The New York herald., 1866-09-29
THE CAMPAIGN.
yehn T. Hoffman's Views on the Res
toratien Question:
Ths Issues Of the Day Discussed by Thad Ste.
yens and George N. Dallas.
RE oRATioN.
Speech Of John r. Hoffman nj Elmira, N. ",
$3.50 f01 September rs.

MUTnIug young
hs Governor OF your State stranger personally almost
1oeycry within the limits OF your city But have
hsd greeting and welcome accorded so sincere
tnnsesic that feel truly grateful to you ALL Cheers
stand before tonight the representative of great
principles and Of great Conservative party made p OF
who for time past have not acted IN political
association. For the time has come-the necessities OF
ghe age demanded that should come-tha for the great
end Of securing speedy restoration OF ali the States TO
snsir rights az States under tho constitution should
Ay aside past prejudces past antagousms, and meet
tcgetAer IN one common body for common end, the
Food or the whole United States of America loud
oters) do not stand here tonight ladies and rem 10.
men to say one single word in regard to the candidate
eeemes 10 abuse me- leave II 10 the record Of my life to
eesnd me Cheers ANNOUNCED at the beginning this
canaien that should indulge In personalities: and
declared hen as declare that II the record II afe
In the eating CITY of this great country viii lsi
fy me before the people Of the State nothing that
say my behalf and In my defence eau secure
- me their approval aud their suffrage / have no
ehsfses 70 make against my opponents; have nothing
70 say as 70 ,nem personally; The assault have 70
and shau do that TO the best or my ability, sparng
n'thng in the attack. Applausel Now, my fellow
citizens, let us look for moment at the great issue Of
tao day. I can hardly hope to adj anything 70 the
scrcbie speech of the distinguished gentleman who pre-
have not heard In this campaign nor have Trad so
s1uch said in so few words which must commend itself
70 the good Judgment Q! every patriotic Amer ct
cen fcheers) Nevertheless, IN nv own way Of pre-
senting this question: shall proceed 10 do It. with such
brevity as IS cons stent with the occasion This country
has just passed through a terrible struggle war which
has convulsed It from extreme TO the other Il
could have passed successfully through II II the
hearts OF The great mass OF the American people,
sezing all parties, had not been in the contest zap
p.a1se We VIII not look at the past will dwell
un the assaults which have been made upon individual
aud individual parties The great truth stands out
prominent and beyond dispute thai the whole people Of
she North, almost Gsse have united their anergies
seT talents and their capital In the one great work of
preserving the Union OF the States, for which their
fashers fou ht and bed and however they may havs
6sered as TO the means and peculiar manner in which
fe war should be conducted they agreed npop he
one great point, that II should be conducted that all
te States o. all this Union should be kept within the
Tnun under the constitution and under the
imposed thereby For that end, how many hundreds o
Sands of lives have been sacrificed, how many thou
s-nts OF millions Of dollars have been expended how
nrny houses have been desoIated, how many young
hopes have been blghted, how many old beads have
koea bowed down in aud brought the grave for
ksaesS II, during this whole contest ore nan woman
had been asked this question: ,"when this war
= ever shall The The State. IN rebellion % sept
ess unanimous and emphatic "No" tChcersl
Ths. then, was the object for Which they
ssach ncrIces OF life and sacroces OF Money wepe
made, and now that the is ended that The re-
Scson has been subdued now that the admitted
Of the rebs lon--slavery-ha been abolished AMI now
sAi the South have declared that their own debt shall
Ds repudiated, now that they have fulfilled the obNga
Non was suppressed, still nnd the grca, majority Of
Ast Congress- representing tho radical party Ia this
eosutry. declaring, With voice, that Inc States which
eW people fought TO keep In the Union shall not
n And the question which you are 70 determine In
edselecon IN tho Empire State is whether the North
lgwth the radical party upon that issue NV friends
have said that the rebellion has been subdued II il has
net been subtued then the s not yet But Il
Aas been subdued Tho President OF tho United states
heD proclaimed peace throughout the land. Every sol
1fsr IN rebellion has gone to his home There Is not
armed force arrayed agains the government from
m outbreak with or two exceptions in the Sonth
sfnee Lees surrender. There has been riot
