Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-08-26

OOSus members. Win that letter h
was nominated. He was nominate
by VIM. Preston, of Kentucky, q di
tinguished Major General of the reb'
army, who, when he made the nom
nation, said that the South had n
candidate to present, and he therefor
took pleasure IN presenting his namt
We have q right to look at the comp;
ny he was in, and 1 tell you that o
the 9Th of October, 1862. that ma
occupied Frankfort, Ky, with a rebt
army, and was engaged in inauguratiu
Capt. Dick Hawes as Governor of KeI
lucky, ana on that day the boys froI
Seneca county, who marched throug
the burning sun of Kentucky by M
side, went to the banks of the Ker
lucky river and we planted the bate
ries Of Col. Kirk and we shelled then
out, and l saw this man ride out o,
retreat at the head of his troops, and
tell you they didn't get their Governo
half inaugurated. Laughter. Hi
nomination was seconded by Wad
Hampton, Of South Carolina; Smith, o
Kentucky; and Gen. Forrest, Of Ten
nessee, who, whatever may be his per
sonal qualities, is not a man who's
name sounds acceptably or appeals L
the confidence of this coutry, for w
have not yet forgotten the fact that a
Fort Pillow our soldiers were bayonet
ed after they had surrendered; tha
men wearing the blue, because of thei
black skins, were tied down and con
sumed in their tents. And in God'i
name is it right? Shall We stand BY
the unmarked graves of our children
and be led to the ballot box and vote
for the man whom such men sustain
Against that / protest. Voices, ,"Nev
er, never" Now these are the can
didates. Blair has accepted the nomi
nation. Seymour has not yet written
his letter OF acceptance, but Blair, in
his letter of acceptance, reiterates, in
effect, that these governments shall be
oVerthrown. He does not say over.
thrown by Congress. He said the
President shall declare these govern.
ments and all that Congress has done
IN regard to these States since the war
closed, as null and void, and appeal to
the army to disperse them. Shall we
accept this issue. If we do, il is peace
or war. Grant says, "let US have
peace" Do you want any more war +?
No, no.
L am not here to argue this question
tonight, but yet one word: In 1865,
when our conouering legions had
ground out rebellion, what was the
condition of these communities7 Twill
not answer the question. I will let
Andrew johnson answerit. You know
1t Is better to have bad authority than
none. Laughter. In his proclama-
ton he declared that the violence of
the rebellion against the Federal Gov.
srnment had left these communities
without civil government Did he not
utter a great truth then? We are
charged with being disunionists. We
claim that We are Unionists. We
claim that by the strong arm of the
Government, we have averted disunion;
brought every star back to its cluster
n our constellation. What have we
lone? At the close of the war ten
states were PROSTATE. Why? Because
hey had sinned. That is all there is
bout it. How was this situation
brought upon them? It was brought
lpon them by their rebellion against
he best Government on earth. What
lid they do? Why, they formed new
tate Constitutions, and struck the
words United States" from their own
ompacts and substituted the words
Confederate States of America :" they |
rganlzed a complete Government, |
nth JEFF. Davis as Chief Executive /; |
hey had Governors in all the States
ut when the Union army triumphed, |
nd the loyal people were victorious,
hese communities were extinguished
y the triumphant power of our arms.
hen we had to give them new com
lunitles and governments. will not
race the various steps, but look at it
lst as 1t IS now. When the war closed
here were ten of them. Today, three
ears from the time the last musket
as fired, all of these States are back
the Union with their Senators and
representatives., the equals and CO.
luals of Ohio, except barely three
exas, Virginia and Mississippi-and
ave no doubt but that before the first
January next we can point to our
ag with thirty seven stars as brilliant
'mblances of the thirty-seVen equal
,ates in our Federal compact. This
as been done in three years. But !
ow was it done2 Why, it is complain,
that we have disfranchised the
eople of the South. Now fellow citi- '
ms, am not going to defend Congress,
ID say that all that has been done 1
As right, but l want to say this, Con-
ess has not by any law, or any con- G
itutional amendment, DISTINGUISHED a
Ie single white man in the South
0t one. That men are disfranchised '
admit, but Congress did not do it, {
hat did they do? The 18th amend c
ent simply declares that certain men
the South VINO once had taken an I
tn to support the Federal Constitu-
N, and had violated that oath by en- i
ging in rebellion, should not hold s
ice sgain under the Government, o
thout the consent of two-thirds of
ngress That was the only disabling t
ngress ever extended to that people. "
as that wrong2 In Code name was Il
wrong? Why, if private indiYidu- A
among u5 commits perjury y swear s.
. to an account of So 10, he is prose A
ted, convicted and sent to The PEN B
niiary for a term of years for the n
me of perjury. What have these Ic
n donef Sworn to protect and de- b
id the Constitution of the Unitsd 10
Ite2, they LETT the hslls of Congress "
/ went down South, took up muskets Il
drew their swords to trampls upon tC
! defy that Constitution, and they n
k another oath that they never, &C
yer would yield to that Constitution. 1
ing conquered, and the muskets al
snched from their hands, compelled OF
sheath their swords, We did not hang N
m we did not confscate their Sc
perty or disfranchise them. We co
ply said this: "Now, having COM ri
ted that crime Of perjury, you shall en-
hold Office under the Government an
ii the people, through tWo-thirds in as
lgress, say you may. In Gods ST
ne, is that cruel TO a rehsll l Would mi
, to ask any man if he deems that tic
el. What else? Why, they started to
/ governments under the protection lib
he military. Every man win agree lif
/ every citizen of the United States ny
bit to be protected, whether he be glC
ohio or Arkansas l abhor any to
ernmeut that won't protect its cit de
s, whether on the waters of the of
omac or on the sands of Asia. l yor
t my Government like Great -
ain, to go to war, cover seas with :
es and islands with armies, to vim
te the rights of the humblest ao'
sricsn citizen. Thespesker related Lul I
release Of Martin Costa from w uis