The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-12
Gen. Ewins's Speech at the seidisr' ana
sailors Convention

called for, made his appearance on the platform,
and was received with cheers. he Congratulated
the audience as forming the largest assemolage of
ths Kind ever convened in the United States. He
nronosed 10 review the history of the dominant
ppaTfv from the surrender Of Lee aud the termina-
ZION of hostilities 10 the present time. When he
had given up bis sword Johnston had capltulated,
the soil of the old Confederacy was being turned
by peaceful plows, and not flag bearing the stars
and bars was waved. The rebellion was utterly
overthrow, its cause irretrievaby lost, and even
the Northern expectation of a guerrilla termina.
ton of the war was disappointed. The United
States revenue officers were uninterruptedly pnr-
suing their duties, and war was supplanted by
gladly welcome peace. That very year the South
eTn States themselves accepted the abolition OF
slavery.
The national Congress was then bound by all
the principles of honor, and by all its former
pledges then to declare the work of putting down
the rebellion at an end. In the Constitution OF
1864 even when Horace Greeley was endeavoring
to arrange dishonorable peace, the Republican
party solemDly declared that the preservation of
national authority and not the supererogation of
sectional rights was the object of the war. For
that object every man and every dollar were OBJ.
tanned. Had they adhered TO that their lease Of
power might have been perpetual; but crszed
with power, drunken with success, they threw
aside their every principle, and initiated South.
ern government formed alone of Northern money
less Adventures and plantation negroes. Many
of the odious features of Congressional recon.
struction might have been stOmached by the
Southern states in their longing desire for peace
but the wholesale sweeping prescription which
practically excluded every man who was of age
Of sufficient education to hold office, could never
be accepted without sacrifice of honor.
The amendment put forth by Congress was re.
jected by the South, as Congress knew and meant
that it should be, and at once the cry was
raised that the South was still rebellious, and by
trickery like this these radical rebels have post
poned the dawn of peace almost as long as their
Southern exemplars had done; and then old Thad
Stevens, the whipper in of the radicals, (hisses
and groans) promulgated the novel doctrine that
the Southern States were conquered provinces,
and their people alien enemIes but the conven-
ton of 1864 denied that dogma by nominating one
of these alien enemies, Andrew johnson, for
vice president, and approved the grand old re.
construction policy of Abraham Lincoln. Then
the war was still in progress, and they wanted
voluntary grants of men and money, but when
the war WAS over they threw of the mask. Then
they discovered that their hideous plot was not
complete. There were still some standing guar.
antees of the old Constitution not yet abrOgated,
and Of which the Southern people, like all others.
enjoyed the benefits; therefore they invented
a new hypocrisy, saying that the trainers of the
Constitution never contaminated an immense re-
bellion and, therefore, did not cOnfide sufficient
power to Congress for meeting such emergencies,
and consequently argued that they (Congress) can
and must act outside the Constitution. 1t was
like the exposition by a French sRvan of some
doctrine OF transmission of light. His listener
Prof. Farraday, objected that it was totally OPP
posed TO well known facts in natural philosophy.
We'll" calmly replied the Frenchmsn. so much
the worse for the facts.' SO with the radicals.
When it is shown them that their dogmas violate
the Constitution they insoently answer, q" So much
the worse for that Instrument" And military
despotism has trod with iron heel upon the power
less neck Of the Southern people, and terrible
cries were heard because one of the military gov
errors had tried to temper his hated task with
mercy. That one was General Hancock. cloud
and repeated cbeers)
The speaker continued that he could not see
how any one can look without eommingled anger
and disgust upon the progress of congressional
reeonstruction-ten of the United States, debsrred
of all their rights, the hungry markets of the
world closed TO the products of Southern fields,
sugar rotting in the cane, the Mississippi plunging
over broken leyees, and the boorish plantation ne
groes pampered with delusive hope, sitting in
mockeries Of conventions. He said that radicals
argued that such acts were needed to prevent
Democratic accession to power and consequent
reputation Of the national debt, but he thanked
God that the national power still was safe and no
reputation would be attempted although il any.
thing were calculated to drive voters to that alter
native il would be the spectacle of all the ma
tional bondhOlders lOcking to one party and ad-
vOcatlng all kinds of outrages under the bug bear
cry of down with reputation. He continued that
it lay with the Democratic convention the duty Of
eaying what shall be the policy of the next four
years, and who shall be its opponents, and to say
whether they shall be victorious or living issues,
or beaten or dead issues. Two millions of men
were IN our recent armies. OF these 500, 600 have
died during or since the war, and there are now
$50 600 soldiers living.
OF those voters this convention represents at
least one half, and of that half One-half or more
are of so strong conviction that they will vote for
any Democratic candidate that has been named.
(CheeTs.) 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 e standard
bearer who, whether he was or was not a soldier
in the recent war, was, without doubt. an sdyo-
cate of law. (Applause.) The issues of the
present crisis were not in any respect the issues
for which they lately fought. No one man who
died IN the defense OF the national flag laid down
his life for negro suffrage and the other radical
dogmas. The Democratic party is now the only
party which adheres to the Constitution and the
law and in the path that it now treads can be dis
cerned the footprints of Washington, of Jefferson,
Of Clay and Webster, and while it keeps their
track il can be followed with pride and with I'M
faltering purpose. (Applause.)
At the conclusion Of Gen. Ewing's address the
band struck up the air, "Rally round the Flag"
the chorus being sung by the audience.