Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-25

yourself of the right to 90 and enjoy free
dom elsewhere in your country as you
enjoy itheref The writ Of habeas corpus,
the great writ that unlocks prison doors
that great writ that all monarchs and
kings and tyrants have always de-
nounced; that great writ, the friend Of
the people, for which the people have
always fought in all nges--it likewise Is
dead. On the battlefelds of Yorktown,
of Eutaw Springs, the commander of the
district may lock up you, or any other
Ameficun citizen, and no voice OF appeal
lies for that great writ to be brought out
that you may be confronted by yonr ac-
cusers, tried by an impartial jury, and
punished If guilty, or set at liberty II In
nocent. How monstrous these things
are. Sometimes | feel that we are living
in an unnatural period. The public mind,
while it is uneasy and wandering, still
has sort of apathy. The farmer goes
on and plows his grain, the mechanic
plies his plane or works at his anvil,
while but few years ago, in the great
and noble and undegenerate days OF the
republic, one single outrage such as those
Ishave painted, would have rushed the
people to arms--it matters not where,
anywhere between ocean and ocean, be-
tween sun-up and sun-down--such out
RACES few years ago could not have
occurred without calling this people to
arms like the bugle blast of great mill
tary chieftain at the head of his troops.
Still we 90 on. Our hope is in this COM
ing contest to rectify these things.
Is it nothing that, in this boasted re-
public, in one-third of your political sky
every star has set? The sun has gone
down; utter darkness has settled upon
that land; a night as complete as pesti-
lence has eclipsed your country and
mine. This is the career Of these destroy.
ers. But more than that, what does this
pretence of building republican govern
ments rest upon Where, in all history,
does republican form Of government
rest upon standing army for its chief
corner stone !? A standing army in time
of peace was the object most dreaded by
your forefathers. 1t was one of the causes
for which the Revolution was fought 1t
was one of the causes that led your an-
csstors to fly to arms because King
George proposed to quarter troops upon
you aud keep standing army in your
midst in time of peace. But now, in
time of peace, with taxes mountain
high, with the shadow of debt falling
on every hearthstone, crossing every
door. step, and causing the heart of the
laborer to fail, while men 60 around the
streets like mourners of old, without
labor, without the means of earning a
livelihood, there is a vast standing
army eating out your substance like the
locusts that have appeared this year.
The standing army of the United States
to-day costs more than the standing
army of any one Of the five great powers
of Europe. True, we pay our soldiers
more than they do, and we have not so
many as they have, but neither France,
England, Russia nor Prussia expends as
much money to support standing army
as the people of the United States this
hour. One hundred and twenty millions
per annum will not more than cover it,
The Secretary's own estimate was $780,
000, 900; and / know what deficiency
bills are, especially when the estimates
are made in the face Of an approaching
Presidential election. They always cut
them down. Estimates are always q
fraud then upon the part of the party in
power, who wish to cover up the burdens
they are laying upon the people. The
standing army Of the South. held there
to destroy your old Union, held there TO
trample out Of existence the old States,
held there TO cleave down hsbeas corpus,
held there to crush into the earth the
great right Of trial by jury-you have to
pay for Il; and even though there may
be some who care not for the Union, who
care not for these States, who care not for
the liberties Of the people there, thero is
rome so poor, or base, or low, Is not to
care for his hard earnings put in his
pocket by bis daily toll cwt
I The question arises as q great and
param sunt issue in this campaign, will
you have standing army, at your ex-
pense, 70 govern ten States. or viii you
have them governed according to Ameri-
can Law and the American ConStitntionf
I appeal to the Conservative people OF
this country. vi,hoa, respect 10 party. /
care no more Tor party names OF party
lines than any one else in this broad
land. feel that the grand old Demo
cratic party is the best conservative OF.
eauizaiiop nov afoat above the sea of
waters Loud spplanse. would,
hswerer, send forth frou her that in
riting spiri, Of fraissaiiy and affection
10 lhs other Conservative elements that
ar- absoad. aad invite them all 10 work
IN harmony together. As shsu he cid
Wing party Vas hacked 70 i,s diss0lution,
many Of lie tinhsrs fostsd 10 ne. 90 nov
in this day Of eonvulsioa. this dag when
The Leadership Of the Rspublican party