Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-09-22
8 p Z Z Q II
OF TIE
HON. GEO. H. PEHDLET0N,

HIS RESIDENCE IN CLIFTON, FRIDAY,
To Party Of Friends who were Esctnrn-
ing from the Fair.
LFrom the Cincinnati Commercial of Sept 1Itb1
On Friday, a party of friends Of Mr..
Pendleton, returning from the fair, call
ed at his residence, and were entertain
ed by him. They wanted a speech, He
asked to be excused rs there were Re
publicans present who would not want
to hear partisan speech. As all want
ed to hear him, he said, supporting him
self on his crutches:
MY FRIENDs-As you insist upon it
I supposed I shall have to submit. If
you shall have to repent, say but one
word, and will relieve you. Since |
have been confined here, I have had
leisure, and have taken pains TO collect
come statistics which I had expected to
use during the canvass. To-day my
physician has ordered me to be more
Quiet-tO take less eXercise-and gives
me little hope that I shall be able to
leave the city before election. AS you
desire that l shall give my views on pO-
litical questions, will have to ask your
INDULGENCE for whatever want of form
or Conference there may be, as ! put
these facts and reflections together with
out further preparation.
ask for impartial attention. ask
YOU to hear me without prejudice. |
will say nothing in the way of fact or
argument which do not believe to be
true.
Ihave strong convictions. You know
l am bouUd by strong party ties; but /
am happy to believe that you know also
that I love my country, and that hold
every party opinion, every party tie sub
ordinate to my desire to promote its wei
fare and the happiness Ofits people
Many of my acquaintances, Of my rela
tives, of my friends, differ widely from
me. They are members of the Rpublic-
an party.
am glad to possess their personal
good will and confidence. | am glad to
have such social relations with them,
that even in this little company find
cOvet their good will. l am sorry we
differ in opinion. The difference is hon
est. l cannot question their motives.
] have full confidence in their integrity.
I respect their judgment. ] would not
say one word to wound their suscepti-
biiitv' We have the same interests and
the same duties. We have the same
country to love, the same liberties to
preserve, the same Government to
maintain, the same pOsterity to provide
for, the same history to answer unto.
They know that | freely conccde to
them the same patriotism, the esame sin
TIRTlE
which | believe they accord to me.
cannot agree with Governor Hayes
that all the veXed questions Of Our Ma
tional politics are wisely and happily
settled-that 'the great questions Of lib
erty and union, and reconstruction Of
the Union have been made safe" l
cannot agree that retrenchment, econ
Omy and honesty have been introduced
into the management of the Federal eX
DendituTes. | cannot agree that the
debt has been decreased, and is decTeas-
ing, as he states it. l cannot agree that
the burdens OftaXatiOn have beenreduc-
ed and their weight upon the people has
been Iightened. | cannot agree that
sound Judgment and freedom from bad
influences have been brought to the eX-
ercise of the immense power of the Sec
retary Of the Treasury. [ cannot agree
active; that vigOT and energy and indus
try are bOuntifully rewarded; that en-
plOyment is abundant; that daily toll is
| fairly cOmpensated that commerce on
! the ocean and on the land is prosperous;
and, therefore, [ can not serenely, as
does our worthy Governor, turn my
| face from all questions of Federal poll
ties, and look only at State affairs.
| It ought to be 50. fit were not for
! the schemes Decentralization; if State af-
| fairs were left to State management; if
Federal affairs were kept within the
scope of constitutional provisions, it
would be so.
| But I cannot pretend to believe what
! I know to be false I cannot say the
| Union is restored when Virginia and
Mississippi and Texas are under militia
ry Governors, and Georgia is without
representation in Congress. I cannot
| say peace is restored when Justice is adj
ministered by drum-head court marti-
al. I cannot say the Constitution is
maintained, when we know thatthe Su
| preme Court is only waiting an OppOr-
! tunity to declare the reconstruction acts
unconstitutional.
! cannot say the harmony Of our Fed
] eral system is maintained when Federal
power is brought to bear, with all its
| force Of law and Of arms, to compel the
! States to change their Constitutions and
! the Constitution Of the Federal Govern
ment
cannot say that the people are not
! burdered, when Il debt of -, 900, ,OOO, 900
! is piled upon their shoulders; and This
| immense amount is increased six hun
dred millions by 4 resolution Of Congress
/ "tO improve the public Credit.N
- I,y,irv 1Ts1,l
when S430, 100000 are annually drawn
| from the products of active labor, and
nothing from the dead capitaI'
| can not say that taxation is equal,
when bonds are exempted and labor is
crushed meath its eXactiOns.
can not say that honesty and econ
Omy mark the collection and disburse-
ment of the revenue, when the SCcreta-
ry Ofthe Treasury pays one hundred and
Wenty dollars, for bond which he may
redeem for 500, and when the Commits
sioneTs Of Internal Revenue wishes,
above all things, that he may send Il
Supervisor to the Penetentary.
can not say that all is prosperous,
when agricultural products are So low,
and employment 50 scarce, and wages
so reduced, and interest on money So
high, and good, honest, honorable men
in every branch UfcommeTcialu and mer-
chantile and mechanical industry are on
every verge of hopeless bankruptcy
| And because | cannot say all these
things, I cannot turn from them with
such entire cOmplaccncy to consider
whether the last Legislature sat a few
days too long, OF did right to create the
offices which Governor Hayes recon-
mended, or to allow equities and cities
and towns to tax themselves,