Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-10-13

But in the same breath these men who
have thus subverted our Constitution,
who have overthrown it, stihed it, tram
Piled 1t under foot, have proclaimed all of
us who 90 for the restoration of the
Union and the maintenance of the Con-
stitution-they have denounced us as
revolutionists.
citizens, there is provision in
the Constitution of the United States, or
was, that evesy man charged with crime
should have the right to be tried by jury
Of his peers. This rump Congress has
stricken that provision out Of the Consti-
tuition; they have stricken it out so far
as it concerns all the people of all the
States. And yet those Of US who demand
the restoration of that great provision,
that safeguard of the liberty ofevery man,
high or low, among us, are denounced "
the malefactors who have overtErown it
as revolutionists, and ready to renew the
rebellion. [Applause.
Yes, my fellow-citizens, these men have
also stricken down that other great right
the right of habeas corpus-withiu ten
States of this nation. The Constitution
provides that the right of habeas corpus
shall never be suspended except in times
of invasion; yet, at moment of pro-
found tranquility aud peace, when there
is not an enemy Of the Republic within
its whole bounds, these men have sus-
pended the right of habeas corpus, and
have deprived all the men of ten States Of
the Union of the benefit of that great
right of rights.
The Constitution says, my fellow-chi-
zens, in so many words, that Congress
shall not pass any bill Of attainder or er
post .fdcto law; yet, in defiance of that
provision, this rump Congress has passed
a bill of attainder by which whole COM
munities aud States have been attainted,
condemned and punished without trial,
without witnesses, or without any other
form than legislative enactment; and
that also upon an er post .facto law,
passed after the effense was com mitted
with which these men are charged.
Yes, my fellow citizens, and the men
who have done this thing, in violation of
the Constitution, in violation of all the
principles of free government, these men
are denouncing us who demand its resto-
ration, who demand its maintenance.
They denounce US as revolutionists, ready
to renew the rebellion.
Yes, and they have gone still further,
and, in violation of the provision, they
have disfranchised the white race in the
South, and substituted in their place a
race of men who are demi-barbarous,who
are utterly ignorant and incapable of
establishing or maintaining any govern
ment in the world. A voice: That's
SO.
And, my citizens, in order to
carry out these Infamous provisions, in
order to establish them, to give them
binding force and effect, they have taken
from the President of the United States
the prerogative vested in him by the Con-
making him commander in
chief of the army and navy of the United
States, in so many words, and have con-
ferred that high power upon the chief of
the army, whom they have designated as
their candidate for the Presidency. Yes,
and he stands now, this military chief
tain, armed with the prerogatives that
belong to the President of the United
States. he stands now with his bsyenets
at the throats of eight millions of white
people at the South, pinning them to the
earth, in order to compel them to vote
for him, and to submit to the dominion of
an alien and semi-barbarous people.
Cheers.
But, my fellow-citizeus, have not
completed my indictment against these
men yet. Not only have they done this,
put, with an audacity and mendacity that
ought to astonish even those men who
nave practiced in that kind Of deed and
loing for so many years, they now pro-
claim that this armed candidate of theirs,
With bis baycnets at the throats of the
people of the South, pressing them TO the
earth, is the candidate who will bring to
gou peace [Groans. Yes, peace;
peace at the point of the bsyonet
laughter and cheers peace at the ex-
peyse Of the fundamental rights of re-
publican government-the fundamental !
principles Of our government The
peace, my fellow-citizens, that he pro-
poses to give us is the peace which Ma
Doleon Bonaparte Louis Napoleon y
las given TO the French people sp- |
olause the peace that the Czar Of Rus
'is proclaimed as reigning in Warsaw
Ehen, with his sword, be struck at free
iom and its defenders. The peace which |
Grant intends to give Us is the peace Of
iespotism and Of death. lCries Of /
Never" never"
Gentlemen, Here gust ofwindAlmost !
the illuminatious Of gas
which lighted the platform, throwing it
nto temporary darkness, when some one,
remembering Gen. Stradsr's advice, cried |
,u,, "NeverI nd the weather. " Why are
hese invasiobs Of the Constitution 7 For !
rhat, think your Why is il that they /
AVE overthrown and destroyed that in
Iirument which has protected our people,
md given Us the unexampled aud unpar-
.lleled prosperity which We have hitherto 4
.njoyed2 Why is al thisf Can not any /
nan see, that has half an eye 10 see with,
hat il is done in order 10 maintain them
elves in pover1 Do they no, know. as
veil as any other human beings in the
world, that those negroes are incapable
bat they have shown themselves 10 be I
% that, in the whole historic period Of
he world, this negro race has never es-
ablisbed or maintained governments for
themselves ? Did they not, for year after
rear. here in your midst, proclaim that
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