The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1866-10-05
words Fitly Spoken by n Rebub-
llcan Member OF the Ohio Leg
fsIafure.

Maxwell P. Gaddis, of Cincinnati
elected on the Republican ticket a
member of the present Legislature
from Hamilton county but who resign
cd the position a few weeks ago, adj
dressed a Democratic meeting at Ba-
tavia, Clermont county, on Saturday
last. The following is a report of the
matters he presented in his speech, and
to which we invite the attention of our
Republican readers:
Soldiers, Sailors and Fellow-citizens
I am for the maintenance Of the Union
of these States intact under the Con-
stitution and the laws. If this is Dem
ocratic then | am a Democrat.
/ am opposed to secession in all its
forms, whether by voluntary ordinance
force Of arms, or by Congressional en-
actment. If this is Democratic, then /
am a Democrat.
L was in favor of the abolition of ne
gro slavery by Constitutional amend
ment, and am to-day unalterably OPP
posed 10 its. restoration. If that is
Democratic, then 1 am a Democrat.
/ am in favor of the payment of the
last dollar of our National debt, and
opposed to paying M cent ofthe rebel
or Confederate debit
l ON opposed to taxation without
representation, rs your fathers and
mine were.
l am in favor of every loyal man in
tho lately rebellious States having q
representation in Congress. / am in
favor Of every man in this county being
equal in the eye OF the civil law, but
am opposed TO negro suffrage. And
last, but not least, / am in favar Of equ-
alizing soldiers bounties, and opposed
to members of Congress voting them
selves $4,000 extra pay to electioneer
on, and refusing to give the soldiers. of
three years service but 800. In n
word, / am in favor of q whole, and a
not a partof a Union; in favor Of peace
and opposed to any morc civil wars in
this country; in favor of the Union,
Constitution and the laws.
If these principles are Democratic,
then you may set me down as q live
Democrat. If they are reasonable,
then / am a rebel. i see some Of my
old Republican friends present here to
to-day, and / trust they will be consid-
crate enough to grant me the privil-
eye of expressing my own opinion
candidly,
The National platform of party is
the exponent Of the principles of that
party and in the absence of anything
to contradic the declarations LAID down
by a previous Convention, those prin-
ciples are binding until changed, upon
all who profess to follow them.
l stand to-day where / stood two
years ago. 1t wa my privilege to be
a delegate to the Baltimore Convention
and as a delegate / assisted in framing
the platform laid down for the guidance
Of the Union party in 1894, and af-
forward supportedthat platform during
the campaign which resulted in the
election of Mr.. Lincoln. Every mem
Der of Congress was elected upon that
platform, and if they have failed to
carry out the principles enunciated in
it, l do not propose to allow them to
question my fidelity. .
To-day | indorse the platform of the
Philadelphia Convention, not as dis,
tinct from the former, but as built en-.
tirely on the results which followed the
declaration embodied in the platform
Of the Baltimore Convention.
What was the object of the war iii
was not to preserve the Constitution
and maintain the rights of the Stat,
entire? Why DO not then those mem
bers of Congress who were elected un
der this proposition announced at thu
outset Of the rebellion, fulfill the mis-
sion for which they were sent to ouI
Nation halls, and ignore the eireum
stantlal incident ofnegro suffrage?
What constitutes a cessation of hos
tilities? What was so regarded dur
ing the time of the Revolution? Wa
it not a laying down Of arms, an &C
acknowledgement of conquest by the sur
render Of the sword Of CORVALLIS t
Washington Has not the South don
all through the hands of Johnson an
Lee? What more could you expec
them to do? But howhas Tennessee
State that furnished $1,000 Union SO.
diers-been treated by C~ongress2
Why have they been almost entirel
disregarded2 This State elected Rel
resentatives while out Of the UnioI
and they have been admitted at last t
their seats iu Congress. lis Tenpesse
in the Union and, ifso, are not a
the States entitled to the same right
with herr .Arenot,the Southern pee