Middletown transcript., 1868-09-05
Response OF Major Riggs.
To the Congratulatory Addresses of Messre
Nowland and BeaJtcn, ut his residence
on Friday evening, 2sth ult


Nowland and Beajtcn, at his residence
on Friday evening, 2Sth ult.
Gentlemen and Friends This is TO
me, moment of deep and thrilling inter
est. TO receive the congratulations of
true and faithful friends is sufficient to
awaken in the human heart feelings of
gratitude which shall last while memory
lives, and not be forgotten until that
heart ceases its pulsations.
The eloquent addresses to which we have
Just listened, are well calculated to inspire
within the mind Of every one confidence
which bespeaks victory in the future.
The great principles Of the Democratic
party must triumph, and that too at our
next election, or civil liberty be at an end
and on its ruins will be reared military
despotism more destructive to the rights
of man than ever cursed the world in
either ancient or modern times.
The usurpations and extrayagances of u
Radical Congress must be checked. We
| must hold fast to The glorious Constitu
ton of our faLhors---it must be respected in
all its wiso provisions. Long enough has
it been abused by reckless, wicked men.
Carpet-bag statesmen have conspircd TO
pull down the pillars Of the American
Constitution and plunge this once happy
nation again in civil war
We want no negro suffrage. We want
no negro equality. We want, and we in
tend to have, a government Of white men,
such as our fathers maintained.
value the American Constitution as a
holy trust we must not prove recrcant
to its sacred teachings. Gentlemen, it is
our only hope More than three years
have passed since the close Of the late
war. and still the Union is not restored,
Ten of our sister States are crushed in
every department of industry, with bayo-
net Constitutions forced upon an unwill-
ing people and some Of them are even
cursed with negro suffrage and negro Lc-
gislators.
Our expenditures arc alarming. The
appropriations bya Republican Congress
are so vast, aud the taxation upon the
people so heavy, that even the most for
tunate shoddy contractor groans for re-
lief
We want no Frcedmans Bureau, levy
| ing q tax of more than eleven millions tc
support negroes in willing idleness. We
must protect the laboring white man, ant
not permit a Republican Congress annual
ly to impose, for this purpose, a sum cqua
to that required to carry on the admins
: tration of Mr. Adams.
We demand change. The eyes Of th(
people are opened to see its necessity; ant
State after State proclaims, through thu
ballot box, redemption from unjust legisla
ton and unequal taxation.
= Fourteen years ago l took my stand il
the Democratic party. From that tim
until the present, at every election, [ hav
battled for the success Of Democratic prin
, ciples.
= When passion usurped the throne o
!, reason-whon defeat came, and my part,
:, went down-belieying in her undyin;
), principles, my faith never waycred am
h now ray of nope begins TO light up ou
: political horizon and as the day Of ou
y salvation draweth nigh, the Democrat
. party has placed in my hands the Congress
sional banner to carry it through the com
. ing battle.
). Sirs, am not insensible to the fact
d that with honors come responsibilities
If Should l be elected, l will serve you t
i the best of my ability. shall labor
- promote the interests of my constituency
d and cndeavor to secure the enactment {
such laws as, in the language of the in
mortal Jackson, "Will fall, as the gent
a. dews of Heaven, alike upon the rich an
v. poor.
IS And you, gentlemen musicians, VIII
have enlivened this occasion by your di:
- course of sweet sounds, I thank you kline
g ly. Natures own poet has truly said:
~ "He who has no music in his soul,
" And is not moved by concord of sweet sounds,
of Is fit for treason, stratagcm and spoils."
$, Now gentlemen, without dctaining yc
ii longer, Should my life be spared, hope
have an opportunity in the future to NAL
ie my remarks more extended. / will b.
ne add, that your sympathy and kind
f. feeling, as manifested tonight, will ter
nd greatly to encourage my heart during Il
70 comming contest.