The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-05-17
Issues of the Day.
A GOOD REPUBLICAN, SPEECH.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON DEFENDED BY
BRAVE SOLDIER WHO
VOTED FOR HIM.
q Speech of Gen. F, p, Blair, at Macon
City, Mo.
(Continued.)

tell you, my friends, that this idea of ne
gro suffrage IL the one ruling idea with this
party. 1t 10 the reason why the Union is
still disrupted. The blood of thousands OF
men has been shed in vain, and millions of
treasure have been thrown away to cement
and bind and bring together the states OF
this Union, simply because there is in our
midst party composed of men who
are determined that this government
shall never be white mans gov,
eminent, but shall be q mongrel cur,
llaughter), mixed with all relations, and In
which he shall exercise the same power
Gentlemen, you wouli be deceived very
much In the belief that this idea OF admitting
she negroes in the southern states, to suffrage,
arose from any sentimentallty on the part OF
those New England statesmen. They have
other views which lie down deeper than the
rhetoric which they expend over the hard
ships of excluding the loyal negroes of the
south from suffrage. Their intense anxiety
and desire to have them Incorporated with
all the rights of eitizons-with that last
great right of Individual soverelgnty-be-
cause it is sovereignty attached to every man
who exercises the ultimate right OF deter
mining who shall rule this republic-to
make them our equals in every point; to
insist that they shall be our eqeals in this
government. Some people are lain TO be
heve it rises simply from morbid sentlmen-
tality-Rn abstract conviction OF the equal
rights of all men and that every man Great
ed in the image of his Maker should be en-
titled to equal rights under our form of gov
ernment. | believe that any person who I'M
bibes this opinion is utterly mistaken when
we come to sift down to the very dregs the
motives which acEuate the leaders of this
government. That there are men who are
led by this idea. of sentimentality, believe;
that those bright rhetorical phrases and
besutiful metaphors which are thrown out by
the finished and accom- plished orators in con-
gress, like Summer, have misled some young
and sim ple-minded men Our own senators,
for instance (laughterl, | can we'll conceive
that this is true.
But the New England men, the men who
govern New England, that rule this party,
have far other and far different mo-
tives. With them it is power with them it
is dominion. 1t is with them the desire to
retain in their hands the control Of ali the
affairs of this republic They wish to bring
to their side these four or iYs millions of ne
groes enfranchissd in the south, and they
wish to extend these states of New England
into eleven more at the south. Why, my
friends, by that means they could still main
tain those high tariffs that grind to powder
the people OF the west. In the midst of our
suffering when throughout the west we are
bleeding at every pore, and when our pro
duce, which we have succeeded In making
the earth yield by the most laborious toll,
when it sells for scarcely anything on the
markets, we have been compelled to pay the
most enormous prices for those fabrics which
are made in the looms of New England, and
they receive the most enormous profits, al
most fabulous, upon the products of their
machinery IN New England and Pennsylya
MIA, and We are loaded down with almost the
entire debt which has been incurred in the
prosecution and main teuance of our glorious
Union. I am not as familiar al other gem
tlemen, for have not recently made the
proceedings of congress my especial duty,
aud therefore | do not profess to be as well
acquainted with the details of measures
which have passed and are still being press
ed through congress tor the benefit of this
New England interest, but there is one ex-
ample which l desire briefly to ailude to
here, and which will illustrate their whole
SCENE.
For instance, you take the tax on whisky
and what Is called distilled spirits 1t is
50 gallon. 4 commission was appointed
last year by the secretary of the treasury to
examine into all the details of our system of
internal taxation, aud to collect Information
ana TO uuu Out %uHfe anu upon Wlab articles
the tariff or tax could be lowered for the
benefit of the people without dspriving the
government of revenues. Among other arti-
cles, it was reported, with the most conclu-
sive evidence to tho truth of the
fact, that tax of ST. ON whisky or distilled
spirits would produce a much larger revenue
to the government than this present tax of
two dollars. The eastern manufacturers
secuted the idea of reducing this tax and
they put forward one of their sensational
ideas on this matser-that it would prevent
the distillation of our cereals into these in
toxioating draughts, and that we ought to
protect the morals of our people against
drunkards So they maintained the tax and
still maintain it; and if | am not mistaken
there is Mr.. Hogsn,a member of the commit
tee on Ways and Means, which have to pass
upon all the measures) l believe | am correct
in saying that the committee have determin-
ed not to reduce this tax. Mr.. Hogan
Yes, sir.) They won't reduce it, not even it
they can make more money to pay the debt
of the government. What reason IS there in
all this? Does anybody believe it is based
on sentement? Don't we all know that in
all civilized nations the idea of these sump-
tuary laws, the controlling of peoples prin-
ciples and morals by Legislation, are regard
ed as ridiculous, and that they have not been
ventured upon by any civilized government
for centuries.
Gentlemen, will let you into the secret.
suppose you all see it at once. If the tax
upon distilled spirits were reduced to one
dollar' at least, probably, two-thirds more of
your crop would be distilled that would
give you market in the west for some of
the products and cereals of your farms tina.
would not only be a relief in point Of taxa.
tion. where the consumers Of this att.
have to pay the tax, bat it would bs a orest
raIiaf 10 those farmers who produca ~
.eraals from their lands and for all the hn
meas interests of the west. But if you we've
- make auch a market for corn and osbe,
~ c.r m that would manufacture into those
distilled d Till ssn spad to manufacturers in New
Tnalsnd. Their laborers could not get their
.or1 and wheat and pork SO cheaply. because
~" "a ,ould find better market for our corn
fsnnI.use.) So that IN order 90 saw snem u
ssyss' to help themselves, they refuse ss US
sbas whioh would at the same time De NJ ls :,
, I. 70 the treasury of the country. WOW NOV u
asn he very well understood; Ii was u .s ~
. -. by this commission that VIII 'n' '"A