The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-10-22

tCliOh -SltlZOuS, y Ou hHOW WAaG4O1-
lowed. You know how they have
been treated and IN what spirit Re
publican Congress met their overtures
Of friendship and reconciliation
They asked for bread and were given
a stone. Their Constitutions, framed
upon our constitutional model,
and according to all its requirements,
were declared illegal, and in the name
of legality they were put under a
military despotisn, only to be super
seded by negro domination. ,''6 i''''''
Do you wonder that at this moment
there is no true peace in the South? p
Do you know so little of human ma
ture, and especially of human nature
in its American type, as to delude
yourselves with the idea that this was
the right way? Could you expect any
other RESULTS than those which have
followed? Are you surprised to hear
that iii the reconstructed States there
are collisions between the two races,
and calls for more arms and more SOL
diefs, especially in that State which
has Observation-Disclosures? Make
the Freedmen's BureaG a permanent
establishment, turn the whole SOU
into a military catip, increase your
army and establish Il military post in
every precinct Of the South, and you
may have peace, but it will be the
peace of despotis1tl. 81 -'''li' ~ ~ '-''~
i When General Grant accepts the
nomination and the platform Of the
Republican parity, he stands pledged
to carry out their policy: When he
says '1et us have peace" he means the
sort of peace which the! triumph Of
Republican Reconstruction is to effect.
He pledges himself to stand by negro
suffrage imposed upon the South by
the Republican party, and to fight it
out ON that line. Iihave nothing to say
against General Grant as a soldier.
He was educated as a. soldier, and has
shown great capacity as a military
man! 'He has been hohofed by a CRATE.
fdf people, and those honors We're
fairly won and well deserved. But
when he enters the arena: of politics,
and accepts the leadership ofa party,
1 must look to the party, and not its
standard -bearer-to the measures Of
the party, and not the man. -:
" Fellow-citizens, there is d ! class Of
persons who admit that Republican
reconstruction is all unconstitutional,
who desire to see it.reformed, but do
not see how it can be done. They
have an indefnable dread of the Dem
ocratite party, and fear to trust it with
power. Why, my friends, this same
Democratic party has governed the
Republic more than three-fourths of
the period of our existence as nation.
When, in all its history, was it guilty
of such in.fractions of the Constitution
as this Republican party has commit
ted during the short term of its exist
ence? Need I answer the infamous
charge, made by leading: Republicans,
that this old party is made up of reb-
els and rebel sympathizers, that it
brought on the war and left the Re
publican party to fightit out? Grant
was Democrat and so was Sherman,
and of the rank and file of our armies
how many Democrats gave their lives
that the nation might live; and how
many still survive true. to their old
Democratie faith EiR f#a flIt4i
THE REMEDY.
And now as to the question, how
can the Democratic Conservative par
ty apply remedy? There are some
who say that the EVIL is :incurable
that right or wrong the black race OF
the South have, been invested with
the right of suffrage, and it cannot be
taken from them1that right Or wrong
the Southern States. have been recon.
structed and recognized by Congress
and in virtue of that recognition theil
status is irreverssiblyy9 fixed. Listen a
moment, my doubling friend-if q
Republican Congress could disfran-
chise the, white men, cannot a Demo.
+ cratic Congress disfranchise the ne.
gro? fla Republican Congress car
take the ballot from the white mer
and give it to the negro. cannot 8
Democratic Congress restore it to its
rightfuf owner? IF a Republican
Congress could declare a State Consti
titution void when made by the white
men ofa State in the exercise of theil
, free will, cannot a Democratic Con
!, gress declare a State Constitution yoit
made by the black men of STATE
with the help of the bayonet?
Finally, if a Congi iessiona1 recogni
ton is the test of State legality, can
not a Democratic Congress apply i
!, just as well as a Republican Congress
All we, have to deis reverse what ha
f been done, and undo by constitutions
means what has been done by revolu
tionary means First of all elect I
, President who will fight it out on th'
Constitution instead Of the line o
Republicanism. Next, elect Demo
/ cratic House ofRepresentatives. Hal
: the work is then done, for not Rep
: resentative from any one of thes
l reconstructed States will be recog
l nized by or allowed to take his sea
A in that body, and not an other dolla
will be appropriated to sustain tn
FreedInen,s Bureau or tie militar
y occupation of the, South, :. a. - y 1,a.
1 ] Finally, put,a Democratic majorit
e in the Senate and then the good wor
o will be finished 1t will take time
:. perhaps more time to correct all thi
Z, mischief than it has taken to comm
e it. The process may be a slow on
L but, my Democratic friends, if yo
It are of the same class of men as of oil