The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-10-28


which shonId be performsd.by al men Who
hold, or who seek, official position. When,
on this day, was borne across your broad
praries, when | saw the magnifcence Of
your natural advantages; when feh how
much Almighty God had done for the PEG.
pie in our great territory; its rich soil, its
wonderful rivers felt that human passions
and human infrmities should not, in any de-
gree, impair the blessing which we, as a
people, should enjoy. could but 90 back,
in thought, TO the better days of tho repub.
lie ; TO the spirit which animated our fathers
when they founded its institutions, and
could not but mourn over the party passions
that to-day are to such degree arraying one
portion Of the American people against the
other, and producing those animosities,
those wicked charges, those unkind Asper
sious, and those cruel imputations, which,
in our party warfare, we are wont 70 indulge
in, with regard TO each other. May the
spirit which RnimAted our soldiers when they
vent forth TO battle for our union; and the
spirit which animated them as they lay
bleeding upon the battle field, looking upon
and loving the nations flag, as they were
suffering and dying, animate US as we are
now entering upon duties as sacred as those
in which they were engaged. Applause.
stand before you, tonight, DESTROYS to
say word that is calculated to do good TO
our country, have studied its affairs, and
| have no word or argument to advance, to.
night, that we're not my sentiments, and the
words put forth before became a cand.
date for public Office. | should dstrust my.
self if these convictions had been formed un.
der the influence ofany personal or selfish
interest. For years, | have felt that the
policy Of those now in power has endsnger.
ed the safety Of the republic, the interests
Of the people, and the happiness Of US all.
TO my mind, it is full Of inequality, and
whatever is unequal is generally unjust.
! will show, tonight, not here, for | am told
that | must speak to q larger concourse
than this-the thousands who are shut out
from coming into this building on account
of the immense numbers that crowd in here
i am told that the committee have made
arrangements that my main argument shall
be uttered in..another place, and there ! shall
show that we, who are stigmatized as unfair
men, are seeking nothing but what is right;
nothing but what is equul nothing but
what is Just but before | leave these as.
scmbled thousands that / meet for the first
time, and in all human probability for the
last time, wish to utter few words, that |
trust, if they do not carry conviction to the
minds fthose who differ from me, will, at
least, cause them to look upon me in a
kindler light than before Applause
When look upon this vast assembly
when see before me the intelligence, the pow
r. al IL,
want you TO pardon the selhshness, il It is
selfshuess--l do want you to look upon me
as man who loves his country, and as a
man who would sacrifice his all for its vel
fare. Applause. Ny republican friends,
| you may be mistaken in your estimate of
US. We may DO wrong in argument and
| views but we are not untrue TO our coun.
| try. If the vast organization known as the
democratic party was not loyal, did not love
our country, what would become Of this glo'
rious Union2 On the other hand, ! am
ready to say, If did not know and feel that
the great republican party was made OF truly
honest men, acting upon their conviction,
harsh az they may have been upon ,ne--it
did not feel that they sought the good OF the
country, !, too, would despair of this repub'
ic Cheers. Then let US lay aside pas.
sion and prejudice; let us be impressed
with the sacred duties we are to assume !;
| let us discharge the duties OF American citi.
zens,in this canvass, with an earnest desire to
serve our country,uphold the constitution, and
save that Union for which we sacrificed so
much. Cannot we set aside our passions
for patriotism, when 80 many have sacri
feed their lives from patriotic motives.
Cannot we forget party animosities our.
selves, in the period which lies before the
election2 We will calmly review the situa.
| ton, and see whether we are or are not on
the safe road and see if the stranger stand
ing before you is as man who make charges
that he ID not able TO prove. repeat, that
| seek to utter such words as may, per-
chance, dsarm the snimosity of our politi
cal conhict,and my desire to be thought we'll
of by this vast audience prompts me again
to say that, however mistaken in my views
| | may be, am an earnest man in my con-
| victions.
The president of the meeting, at this
point, held a whispered conversation with
the speaker.
am told that sm allowed a little time
to speak with regard to the great issues Of
the day. said that l complained of the
inequality of the policy of the party in pow.
er, which, in my judgement, was working
out great injustice in this country. Let
me take up but one Of the aspects Of this
question. When our government was formed
we made it q representative government We
said to the people, through those they chose
to speak for them, that they should have
their fair share of political power; but we
modified that in one respect. They formed
the senate Of the United States, and said
that we should be represented in that body
upon terms of perfect equality, without re.
| gard to population. This was made with a
view to protect the smaller states, in full
| faith aud confidence that this government
would confne itself to itsrightful jurisdiction.
The great states, at the formation Ofthe con.
stitution, never meant that minority Of
the American people should have the right,
| in the senate of the United States, to inter.
fere with questions that we're never designed
to be brought under the jurisdiction Of the
general government Now, what has been
doneP When you form special partner
ship with a man you do not permit him to
60 beyond the terms of that contract, be-
cause you have engaged with him in bust.
ness enterprise. He has no right to attempt
to interfere with your own concerns. The
education of your family and thousand
other things belong to you,sIone. This gov
eminent has done that most unjust, oppres.
sive and unequal thing in its influence upon
many parts of the country. The majority of
the population of these United States live in
nine OF the states New York, Pennsylva
MIA, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Mis-.
souri,, Michigan, aud Mississippi. think |
have named nine. We will add Iowa. Now
q majority of the United States have but Is
senators in the most important branch of
the state-the branch that ratifies treaties