Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-09-14
THE PRESIDENTS TOUR.
Speeches at Cincinnati and Csi umbus-Di
graceful rDistarbance az Pittshurx

Speeches at Cincinnati and Csi um bus-Di.
graceful 1Distarbance at Pittsbury.
CINCISNATI, Sept l2.-The Presto spoke
as follows 10 response - the welcome sddress
Of Hon. w. J Groesbeck:
tender you my sincere thanks for this re-
ception. 1t is no ordinary pleasure 10 be ten
oered the compliments Is which have Just been
given me through Mr.. Groesbeck-the same
man who welcomed me here an exile, in 1861,
on the occasion OF my first visit TO this place,
when fed from the fury of Southern rebels;
ana ~ Is singular coincidence that he who
acteo as your organ In welcoming me, the exile,
now welcomes me IN the double capacity of a
citizen OF the United States, and as President
OF tnlrty-six States, not twenty five, as some
/ will say, by way Of Introduction, that 1
entertaln the same views regarding the Union
mat entertained in 1861. contended then
.nat no STATE could 60 out Of its own will ard
ACCORD. contend so now. / placed myself
upon that platform as Senator, and upon n
fought secession and rebellion stand unon
II now as president. lCheers.l 1t has been
saio tnat nave turned traitor since became
President. Traitor to whomi 1 will cali upon
any man where and defy him to put his i,n-
ger upon an instance in which have sweryed
the late lamented President and myself Uere
elected. Extract the principles from the plat.
form, and they will be found identical with
those Of the Constitution of the United states
and upon that stand as 1 have ever stood
again ask this intelligent audience TO whom
nave turned traitorl i do not wish TO be
misunderstood, and 1 will, therefore, speak
PLAINLY, as there are those desirous Of misrep-
resenting me. Ii fidelity to nv country TO the
constitution and To liberty be treason then 1
am traitor GCheers.l If fidelity to country
should turn traitorl / have been fighting
power and tyranny all my life, and now in
once, II is second nature, and IL is natural
that should defend the rights OF the paonIe
against tyranny and Capitalization What will
l gain by treasonl am no candidate have
hlied all the ohices in the gift of the people,
and my ambition is satisfied. Why should
turn traitor to the people who have honored
me! What act Of my life has ever been to their
detrimentl
Have not all the measures ever ad voca,ad
been for the amelioration of maukindl have
opposed the enemies OF freedom and the Con-
stituton since have been in power / vetoed
the Freedmen's Bureau bill in the interest of
the people. Does that make me a traitor
Was the Freedmen's Bureau bill, or any bill
like 1t, part of the platform on which was
elected! Did l receive your votes TO saddle
upon you measure which will cost at least
twelve million dollars per annum, and NAV
cost fifty or sixty million dollars. ICries Of
"No. non1 Why that would be four tunes ali
the expenses OF the Government under the ad-
mlnistraton OF John Quincy Adams, which
was denounced as an extravagant administra-
tlon. Who has done more for emancipation
than / hayei
Knowing that the emancipation proclamation
was only war measure. and ITS legality might
be doubted in a time of peace, L was for the
constitutional amendment which makes all
all the States, else it could not have been valid
TO day. tCheers. The negro IL now Free and has
an even start In the race for lite; but there are
some who say that he is not competent to take
care OF himself and want the Government to do
II for him, yet they turn right around and saw
that be is compeen: TO vote. lCries of "No,
neyeri''l '
If he is 10 vote let him obtain the right of
franchise through the States themsel YES. which
have absolute control of the matter L don't
want TO see all the work Of emancipation lost
and therefore am opposed TO the Freedmen's
Bureau bill, which makes four millions of
freedmen the slaves of new task masters Why
with the Freedmen's Bureau, with agents and
satraps IN every town and school district
with fifty million dollars in ny pockets, and
the army ST my back, L could proclaim nv
self dictator. / vetoed the Freedmen s Buresu
bill twice in the interest of the people, and
Will do II forty more times il need be- TCheers I
For this L have been denounced as traitor
and even J udas. But why a Judas Re
cause dared stretch out my hands in defence
L done any such tbiLgl Are the Radicals INV
Christ l don't acknowledge any one as sucb
except only the Saviour of the world He
found all men condemned under the law and
He died that they might be pardoned " VINO
are denounced as traitors with me! Mr. Sew-
ard-lcheers for Seward who carries the
scars to-day OF the assassin's knife Did L
wish TO be tragic l could chow you the scars
he carries. and ask IL such a man could be A
traitor. We are both denounced as traitors he
cause we stick together The time has arrived
H.
But there are some who forget there are any
bu' negroes in the country. 1t is time TOO. 10
throw on party shackles and stand by the
country. Let us have country first, and then.
IL need be, party after wards TCheersl IN is
said te be undignifed in me 10 aenouuce Com
gress, yet perfectly fair for Congress TO cali
me a traitor; what steps has the Immaculate
Congress taken toward restoring the Union
What has that body done2 i will tell You.
In order to catch votes. they appropriated fif-
ty dollars TO every soldier who had fought two
yIyh tIn fhn~v
thousand dollars additional pay for their own
services.
Has not blood enough been spiIled1 We
trust the time will soon come when the aRri-
cultural and commercial interests, our rail.
roads and our factories, will ali be running as
before the war, and peace and prosperity will
bless the land. Look at our wasted fields and
ask yourselves il you want any more such de.
yastation. Mars has been in the ascendant
long enough; let that bloody star be driven
away by The bright sunshine of peace. II
have pardoned traitors i have only obeyed the
injunction of the Scripture, to forgive the re-
pentaat. Who OF us would be living if for mis-
first or second error he had been struck down.
1 beiieve men may repent, and then they
should be forgiven. Hang eight millions Of
people! Who ever heard of such horrors
Yet because L refuse to do this am called a
traitor. If more blood is needed erect an altar
and upon II your humble speaker will pour
out the last drop of his blood as q libation for
his country's salvation. L have never de-
serted the people, and they have never de-
by the Constitution and that good old flag,
which commit TO your keeping upon the altar
OF our country, and there assemble around il
from all sections of the country, and in one fra
ternal hug forget and fsrgive, and then swear
let come what Will; let all sink if it will
then swear that this Union shall be eternal
[Cheers
The President then retired amid loud cheers.
COLUMBUS, OHIO Sept. 12-The President
in reply TO Nr. Ball, the Mayor of Columbus
spoke at some length. saying :-sslt will be re.
membered BY this large and intelligent audience
that was once among you as an exile, driven
from the borders Of my own State TO seek refuge
elsewhere. l am grateful for the cordial well
come received by the people at that time. L
come to day as the Chief Magistrate to receive
a similar welcome. But how different are
things now from what they were then! Our
Government was in volved in a civil war which
we have Just passed through, in which blood
has been shed, lives sacrificed, and money ex
pended: but, thank God. after all that has been
done, it is in my power to proclaim to Won to-
day that peace has been made and we now
come with the countrv's flag, containing thirty.
six and not with only twenty five stars. Then.
what is our condition nowf When I was in
your midst as an exile what was NV laneuape
and my appeal That was in favor Of the
preservation Of the Union Of these States and
sustaining the Constitution Of my country: in
fact that was my business. stand where 1