The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-09-03
GRAND OVATION TO
HON. GEO. Il. PENDLETOY
GREAT SPEECH OF GREAT MAN.
AT BANGOR, MAINE.


Hon. George II Pendleton met with
a most brilliant and overwhelming recep-
tion at Bangor, Me, on the night of the
10Th ult., upon which occasion he deiv-
cred one of the most sound, eloquent, con-
vincing and unanswerable speeches which
has ever fallen from the lips of any states
man, living or dead. Want of space alone
prevents Us from giving this mastery eff
fort entire, but the following extracts con-
tain the greater portion of the able argr-
rnents of this talented young statesman Of
the West, aud no one of our readers should
fail to give them an attentive psrusal:
"The State governments were in full
yigor and operation before and during and
after the war. During the war the State
government of Virginia was called upon
To give its assent to the creation Of West
Virginia, and members of Congress were
admitted from Louisiana so soon as Fed
cral troops obtained foothold in that State.
After the war the States of the South
were invited to ratify, and did ra,ify, the
fourteenth constitutional amendment, and
it derives its validity from their assent.
The Republican party by the rcconstruc-
ton acts abolished these governments, and
created in their stead military governments,
which no man viii pretend WAS within
the constitutional powers of Congress. BY
the AID of the army they have built up
other governments, not according to tue
will of the people, but according TO the
will of Congress, and they have founded
them upon the exclusion of the intelligence
and wealth and virtue of the white race
from the right of suffrage, and upon the
admission of every negro TO that right
and they have made these negroes buy
their exemption from the interference of
the army and their recognition as States
by ratification of the Fourteenth Consti-
tutional amendment, and a pledge that
they will never change the rule of suffrage.
Do not their own acts convict them of
the charge have made Are they not
surely and rapidly, even though silently,
sapping the foundations of the Government
and changing its form aud nature Are
they not accommodating power in the Fed
eral Government and taking it away from
the States Do they not declare openly,
and make it the basis of their creed, that
Congress has power over the right of
suffrage in ten States which it has not
over the same subject in the other States
Why is ii they build up these governments
upon the basis of the negro vote alone
My friends, divest yourselves of passion !;
Look at this work steadily. Is not the
stolid ignorance of enfranchi5ed slaves too
narrow "A basis for prosperous State
possessing equal powers with the State of
Maine Why is it insisted on The
reason, the sole reason, is that they be-
lieye they can control the negro vote !;
that by this vote they can secure the
election of President and Senators and
Members of the House and Governors and
Legislatures and Judges, and 50 WELD
longer the powers of the Government. l
know many of these men well. They are
men of intellect and daring. They are
men of firm resolve and lofty purpose
They are not actuated by low greed Of
| gain, nor love of the emoluments and
| honors of office. They have the true
spirit of fanatical reformcrs, and they
seek power that they may overturn this
system of government and build up another
system in Its stead. My friends, we are
engaged is no scramble for office. We
are stimulated by no last for power. This
struggle touches the life of our confeder-
ated system. 1t touches the question of
union or unity. 1t will decide in the far
off future the destiny of our country. If
our opponents succeed, we will have first
Unity, and then Dsspotisn, and then
Revolution, and then Separation, and then
whatever God in his wrath may inhict.
If they fail, we will have the Constitution
obeyed, the Union maintained, liberty
enjoyed, prosperity abounding, peace
everywhere, and all the glories of our past
will be but as the early bud compared
with the blooming beauties of the full
blown flowers.
"In this supreme hour Of our fate / beg
you to pause and weigh well your duty
to the country, as in the hour of death you
would weigh your duty to God. To ex-
pertinent is too costly we cannot afford
it. We might lose our liberty, for there
is limit to human enduyancs. We cannot
buy what we do not pay for, and we can
not pay more than what exaction can
squeeze from our people. Freedmen's
Bureau, military commissions, military
governments, the support of ten State gov
ernments, constitutional amendments, ne.