The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1868-10-01

or ruin | thought saw determination
on the part of the Peace Democrats who
figured largely in it, and made its plat
form, never to let victory be won by the
party unless it brought with it their vim
dication and Endorsement and placed them
again in position and power. [ determin-
ed that thereafter ! would see the cards
dealt, and know that they were not marked
by the dealer in advance, before [ again
consented to take hand. L was Opposed
tessahe reconstruction 'n1easures of Con-
gress [ was opposed to the impeachment
of the President. The Senate acquitted
the President, and | think they did right.
Congress passed the reconstruction meas
ures The President vetoed them. Con-
gress passed them over the veto by the
constitutional vote. The amendments
were adopted by the requisite number of
States They are now the law Of the land,
and so long as they are, l will sustain
them.
Well, my friends, we now come down to
the present crisis-for crisis / consider it
to be. We are approaching another Pres
idential election, and it is necessary for you
and for me to take sides. We must de-
clare for Grant or for Seymour. No man
can stand neutral in this great emergency.
Then let us determine at once for whonlit
shall be, if it is not already done.
Every one knows who nominated Grant,
and how it was done The great Ameri-
can people nominated him long before the
Chicago Convention met. The politicians
would have been glad to have had some
one else if they could. Scpie one not quite
so much given to putting things through
on his own line would have suited them
better. But they dared not disregard the
voice of the people, and so the Convention
recorded their verdict.
But how about Seymour? Who nom
mated him, and how was that done? Os-
tensibly the Democratic party nominated
| him. but who controlled the action of the
! Convention Sofar as | am able to Judge
from the result, the Peace Democrats of
I the North and the War Democrats of the
South made the nominations and the plat
! form. The same pestiferous Ohio daleg&-
ton. that weighted Mcclellan dova at
! Chicago, went to New York, determined
again to rule or ruin They went there
armed (inyincibly as they supposed } with
! Pendleton and the greenback dodge-with
a specious appeal to the mercenary spirit
of the people, whereby they thought this
great nation could be induced to ignore
the life-struggle through which it had lust
passed-to forget the new made graves of
its fallen heroes, and to look with indifer-
B ent, unsympathizing eyes upon the manned
and hating figures Of the brave comrades
who are still among us
But they failed to nominate their man.
and, falling in this, they determined to
nominate the next best representative of
their principles and their policy, and in
| this they succeeded. Hancock would not
donor Farragut, nor Chase, nor Hen
bricks, nor johnson. No one would suit
them who thought we did right to fight
for the flag, So much for the action of
the Peace Democrats of the North. Let
us look at the action of the War Demo
crats of the South What did they do +?
They dictated the most important features
in the platform. Gen. Wade Hampton
tells Us he framed and inserted the para
graph declaring the reconstruction acts to
be usurpat;ons, and unconstitutional
revolutionary and void" Then having
secured a war platform, they nominated a
fighting General to fight it through, L
elected. They want another war-nore
blood, more debt, and more taxes Fellow
soldiers, [ don't; and, therefore, 7 determ-
ined to oppose that combination, their
nominations and their platform | deter
mined that no such fimsy barriers as par
ty ties and party lines should keep me
from doing what | believe to be my duty
to myself and to my country, and l deter
/ mined TO go for the man who wants peace
for the man who does not tdik war, but
who fights war when war is inevitable. |
determined to go for the man who CON
1 qucred an honorable peace and saved the
life of the nation; for the man whom we
have tried and found true in every trust
in whom the people have confidence /;
aye, even the people who were lately in
arms against him. And wherefore should
they not confde in him ? Has lie not
been as generous and honorable towards a
fallen foe, as he was chivalrous and brave
in battle No victor ever gave more
| generous terms. No victor ever kept
more truly his pliehted word.
And, fellow soldiers, because [ have SO
determined, | am here tonight to take
part In your proceedines-to assist IN or
I ganizing these veterans. Then fall in
Never mind about your party let the
politicians attend to that Fall in. Take
the touch of the elbow. Heads up. Eyes
to the front. Let us make one grand
charge along the whole line and then, let
me tell you, on the day succeeding the
November election you will hear shout
90 up from the valleys and the hill tops
from the crowded city and secluded vii
lagc, and from every nook and corner Of
our broad land, Grant, Victory and Peace
that viii forever silence all dissenters at