The New York herald., 1870-09-04

ATLANTA Ca, Sept. 9. 1870.
| Upon an invitation OF the members and officers o
the State Central Committee OF the republican party
| of Georgia Attorney General Akerman addressed
last evening very large and enthusiastic audience
upon tbs issues now involved in State and national
| politics. Hon. Foster BIodgeu, Chairman 6f the
State Committee and Senator elect, in few brief
remarks introduced the speaker
| SPEECH or MR. AEERMAN.
| Mr.. CHAIRMAN And FELLOW CrTIRENS-AD OBJ
server In the Southern States sees some remarkable
! things. He hnds about him every evidence OF ma
terai prosperity; ne finds general health prevailing
! III this part OF the world; Providence has sent US
sunshine and showers, and the earth is yielding her
abundant increase; all branches Of labor are well
the other things which men usually
consider desirable seem to be found within
there is liberty OF scientific Investigation ana there
il liberty OF political Investigation. here Is liberty
ment and it is liberty Of which many Of our fellow
citizens ava themselves. There is liberty or thought
ana there is Liberty of speeca everywhere but IN
democratic State conventions; aud yet, not
wlthstanding all these seeming blessings, notxtlh-
standing this apparent prosperity Notwithstanding
all this cause OF satisfaction by man with bis tot
! and OF thanklulness to Providence we hear from
| all parts OF our southern country the voice OF mnr
| muring and of complaiiJ. Many fellow
citizens. otherwise worthy, seem perslstenlly bent
on making themselves unhappy, and endeavOr to
| Impress all their nelghoors VIVA the same degree OF
unhappinesS. They complain thai something is
going on that Is wrong. and when they
are asked what the wrong ls--if it Is
Providence been ungracious 10 lou? No. Arc
you not perinitted 10 go through yOur respective
calllpgs from day To DAY and sleep aWestiy night
atIer night when you have earned that nocturnal
sleep by healthy abUr or by proper attention 10 your
daily pursuitst Yes. What is there that 0isturbs
your Some, n few-years ago IL may have been
maoy, now ] aul informed aud ] sincerely
trGst it is trae that there are iew-may
tnat tneg are learM OF violent visltatlons
by lawess men daring tie dark hours Of night Bur
/ these are the murmur. Those who
! mumGr seem 70 be III the enjoyment OF alnos, AL
! worldly blessings. Cast your eyes over the
! world, ana compare yonr own Sta.e OF Georgia
! with oiher PARTS OF this globe. and teIi me
where you can find one million OF people
iDhabitlng contiguous territory who are &c TINS
moment In the enjoyment OF more sources O COM
fort and OF happiness The wastes of war are
repaired IN great measure, so far as they are re-
parable here on earth. The cities are ASSUMING
their ancien; prosperity the great mass OF our peO-
pie are well led ald wei clothed, ana considering
the midhess Of oGr climate, they arc well housed
There Is but little pauperism, little oi distressing
poverty.
Then why this lamentations We are told that The
government is not serving It's people right. We are
rold that the general government has been oppres-
siye that the State government mas been oppressive
that corruption prevails al Washington. that cor
rupt.on prevails At Atlanta: aud there arc people
who have worked themselves INTO passion
on account OF these evils, whether they he
real or imaginary 10 me these complains are not
new. Az far back Us my memory goes there has
always been an administration at Washington and
administration al some point In Georgia, and
yhere has always been complaint by portoa OF the
citizens that there was oppression and corruption at
Washington, ut Miledgevilie, Or wherever the capi
tai OF the State might be. aBl disposed 10 believe
that there is chronic complaint by certain classes
OF cur citizens against certain other classes of
cuizcns. Indeed have given IL up rs a hopeless
task 20 bring those who are out 0l Once 10 be
isted with the demeanOr OF those VINO are IN. ZAP
plause) -taughterJ-there was complaint ut
an ca y period, III The DAYS ol washington; there
weie charges OF oppression and corruption against
the government over which he presided and during
SUCCESSORS
charges have been repeated. anh no DOUBT IN many
cases honestly believed. The same complaints have
Dccn made OF all State administrations with which
have any acquaintance.
Is there anything peculiar in our circumstances
In order TO presenv these distinctly II Is necessary
that should rccur briefly 10 our recent POLITICAL
history Al the closs of the iae war two lnomenr-
Deop!e first, what should be our relations Tie
government oi the United states: Second. what
should be own Sas PSSa osdns rS sS 5 'Tgy4 @
free and those who had Just become Tree. Before
these questions could be answered another presented
itselfto wit TO whom the right of settling hose re-
/ laGons belonged This preliminary question was
! soon practically answered The government OF the
United states assumed the task of reconstruction,
aud reconstruction In effect involves our political
latjons the United States ana tie political relations
between the different classes OF our own people.
few found The authority for this assumption 10y the
general government Ill us rjght rs conqueror
many found thar authority ia It's duty TO guarantee
republican governments 10 tne states Az hfst Dlt
few persons OF any consideration denied this author
ity to the general government oar state rights po
ticians raised 40 Oh eclon when President Johnson
directed tie call OF State INVENTIONS, and prescribed
rhe qualifications OF members and constituents ELL
jraHchlsng those whom he chose 20 enffanc.iSc and
dsirano hsing those whom he chose to disfranchse.
such politicians cuntentcdy Sat in the conventions
thus called and obcdieuty voted 10 conform to the
directions which the President ftom lime 10 Tine
transmitted. such politicians accepted Office IN
the StsLe governments formed by these conventions
snd so6d ready to Take seats IN Congress by virtue
OF elections under these governments and all
without the least disturbance to their tender cci,-
sciences from State rights qusims.
The rule which was established under that recon-
siructon was that no man should suffer political
disability FOR participation In the rebeon, and that
the emancpaed class should have no political
rights This reconstruction failea A grave con-
! stiiutional question agated ihe country. Not
question between the national govern
meni and the States, but between dffe-
rent departments Of the national govern
menl. one party contenGed that tue President
had assumed unlawful powers III the matter OF re-
construction-that wncn the government Is charged
with duty In It's nature requiring law. that law
must he enacted by the Legislature, and not by the
executive in the form OF a proclamation. Inis me-
party prevaed, ana provided by law 10 1867 Tor lne
! reconstruction OF tue southern states IEe
! rules Of this latter reconstruction were tla'
/ certain classes OF political offenders should be dis
qualified for oice until relieved and that the enau-
cipated class should have the same civilized pOltica
| rights az other citizens. when these rules were
announced the genus Of state rights broke IRON its
sluinber. Assumptions ol authorized power by Pre-
, sident had passed uncensuied. dut assumptions oi
power by Congress. precisely the same in principle
and Iny warranted by the constitution were received
! with cry that alarmed the land. There was dan
ger now 10 The rights of the States as soon
some gentlemen were III danger Of losing
| prescriptive right to o0ce and the coloreo
man likely 10 share in the govern
ment OF hts country. The rights of tht
| states grew precious in the eyes OF our demo
! cratic fellow citizens. Tie cart-to be resDectiu
! ! will c0nstran myself 10 say the reasoning
! of the nullider OF 1882 OF the Southern rights
/ man OF 1850 and OF the secessionist Of 1861
| was again heard In the political forum, an'
| flowed freely from tie mouth OF the conservative
! OF 1867, who was soon transformed into the demo
! crat OF 1863. This interest IN State rights thus
! revived by those two notable circumstances tn