The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-09-22
MR.. PENDLETON,S VIEWS.
ON THE QUESTIONS of THE DAY
A Great Speech by Our Democratic
Candidate.

A Great Speech by Our Democratic
Candidate.
} During the Hamilton County Fair
a large number of gentlemen, mostly
Democrats, called on Mr.. PENDLEToN
at his residence at Clifton, and insist
ed on having a speech from him, on
the political issues of the times. Af
ter some hesitancy, owing to the pres
ence of a number of Republicans who
had also called on him, he finally con-
sented, and spoke as follows:
MY FRIENDS: AS you insist upon
it, l suppose 1 shall have to submit.
If you shall repent, say but word,
and l will relieve you. Since I have
been confined here, have had leisure,
and have taken pains to collect some
statistics which had expected to use
during the canvass. To-day my ply
sician has ordered me to be more quiet
Ito take less exercise-and gives me
little hope that shall be able to leave
the city before the election. AS you
desire that 1 shall give my views on
political questions, l will have to ask
your indulgence for whatever want of
form or conference there may be, as l
put these facts and reflections together
without further preparation.
1 ask your impartial attention.
ask you to hear me without prejudice
1 will say nothing in the way of fact
or argument which 1 do not believe to
| be true.
L have strong convictions. You
know am bound by strong party ties;
but am happy to believe that you
know also that 1 love my country, and
that 1 hold every opinion, every party
tic subordinate to my desire to pro-
mote its welfare and the happiness Of
its people. Many of my acquaintan-
ces, of my relatives, of my friends,
differ widely from me. They arc men,
bers of the Republican party. l am
glad to possess their personal good
will and confidence. l am glad to
have such pleasant social relations
with them, that even in this little
company l find some of them. /
frankly confess that 1 covet their good
will. am sorry we differ in opinion
! The difference is honest. 1 cannot
question their motives. / have full
confidence in their integrity. l re-
spect their Judgment. L would not say
one word to wound their SUSCEPTIBLE
ty- We have the Same interests and
Fthe same duties. We have the same
country to love, the same liberties to
preserve, the same Government to
maintain, the same posterity to pro-
vide for, the same history to answer
unto. They know that 1 freely con-
ccde to them the same patriotism, the
same sincerity, the same sense of re-
sponsibility, which believe they ac-
cord to me.
l can not agree with Goveror Hayes,
that all the veXed questions of our
National politics arc wisely and hap
PLY settled-that "the great questions
of liberty, and union, and reconstruc-
ton of the Union have been made
safe can not agree that retrench-
ne 1t, economy and honesty have been
introduced into the management of
the Federal expenditures. L can not
agree that the debt has been decreased,
and is decreasing, as he states it. l
can not agree that the burdens of tax
alton have been reduced, and their
weight upon the people has been
lightened. L can not agree that sound
judgment and freedom from bad in
flucnces have been brought to the ex-
crcisc of the immense power Of the
Secretary of the Treasury. I can not
agree that business is active that ell
terprisc is active; that vigor and en-
ergy and industry are bountifully re-
warded that employment is abundant;
that daily toll is fairly compensated;
that commerce OH the ocean and on
the land is prosperous-and, therefore,
1 can not serenely, rs does our worthy
Governor, turn my face from all ques-
tions of Federal politics. and look only
at State affairs.
1t ought to be so. If it were not
for the schemes of consolidation if
State affairs were left to State manage
ment if Federal affairs were kept
within the scope of constitutional pro-
visions, it would be so. ......,...
Bat can not pretend to believe
what 4 know to be false. 1 can not
say the Union Is restored when Vir-
ginia and Mississippi and Texas are
under military Governors, and Geor-
gia is without representation in Con
grcss. / can not say peace is restored
when justice is administered by a
drum-head court martial. can not
say the Constitution is maintained
when. we know that the Supreme
Court is only waiting an opportunity
TO decla the reconstruction acts un-
constitutional.
/ can not say the harmony OF our
Federal 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 Con
stitutions and the Constitution of the
Federal Government.
1 can not say that the people are
not burdencd, when debt of 50, 500,-
600, 900 is piled upon their shoulders;
and this immense amount is increased
six hundred millions by a resolution
of Congress ''to improve the public
credit"
L can not say their burdens are
light, when $3.50, 900, 900 are annually
drawn from the products cf active la
Dor, and nothing from dead capital.
can not say that taxation is equal
when bonds are exempted and labor