The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-04-14
Ex-PREsIoENT JonNso p.
His Speech at Knoxville, Tenn.

mastery vindication of his own off
cial conduct, and a scathing review
of the adverse policy forced upon the
country. Throughout his career he
maintained an unsupported integrity,
he was unapproschable by the ecorrupt
his hands were unstained by bribes OF
presents-the preservation of the Con.
stitution and the true interests of the
country occupied all his thoughts and
were the objects of his perpetual care
Had he taken the other course, and
drifted in the current of lvenality-
had he received bribes under the name
of presents and bestowed Offices and
jobs upon the givers-had he cooper
ated with the plunderers of the treas
ury and concurred in the evil meas
ures outside the Constitution, he
would have retired with bOundIess
wealth, glori6ed by the Radical lead
ers, to be handed over with them to
the future historian as examples of
the immortality, seIfshness and cor
ruption produced by civil commotion.
We regret that we have not room
for the whole speech, but give the
following extracts:
DEBT AND TAXES. .af
When you look at the history of
this government in the last eight
years, it has made strides that are
alarming. Look at the debt, look at
the expressions, look at the taxes.
Think when you are talking about
billions it is not millions. How long
is this state of things to continue? I?
One word in this connection. Your
debt is now in round numbers, three
billions of dollars, SO far as the Ma
tlonaI Government is concerned
How much 1t is at home now, God
only knows. / know where the State
WAS when l left it as your Governor,
l know you had a school fund
l'Where is it now?" Yes, where is
1t now? Echo answers, where -
lApplauseI 1t was a large school
fund, and in very short time it could
have been increased so as to be sufi-
cient to educate all the children in the
country. Your debt was about six
teen mlhionR, and your State was in
q prosperous condition. Where is the
debt now? Look at the State taxes.
and look at the taxes of the Federal
Government, and we find that the
Federal Government c. Ilects from the
people to pay interest-S15a, 600, ,O0O
per annQm-three times as much as
was once necessary to defray the ex.
penseS of the Federal Government.
You collect $3.50, 900. 900, to be paid in
gold and silver to the bondholders of
this nation. That Is one of the fruits
Of what Is coming upon. US. Black
men will understand" this. While
they have been giving you freedom,
as they pretend, and disfranchising
white people, on the other hand, they
have been making white men and
black men slaves together. The only
difference now is that ali are slaves,
while part only were slaves before.
Now you have 20 toll on, white and
black, to Gay one hundred and fifty
millions per 'annum to the hondhold-
ers OF this country, who never shed a
drop Of blood to save it. I would to
God there was no power, or In other
words, the Government had not the
credit to borrow money to carry on
War. If the peQple had to De called
on for money before the war began,
we would have no war. We used to
talk about the negro aristocracy of
alarmed at it. The estimated value
of the labor under the slave system
was three hundred million dollars.
But nov all this has disappeared
The negro has been freed, but let me
tell you the. bill of sale has been trans
feFred to other men, and you have
got to work to pay it. If the debt is
fixed upon the people, let me tell you
1t has got to come from your toll and
the peoples toll to pay the one hun
dred and fifty millions every year to
the bondholders of the nation. Did
they buy it? No, not from anybody.
Did they loan the Government gold
and silver? No, not a dollar. They
loaned their credit. Where is the
soldier or officer, where is the man
who sold his horses or wagons to the
Government during the war that re-
ceived gold and silver IN payment?
He received deprecated currency.
Now. the, interest must be paid in
gold and silver, eXtorted from the
sweat and toll of the people. -..
RADICAL PHILANTHROPY. 49,.
A while ago L asked you what these
people can do for you. ''That is what
we want to know."l Why there was
a cOlored man came to me in Wash
ington that wanted a subscription to
sustain his newspaper; 1 was pretty
hard pressed for money, but gave him
twenty-five dollars. He went then
to Mr.. Sumner, told his tale, and Sum-
ner said that was question he hadn't
much to do with that, what he did
was upon general principles Deri-
siVe cheers. Another cOlOred man
came to me and asked me to subscribe
to sustain college for coiOred men.
/ told him could not subscribe to
every thing, but gave $50. He went
among some of the Simon Pures of
the North, and / don't think he got
money enough to pay his expenses.
ultra city in the Union, they wanted
to buy the Marine Hospital, large, &
capacious, well adapted for a school.
An Episcopalian preacher, very
clever gentleman, came to me in
Washington to ask me to help him
in purchasing the building. told
him that didn't know; that it was
not in my State, but would not be
selfish, and was willing to do all I
could. The building could be pro-
cured for $4,000; ii is worth about
$50, 900. told him to go round to the
FFeedmenis Bureau. Well, Howard
came round with MIN TO see me, and,
as he was going North letters were
furnished him. 1 gave 81 900, and
didn't put down thousand for some-
body to read it, like some people who
are very liberal in putting down their
names, but were not so ready when. it
comes to pay. / gave HIM the money.
/ heard that same preacher-he is
now in charge of the hospital in
OharlestOn-say that the 81 900 thatI
subscribed was the largest he received
north of Mason and DiXon'S line, and
when these men are talking among
the people, ask Them to come up and
compare notes with me, and that col
ored men may be able to judge who
are their true friends. sss.-f .fstH
g.fsT OHIO LEGISLATURE.