Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-09-16
THE CHRONICLE.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
Its ViIlainies ExpOSed---El0guent Ar
raignment by Senator Wilson.

E Its Villainies EXpOSed---ElOguent Ar
|. raignment by Senator Wilson.
. At a Republican meeting in WOr
eester, Massachusetts, on Friday night
Senator Wilson, after showing tha
, the Republican party had the sympa'
thy of all good men at home anC
abroad, he thus arranged the Democ'
racy:
Who is it that assailed US? 1t is the
Democratic party, North and South
Seymour and Wade Hampton! Pen
dleton and Robert TOombs! Vallan-
digham and Howell CObbl These
are the gentlemen who propose to
aSsail us.
You will remember that fourteen
years ago there was n magnificent
territory west of the Missouri, con-
secrated to freedom. Who abrOgated
that compact of conservation The
Democratic partyI Who defended
and justified the conduct of the
.'border ruffians?n The Democratic
partyl Who made this domain slave
territory, and when those who strOve
to save it for freedom, were robbed,
burned and murdered, who apolOgiZed
and defended such acts? The DEM
Ocratic nartyI Who removed Gov.
Reeder, made the LecomptOn Con-
stitutiOn and indorsed the Dred Scott
decision? The Democratic party!
You will remember that in 1861, when
war was imminent the "Crittenden
compromise" was proposed, asking
| that slavery might be defended south
Of SO so, that slaves might be trans
ported at will through all the States,
that citizenship should be taken away
from freemen in the free States, and
that free negroes be sent out of the
slage States at the national expense.
WHO was it defended these outrageous
demands? The Democratic party
Then the batteries were opened on
Fort Sumter-by whom? By the
Democratic partyi Then followed
four years of warand countless graves
filled by whom? BY the Democrat
ic partyl Not one loyal soldier went
to his long rest but by the hand of
the Democratic party. Who homurdered
three Numbered and fifty thousand
men-WhO is responsible? The
Democratic party then, and the
Democratic party nowI There are
three hundred thousand besides who
are manned by wounds received in
battIe-who did it? Men who were
Democrats then, and are Democrats
nowI You will remember the time
when Congress, in order to re-enforce
the Union army, was obliged to pass
an enrolment act-who denounced it ?
Who redeemed the streets of New
York with blood and its skies with
the lurid flames from the homes of
.I,s
friends of HOratio Seymour then and
now! When it was thought neces-
sary to pass the legal tender act"
who opposed it? The Democratic
party, who, with Pcndleton, said the
legal tender notes went out with the /
mark of Cain upon them, and would |
carry bankruptcy and ruin in their
train. But he has changed his opinion
Who was it opposed the abolition of
slavery, the making of the national
capitol free-the territory free? Who |
opposed putting black men into the !
army and making their wives and |
children free? who opposed the con-
stitutiOnal amendment, securing free
dom TO the whole of our wide domain? ?
The Democratic party! When we i
got through the war and Andrew /
johnson had reconstructed the South .
with traitors in every post of honor
and power, who applaUded his policy?
The Democratic partyl l speak only
what I believe when l say if that
policy had succeeded, reputation
would to-day, have been an accom-
plished and achieved fact. The civil
rights bill, the fourteenth constitution
al amendment, the reconstruction acts,
the formation of free c"~2titutions for
the Southern States, -,eTe all opposed
by the Democratic party, North and
South. And when the Southern
States were admitted, and the Nation
al Democratic Convention assembled
Mt New York, of the 1S2 Southern
delegates over 100 were rebel officers,
rs then, more members of jeff Davis
Congress than of the Congress of the
United States, and these men assume
to declare reconstruction acts null and
void!
This is only part of the record of
he Democratic party; might go on
ior hours extending the list of its
nisdeeds. Therefore | do not come
lere to defend the Republican party,
lut to assail the Democratic party as
he enemy of justice, of humanity, of
honor, of God. 1t is now pretending :
o be the champion of poor men. For
ourteen years it has done more to op-
lress the poor than any other organ
zatiOn under Heaven. In the outset
4 the contest there was a territory
large TO make fifty States :
ike your own, cOnsecrated to freedom
md open to the poor men of the
country. The Democratic party re-
moved the prohibition of slavery and !
.dmitted the Southern plantation |
ystem, the worst enemy of the poor !
aboring man, North and South.
And what do they propose nOY to
10? We have given the right of suf- !
rage TO 100000 men at the South I
hey propose to take it away we have {
iYen the Southern States an Oppor- I
unity to make free constitutions :
hey propose TO take them away; we =,
ropOse to give them free school !
ystem, secured by State Constitutions,
nd they vote against it, and propose :
D throw overheard all we have done, Q
nd do it in the name of aid to labor. ;
LET me tell you that they who would 0
egrade the labOring class and degrade {
thor at the South, will also degrade l
heFu.