question before the
people of Pennsylvania is not negro suffrage
The men that are STRIVING TO create prejudice
among our tellow-ctizens, endeavorIng TO divert
their minds from their duty to the country are
stimulating prejudice upon a question of that
kind. Now. can in the course of three min
utcs convince every candid mind that that is
not the question before the people of Penn
sylvaDia,
BY the first section of the third article of the
Constitution of Pennsylvania in defining elec.
tors, il uses these words, "Every white freeman
of the age of tWeuty-one years." Therefore,
before the negro can be allowed to vote IN Penn
sylyania, the Constitution OF the State must be
amended by erasmg the word "white." BY the
tenth .tice Of the Constitution of Pennsylvania,
amendments to the Constitution are to pass
two successive Legislatures of the State, and
then 10 be voted on by the people. NO amend
ment to the Constitution of pennsylvania can
be voted on by the people more frequently than
once in five years In the month of August '64. the
people OF Pennsylvania voted on the amend
ment giving the soldiers in the field the right
to vote (cheers); therefore-by no possible way,
if it bad passed both Houses of the Legislature
for two successive sessions, II has passed neither
One-under no possibility could the question OF
negro suffrage come before the people OF Penn
sylyanIa until five years from August, '64, which
will be August. '69. (Applause.)
Now, what is the question before the people?
The Pennsylvania Convention OF the Democratic
party, that met on the 4th day of March, 1856,
at Harrisburg, resolved ''thaL the people of the
seeded States have a right to be forthwith
represented in the Congress of the United
States" The Union party say that they ought
not to be represented in the Congress of the
United States until they shall have given certain
guarantees (appiause); not as indemnity for the
past, but as security for the future (applause);
and those guarantees have been shaped into
certain amendments to the Constitution of the
United States. II will be perceived that this Is
a question of vital importance 10 the Union
ITSELF and it therefore, at the very outset of the
argument, becomes matter OF grave import
anle to know who now are, and who have been
during the recent past, the friends Of the Amer
can Union.
do not question but what there may be, and
are, honorable and patriotic citizens who agreed
TO the resolutions tnat have been adopted by
the Democratic party. The leaders OF that party
are those that Will carry out the resolutions OF
their Convention. Now while there may be,
and are, in the rank and file OF the Democratic
party honest and patriotic men, all through,
from the beginning 10 the end OF the war, the
leaders of the party have been false, and traitors.
(Cheers.) Let me prove 1t TO your satisfaction.
1t was the leaders of the Democratic party that
split that grand old organization that Mr. Lin
coin might be elected President, and then
seized on his election to split the Union in
twain. James Buchanan, the President
elected in 1885, was sustained by the Demo-
cratic party. He declared that the Constitution
of the United States gave no power to prevent
State from seeding from the Union. These are
the men who, in the city of Philadelphia, at Ma
bional Hall, on the l4th day of January, 1861,
when the fires OF Rebellion were lighting up the
whole South declared, not impulsiyelY, not on
the moment-but read their resolutions, and
mark the words:-"It is our deliberate judgment
that, if the Southern States were compelled to
oil nio uh of hpr
she would not also secede." Was not this
bold, audacious admission of the doctrine of
secession?
These are the men who, on the 22d of Feb
ruary, 1861, four days after jeff. Davis had been
inaugurated as Provisional President of the
Southern COnlederacy, declared IN State Con-
vention that they would not aid the Republicans
in power, which meant the incoming admins
tration of MIR. Lincoln, to make war on their
brothers of the South but would do all they
possibly could TO prevent them.
These are the men who, on the 18th of April,
1861 when the Rebel cannon were laundering
at the walls of Sumter, who declared in
the Legislature of the State that they would not
arm Pennsylvania to prepare her for the conflict
These are the men who sustained Franklin
Pierce, who said the war should be north of
Mason and DXons line. These are the men
who, during the gloomy times in 1862, declared,
ave, these lovers of Union declared, that New
England should be left out in the cold. They
don't say word against treason in the South;
DESTROYING the hope of mankind; not a syllable
against them; but New England, that sprung to
arms at once at the first alarm (applause); who
stood by the Union from the first, and watered
the streets OF Baltimore with blood on the 10Th
of April, 1861, they declared that she should be
left out in the cold.
They were men who refused to do what they
could TO sustain the Government They met in
Philadelphia upon the lst daY of June, 1853, to
sympathlZe with that audacious traitor, Val
landigham, OF Ono.
read letter not long ago, the ending of
which was in these words:-"Let us strike at
the Cause-declare Tor peace and against the
These are the men who at the Chicago Con-
vention in 1861 said it their deliberate judg-
ment that hOstiliues should cease, because the
war was failure.
These are the men who, from beginning to end,
did all they could 10 dampen the energy OF our
soldiers, that rejoiced in our defeats and would
gladly have given the victory to the Rebels.
These are the men VINO opposed the draft,
opposed conscription, opposed the enlistment OF
negroes; and, in fact, opposed everything that
was for the good OF the country.
can have no enmity with the mass of my
felow-citizens who may differ from me, but
confess it, that while am full of the milk OF
human kindness, that in my heart of hearts |
detest and hate the men that were the enemies
of the country III '64. (Applause.)
K5Talk of bringing them back to power! Let
the Union party have the success they deserve
for their devotion to the country The Demo
cratic party, if they were to live tor fifty years
will never be clothed with any power by the
people of Pennsylvania. (Applause.) If We
allow them to live in our midst, protected in
person and property, they may thank their gooc
fortune and the magnanimity of the people.
Now who are the friends of the Union? They
are the men who, at the very first moment
struck hands together upon the altar of thei
country sacrificed personal profit, politica
ambition, every thing and determined and re
solved so help them God, that, in victory o.
mha nlOOp