The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-10-15
SPEECH OF
lyGEN. FRANK p. BLAIR:

II TELLOW-CIT1ZENS OF S1NCINNAT
AND Ono This vast multitude her,
tonight, attests the appreciation
which the people of the country hav,
of the importance of the issues pend
ing in the forthcoming election. d
shall not, my fellow -citizens, detaiI
you. There was here a great dis
turbance occasioned by the attempt o.
a procession of toreh-bearing boys to
pass through the surging crowd.] L
you will give hearing promise moi
to detain you for any length of time
shall begin with proposition that
no man will dispute. In a popular
government like this-[" Hurrah fol
Seymour!" and a great uproar.] Eel.
low-citizens, in popular government
like ours, no policy should be adopted
which has not received the assent od
the people themselves. This, my fell
low-citizens, is truism. It is some
thing that is acknowledged by every
man, of every party, in this country.
Not only is it true of our country,
and of our government, but even the
monarchical governments of the old
world are swayed by the popular sen.
timent of the people. Now, wish to
ask this vast multitude of people
whether the policy which has been
fastened upon the country by our ad-
versaries, that policy known as the re-
construction policy, has ever been SUBJ
mitted to, and received the assent of
the people of America? Voices
"No!"]4lasa.-- -. @ "a
On the contrary, my friends, it not
only never has been assented to, but
on every occasion when the people
have had an opportunity of speaking
their sentiments in regard to it, that
policy has been condemned. Yet,
Notwithstanding this condemnation,
Congress, the Radical fragment of
Congress-, laughter and uproar,] in
which ten States of this Union were
not represented, have thrust this poll
icy upon the people; have fastened it
upon their backs they have burdened
them with this atrocious policy, and
now contend that it must remain as
they have fixed it, even if the people
should in the coming election con-
denim it over again. ["Never!"] a.a.
Now, my friends, allow me to refer
to the occasions upon which this pol
icy has been condemned. In the cleo
ton of Mr.. Abraham Lincoln it
was condemned, because it was
known to the people of the country
that he was opposed to it, that he was
in favor of the policy since advocated
by his successor, Mr.. johnson. It
was so fully and completely known to
be SO, that the extreme Radicals of his
party attempted the last time he was
nominated and elected, to get up
third ticket, organized upon this
ground alone. After his election we
know that he adhered to the policy
afterward adopted by Mr.. Johnson
We have the testimony of Mr.. Stan
ton, who was Secretary of War, that
he drew up, under the instruction of
Mr.. Lincoln, the celebrated North
Carolina proclamation, afterward pro-
mulgated by Mr.. Johnson. We have
the testimony of General Grant that
he was in the cabinet meeting of Mr..
Lincoln when this proclamation was
read and the copy approved by each
member of it, and that he himself
gave his assent to it. Mr.. Stanton
and General Grant gave these facts in
their testimony before the Congress
sional Committee, when called upon,
under oath. - ''' -''-'' >'..l
Now, my fellow-citizens, in the last
election of Congressman in 1866, what
was the issue? Was this thing of ne
gro suffrage in the North or in the
South submitted to the people? Was
it made the issue? 1 say no! The
truth is that the issue then made by
the Radicals was upon what was
known as the fourteenth amendment
to the Constitution. That amendment
proposed that the States for themselves
should have the regulation of the suf-
frage within the States, and it only
meant where any class of people were
disfranchised on account of race OF
color, or previous condition, that those
people should not be counted in the
basis of representation That was the
issue they made in the election of 1868.
But, my fellow-eitizens, no sooner
were they reelected upon that issue
no sooner were they elected, than, in
1 hot haste, at the Fortieth Congress,
called early in March, when seventeen
States were unrepresented they passed
these reconstruction bills, fastening
negro suffrage upon the South, and
disfranchising the white people o1
those States. [Groans.] ' ~
Well, fellow-citizens, allow me to
pursue this topic one step further. In
the election of 1867, after this mersure
had been passed, the people again had
| an opportunity of expressing theil
opinions upon it; and you all recol.
1ect that the people of every State thai
voted-the people of every State from
Connecticut to the Pacific coast, tt
California, voted down the atrocioul
policy and condemned it. A voice
:. *We1l do it again. Here, in til,
: State of Ohio, negro suffrage wa
!, voted down by fifty thousand major
j ity. GCheers.] 81 ~. 2'it.i@' = II"
And yet, my fellow-citizens, did th'
} Senators from Ohio retrace thef
, steps? Did they bow, and did til
Radical Representatives from Obi,