The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-08-04

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crtv again to embark in rebellion, to
nullify the acts of Congress, aud thus
to renew the struggle. The Demo
party has invited the people of
the rebel States to renew the war. by
assuring them that the action of Con-
gress Is unconstitutional. and that
they are thus not bound to yield any
obedience to these reconstruction acts
of Congress. If the people of the
South do not again embark IN
rebellion, it is because they disregard
the express wish of the Democratic
party of the North, and if they do
again embark in rebellion, the Damo-
cratic party Of the North is response
Bile for the war, and the blood will be
upon their 8 oulders. Loud applause,
and a voice, I'VE will lick them
again." We understand, my friends.
that nineteen, perhaps, out of twenty
of the white people in the rebel States
are hostile to the Government OF the
United States. They are hostile to
these governments that we have form
ed4thev are full of hatred to the
people of the North; what is more,
thew are all armed. You can't go into
a rebel house or cabin in all the
Southern States but what you will
find from one to halt a dozen rifles
and muskets. - ~
The private soldiers and the Off
GERS or the rebel army who served to-.
gether for years are living together
there in the same neighborhood ready
to take up the musket and the sword
and to fall into line again when the
call is made, and with this hostile and
rebel population in the Southern
States surrounding these governments.
that have been called into existence
under the acts of Congress. The
Democratic party of the Northern
States are thus inviting them to re-
bellion, and again calling upon them
to take their arms by assuring them
that all these laws are void aud of no
force or effect, and that they are not
bound TO yield obedience to any.
This is the position of the Demo
cratic party according to its platform,
aud if the power shall pass into the
hands of this party, if they a elect
a President who stands on that plat
form then indeed will the revolution
go back. Then indeed will all the
blood have been shed in vain; then
will all this treasure have been wasted,
and after five hundred thousand
graves have been filed up-after
wives have been widowed withoutnum-
Der, aud fathers left without children
the rebels will finally triumph. All,
my friends, this same party was re-
sponsible for the beginning of the
war. If they had not told the de-
luded people of the South that the
Government should be held still while
they carried on the work of secession
they never would have undertaken
secession. Why, in this very State,
in this very old State House up here,
the Democratic minority ia the Legls-
lature of '61, told the people of the
South that if an army passed from
the State of Indiana for the purpose
of subduing the rebellion but then
Just commencing, it must first pass
over their dead bodies. And what
was the language of the Democracysofi
Indiana, was the language of the
Democracy Of Ohio, and of all the
other States2 Believing these decla-
rations, they madly plunged into the
war against this Union. But if fur
Their evidence was wanting in regard
to the character of the Democratic
party, and of its purposes, it is found
In the nomination of General Frank
Blair. 1t is found in that letter upon
which he was nominated, aud without
which he could not have been nomi-
mated. / will ask my friend to read
some extracts from his letter: ff
"The reconstruction policy of the Radi-
calls VIII b9-complete before the next cleo
tfon; the States so long excluded will have
been admitted, negro suffrage established,
seats in both branches of Congress. There
Is no possibility of changing the political
democrats should elect their President
aud a majority of the popular
branches of Congress. We cannot, there
fore, undo the Radical plan of recon-
struction by Congressional action; the
Senate will continue n bar to its repeal.
Must we submit to it, How can II be
overthrOwn? 1t can only be overthrown
by the authority of the Executive, who IS
sworn to maintain the Constitution, and
who will fail to do his duty If he allows
the Constitution to perish under n series
of Congressional enactmentS which are in
p%alpaole violation of its fundamental
"If the President elected by the Democ-
rae enforces or permits others to en-
to- , these reconstruction acts, the Radi-
cas-. by the accession of twenty spurious
Senators and fifty Representatives, will
control both branches OF Congress, and his
ADMINISTRATION will be powerleSS as the
present one OF Nh Johnson g
There is the remedy pointed out by
Frank Blair. They cannot change
the Government by electiDg a Presi-
dent, and the Senate cannot be chang
ed under four years. He states the
difficulty in the way of the Demo-
cratic party exactly, of accom-
plishing this thing by legislation.
They cannot undo it by legislation
under four years. How, then, do
they propose to undo what we have
done? To elect a President who
shall have command of the army, and
by military power overturn and dis
perse these loyal State Governments,
and shall by military power and in
defiance of the action of Congress-,
reinstate the rebel State governments,
return rebels to power, place the
Union men of the South in the hands
of these rebels who brought the war
upon US. This is the remedy propos-
ed By the Democratic candidate for
the Vice Presidency, and | would
like to appeal to the honest Democ-
raey within the sound of my voice:
20 you approve of the proposition?
70 you propose never TO submit TO
the Will OF the Government? Do you
propose now again to resort to war
and bring upon US all the horrors of |
a r~evoIution2 [ will ask nv friend
to read again from General Blair's
letter:
"There Is but one way to ostora 80
Government and the Constitutio, anS
that is for the President elect TO deoiars
these acts null and void, compel the SrnaS
to undo its usurpatiOns at the Sonth 80
perse the carpet-bag State governmsn ,
allow the white people to r~eorganize fhair
own and elect Senators ana
REPRESENTATIVES,. The House of Reprenfa-
tiVeS will contain q majority of Democrats
from tn North. and they admits the krep-