The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-07-15
Of nrinciple support.
y T1'''"' =" II
sprEcn by eEy. EwINa.

congratulated the audience ~ forming III,
largest assemblage Of the kind ever conven
ed in the United States. He said he pro
posed TO rcyiew the history Of the dominant
party, from tho surrender OF Lee and the ter
'nination of the hustilltits 10 the present
ume. When he had given up his sword,
johnson had capituated, the soil OF the Old
confederacy was being turned by peaceful
ploughs, and not flag bearing the stare
and bars was waved. The rebellion was ut
terly overthrow its cause Irrevocably Lost,
and even the northern expectation OF q
guerrilla termination Of the war was dlsap'
pointed. United States revenue officers
we're uninterrupted in pursuing their duties,
and war was supp.anted BY q gladly wei
coined peace That very year the southern
states themselves accepted the abolition OF
Slavery. The national congress was then
bound by al the principles OF honor and by
all the former pledges, to declare the work
of putting down the rebellion at an end,
In the convention of lsGl, even while Hor.
nee Greeley was eudeayoriug 70 arrange Il
dlsLonorabc peace, the republican party sol.
emily declared that the preservation Of
the national authority, and not the superreo.
cation Of sectional rights, was the object Of
the war For that object every man aud
every dollar we're obtained. Had they ad.
Lered to that, their lease Of power might
have been perpetual but crazed with pow.
cr. drunken with success, they threw aside
their every principle and initiated Il south.
ern government, formed alone OF northern
moneyless adycnturcrs and plantation ne.
groes, Many o. the odious features Of con.
gressioual reCOnstructiOn might have been
st0machcd by the southern states in their
longing desire for peace but the wholesale,
sweeping prescription which practically cX.
cludod every man who was Of age and Of
sufficient education to hold Office, could new
or be accepted without sacrifice Of honor.
The amendment put forth by congress was
rejected by the south as congress knew and
meant that it should be, and at once the
cry was raised that the south was still rebel.
lious, aud by trickery Ike this these radical
rebels have postponed the dawn Of peace al.
most as long ~ their southern eXemplars
had done; and then old Thaddeus Stevens,
the whipperiu Of radicals groans prOmul.
gated The novel doctrine that the southern
states were conquered provinces, and their
people alien enemies but the convention Of
1864 deaicd that dogma by nominating one
of these alien cnemies-Andrew Johnson
for vice president, and approved the grand
old reconstruction policy Of Abraham Lin.
coin.
Then the war was still in progress, and they
wanted voluntary grants OF men and money;
but, when the war was over, they threw off
the mask. Then they discovered that their
hiicous plot was not complete. There were
still some standing guarantees Of the old
constitution, not yet abrOgated, and Of which
the southern people, like all others, enjoyed
the benefits Ihcreupou they invented a
new hypocrisy, saying that the trainers OF
the constitution never contemplated an i'm
mcnse rebellion, and therefore did not pro
vide sufficient power TO congress for meeting
such emergencies, and consequently argued
that they (cougTess) can and must act out
side &C the constitution. Il was like the cN
position ny Fr.uCh savau Of some doctrine
Of transmission Of light. HIS listener, Prot
faraday, objected that il was totally Uppos
ed to wclI.known facts in natural philosophy
Well, calmly replied the Erenchmau, s,
much the worse for the facts, SO with thc
radicals. When 1t il shown them that thei
dogmas violate the constitution, they in
so!euty answer, 80 much the worse fol
that instrument Military despotism hac
trod with iron heel upon the powcrless necl
Of the southern people, and terrible cries
were heard because ore Of the military gov
errors had tried to temper his hated tasl
with mercy. That one was Gen. Hancock
Loud and repeated cheers.
The speaker continued that he could not
see how any ono could look without com
mingled anger and disgust upon the process
Of congressional reconstruction. Ten Of tn,
United States were debarrcd Of all their
rights the hungry markets Of the worlC
were closed to the products Of the southern
fields sugar was rOttlng in the cane the
Mississippi was plunging over broken lcyees
and the boorish plantation negroes wer,
pamPorod with delusive hope Of sitting in
mockcries of convention. He said that the
radicals argued that such acts were needed
to prevent democratic accession to power
and consequent reputation Of the natiOna
debt; but he thanked God that the nationa
power still was safe, and no Reputation
would be attempted, although, # anything
we're calculated to drive voters to that al
tentative, it would be the spectacle Of all tn,
national bondholders focking TO one party
and advocating all kinds of outragcs under
the bugbear cry Of "Down with reputation.
He contended that the duty lay with the
democratic convention of saying what shall
be the policy Of the next four years, and whc
shall he its opponents, to say whether they
shall be victorious on living issues, or beaten
on dead issues Two millions Of men were
in our recent armies. Of these, 100000
have died during and since the war, and
there are now 10000 soldiers living. OF
those voters this convention represents ut
least one half, and of that half one.haf OF
more are OF so strong convictions that they
will vote tor any democratic candidate that
mas yet been named. Cheers. But the
other half, he declared, might be lost or won
TO the democratic party, as the nomination
might be wise or otherwise. He did not
doubt the wisdom of the Tsmmany conven.
ton, nor that they would nominate stand.
ard-bcarcr who, whether he was or was not
a soldier in the recent war, was without
doubt an advocate Of law. Applause IT,
Tho issues Of the present crisis were not in
any respect the issues for which they lately
fought. No one man who died in the de.
fence of the national flag laid down his life
for negro suffrage and the other radical dog.
mas. The democratic party is now the only
party which adheres TO the constitution and
the laws, and in the path that it now treads
can be discovered the footprints of Washing
ton, Of jefferson, of Clay and Webster; and,
while it keeps their track, it can be followed
with pride and with unfatering purpose
Applause.
Gen. slocum, of New York, then took the
platform and read the following address to
the National Democratic Convention, in SEES.
sion at Tammany Hall;