The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-10-29
GOVERNOR sALOMON's SPEECH.


OnThursday evening last we had the
pleasure of listening to that eloquent
orator and sound thinker, Ex-Governor
Solomon of Milwaukee The evening
previous we listened to the Hon. Geo. B.
Smith and were completely Disguised
with his rambling, rampant; pointless,
tiresome discourse, and the Governor s
speech was all the more enjoyable on this
account. He said he understood Mr..
Smith had declined to discuss the issues
of the war which was not at all surprising
when the part that some democrats had
taken in that great struggle was consid-
cred, but said the speaker this is the
subject / shall briefly consider He then
went back to 1856 and pictured the con-
dition of the democratic party. showing
that the country was under the DONNA
ton of the shareholders, and that they,
fearing an abridgement of the privileges
and power then enjoyed sought addition
al safeguards for their peculiar institution
even limiting that they wanted renewal
Of the African Slave trade to offset the
hundreds of immigrants who were daily
arriving to settle in the North. He
showed that these democrats carried
their ideas so far as to cause division in
their party In 1860, and the Northern
wing met in Convention and nominated
Stephen A. Douglas and the principles
of this wing were that they Ibid not
care whether slavery was voted up or
down. The Republicans nominated
Mr.. Lincoln, and though in the minority
before, they were successful in electing a
candidate in spite of the threats made
by the South that unless their candidate
was chosen there should be war; thus
eyincing the spirit which characterizes
those countries that are always at war,
namely an unwillingness to have ma
jority rule. Well on Mr.. Lincoln's cleo
ton war broke out and for year and a
half parties were forgotten at the North
and republicans and democrats joined in
putting down the rebellion, but at the end
ofthat time some of the Breckenridge dem
ocrats came out of their hiding places and
reorganized the party anew in sympathy
with the rebellion, and that party, as
thus reorganized, has been the bitter foe
to liberty ever since This was shown
when Mr. Lincoln warned the South, that
unless they laid down their arms by
certain time he would emancipate the
slaves that they might assist US in quell
ing the rebellion, by the northern dem
ocratic party saying the act was uncon-
stitutlonal and impossible. They could
not bear the thought that the slave
should be free. And that they opposed
thewar is shown by the fact every call for
troops was pronounced unconstitutional
enlistments were discouraged, and finally
in National Convention this party declar-
ed the war failure. But the great
mass of people at the north thought diff
ferently and Mr.. Lincoln was elected a
second time by the republican party
augmented by the democrats who did not
believe in secession and were willing that
slavery should perish The war ended.
Grant told his prisoners to go home and
SO long as they obeyed the laws the Gov
eminent would not desturb them. But
he did not tell them that they could go
home and Cypress the Union men, yet
they did so. Aud just at this time these
late rebels received hel p from quarter
entirely unexpected. Andrew johnson
being made President by the assassina-
ton of Mr. Lincoln went on and gave
power into the hands of rebels which
is without parallel in our history. Why
thePrussian Monarch who lately captured
severalof the German provinces did not
dare to say, with all his power, how these
states should be Joined to his empire but
left it to his legislative assemblies. Mr..
johnson takes the power into his own
hands, State Governments are formed,
and rebels have it all their own way.
Very soon the negroes-who were all
Union men-are in fair way to be re-
duced to slavery. Vagrant Laws were
passed which provided that if the blacks
did not make contracts in ten days they
should be sold at public anction-thus
virtually reducing them to slavery again
The democratic party found no fault with
this action thus showing their hatred of
freedom for the poor But the republi-
can party through their Congress said
such should not be the case, and they
passed Reconstruction acts giving the
man who, during the war knew enough
to be "a Union man and fight for the goy-
enment, right to say how he should
be governed. This was necessary, for
twas impossible to keep a standing army
IN the South, and the right of suffrage
was thezonly means by which the blacks
could be protected. These measures
frank Blair pronounces 'Unconstitution-
al, revolutionary and void, !" and proposes
that should democratic president be
eleeted-of which thank God there is no
danger-at should be his duty to dissolve
those State governments with the sword
for eight of the ten seeded states have
organized under the reconstruction acts
and have been allowed representation i,
congress. The democratic party of to
Gay not only endorse such doctrines but
sney haye chosen Frank Blair who is bold
efough to utter them, as their candidate
Tor lce-president. The sneaker contin.