:. Ssw snsy sSd ss.s all y, VIII u. that single
sson exhibited by the Southern people 10 tho results
the war brought on by themselves and ended By tho
er0o valor OF the people OF the North ask the cbnr
nan Of this meetng ask you, when the was being
sAged was II not your fear, ~ II mine. that
atsr the war was closed the disconteued spirits of tho
Suth would form guerilla bands and keep he country
condition Of nquietude for years 10 Gomez Did not
M Lincoln himself declare thai he feared. after he
that Congress- would have 10 tske acton
% compel the Southern people send representatives, 20
Coagressf But what is the pcture' Entire sIbm srnn
pr1posItious proposed BY Congress slavery chcerIy
md willingly abolished-thc sacrifice of wta. % thcm
w many Of them, was all they had; the dsbt 70 which
many OF them we're pledged by every dc',e Of honor,
SsTsdiaed; obedience TO awthe States, many of them,
pesing laws 70 protect the rights OF every citizen, white
scd black giving every evidence they of their sub
sEon to the result Of the war and asking nothing IN
retnrn but that they should have the rights
Mat the constitution guarantees TO every state
and 10 every citizen OF every state. tChcers
Have told the truth know VITA, may have been
isld 10 the people OF Elmra by this travelling company
pf radicals who circulating through tbs State do
caro- for men who come from any sect ON Of the com
Try begging the OF the country IN keep them VI
Ne unon are not worthy OF the confidence o. tho Amer
ioan nation q heers.l The man who claims ~ be o
representative OF Southern state aud of the southern
people. who does not want his state TO havo ~ repre-
sentson under the constitution, might far better stay
home than 20 travelling about The country st he
psne OF 10y leagues and rad cal politicians and
ents upon cfhco holders, TO deno1nce his npeope,
snd beg that they may be kept out Of the Union.
tCheers shall not stop 20 ask what declarations these
inru have made 70 the citizens Of Elmrl apPsal 70
t6s history OF tho day, To the journals Of the day, 70 hs
temper OF the Southern people, all the evidence
have beer furnished 70 any community, n tie rstrre
kises 20 the authority ~ tho government "A not
picture Tn all its features lApplause.I Nov, !
h what thcnS II there A anything Of which
% American citizen feels prond t u o. his hopor
there ANYTHING OF which American
citizen feels proud, IL 10 when be can say through
sot the world, n am American" II there is
asythng OF which American could deire TO boast,
woald be that the American nation breass treaties
asa never violates ~ plishted faith Gsntismsn 70
ssfercnce 70 this war; That Il wns not waved IN my
nt Of oppression with any purpose of snhjn, alton,
bat merely ~ keep the states In the Union, and wien
Ne var closed 10 give them their rights undor tile
osnrttuon, and the protection which the consutation
paper throughout The sndP was not anpoaneed rrom
hits platform and from every platform throughout the
sruntryi Was not the leading cry under mhich men,
without regard % party ralhrd 20 standard and
Che public meetings 20 encourage the soldiers vino had
Gyo to the wars Applsase II The cry lad been, .it
ssn state would there have been tie qn'hnsi.
pahvT t'No nd1 But no, Congress IN solemn rcsoiu.
,lso declared the object q q ne , var & and onss ol ?,
u day 20 admit loyal representatives. Of tho people
eS mo south. (AppanseD have spoken of the
sisf when Lee surrendered 10 Grant what did
Grant tell him ftIAy down your arm 90 home, and
long a. yo are otedeBt to lhe constitution and the lava
yei shall be protected IN your rights as American cii
ssns And there a soldier or ofcer who would stand
before General Grant to-day and say, 'The word you
n psd,ed 70 them shall be broksnfn t''No. nol' and
cheers whnn tn President % the United States
through this country with Grant one side and
yarragut the othcr they are two living Witnesses %
a. sense az obiiration which they 10 ~ The r,ahted
faith OF the nation tChocrsl General Grant may
he politician rarragu may declare ho is no
rc,ican: but When these tao noble hNrJes Of the
sta'd side by side with the President while the people %
fualsna II may be- refuse 10 hear him, you MAJ be sure
thai IL ey desirs with him TO secure the o
s the states by loyal In the Congress of the
iy Lot the soldiers who have returned from the battle
neld who are nOw home scattered through this coun
fry, determ ne for Themselves when this election
somes whether they stand with Grant and Far
rssrt and the PRECEDENT, or whether they stand
vih Stevens and Greeley and Butler and Wen.