New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-09-16

Attorney General Akerman's Views
STATE RIGHTS DOCTRINE DlSSEcTED
woRTELEssNEss OF SECESSION LEADERS
HOW HARMONY MAY BIZ RESTORED
Sound Advice to Southern Democrats
Attorney General Akerman on the Political
Situation.


Situation.
Upon an invitation of the members and
| officers of the State Central Committee of
the Republican party of Georgia, Attorney
| General Akerman addressed, at Atlanta, {.
very large and enthusiastic audience upon
! the issues now involved in State and na-
tional politics. Foster Blodgett, chairman
of the State committee, and Senator elect,
| in few brief remarks introduced the
speaker:
Mr.. Chairman and Fellow -citizens-An
observer in the Southern States sees some
remarkable things. He finds about him
every evidence of material prosperity; be
| finds general health prevailing in 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 rewarded; capi-
tai is increasing, and all the other things
which men usually consider desirable
| seem to be found within our limits.
There is liberty Of friendship, there is
liberty of scientific investigation and
there is liberty of political investigation.
There is iberty-if that be a precious
thing-to oppose ones government, and it
is liberty of which many of our fellow
of thought and liberty of speech every
where but in Democratic State conven-
tions: and yet, Notwithstanding all these
seeming blessings, Notwithstanding this
apparent prosperity, notwithstanding all
this cause of satisfaction by man with his
| lot and of tliankfulness to Providence,
| We hear from all parts of our Southern coun-
| try the voice of murnluring and of COM
II &c {. IL
otherwise worthy, seem persistently
bent on. making themselves IN
happy. and endeavor to impress
of unhappiness. They complain that
something is going on that Is wrong, and
| when they are asked what the wrong is
| if it is in material things they answer
| "no" Has Providence been ungracious
! to YOU? No. Are you not permitted to
90 through your respective callings from
day to day, and sleep sweetly night after
night, when you have earned that noe
turnal sleep by healthy labor or by proper
attention to your daily pursuits? Yes.
What is there that disturbs you? Some a
| few years ago-it may have been many
now-I am informed, and sincerely trust
| it is true that there are few-may give as
are fearful of violent visitatiops by law
| less men during the dark hours ct night
| But these are not the ores who murmur.
| Those who murmur seem to be in the en-
| ioyment of almost all worldly blessings.
| Cast your eyes over the world, and com
| pare your own State Of Georgia with other
| parts of this globe, and tell me where you
| can find one million Of people inhabiting
-,r-r,n oh
ment in the enjoyment Of more sources of
comfort and of happiness. The wastes of
war are repaired, in great measure, so
far as they are reparable here on earth.
| The cities are assuming their ancient pros
| perity, the great mass Of our people are
| well fed and well clothed, and, consider
| well housed. There is but little pauper-
| ism. little of distressing poverty.
Then why this lamentation: We are
| told that the government is not serving
| its people right We are told that the
| general government has been oppressive,
| that the State government has been op-
pressive, that corruption prevails at Wash
ington, that corruption prevails at Atlanta;
and there are people who have worked
| themselves into q passion Oh account Of
IUcSe evils, Wutltici tuSy NC ltli VI iiiittco
| ihary. To me these complaints are not
new As far back as my memory goes
| there has always been an administration
at Washington and a State administration
| at some point in Georgia, and there has
| always been a complaint by portion OF
| the citizens that there was oppression and
corruption at Washington, at Milledge-
| vile, or wherever the capital of the State
| I ,lN-Ii., l.,
! is n chronic complaint by certain G. lasses
| of our citizens against certain other classes
| of our citizens Indeed, have given 1t
up as hopeless task ever to bring those
| who are out of Office to be satisfied with
| the demeanor of those who are in. [Ap-
plause. And-Tlaughter]-there was com
| plant at an early period, ip the days OF
| Washington; there were charges Of op-
preston and corruption against the gov
| ernment over which he presided, and
during the administration of all his sue
cessors these charges have been repeated,
and, no doubt, in many cases honestly be-
lieved. The same complaints have been
made of all State administrations with
| which | have any acquaintance.
Is there anything peculiar n our cir
| c1,mstances? In order to present these
| distinctly it is necessary that | should re-
| cur briefly to our recent political history.
! at the close of the late war two moment
| Gus questions were in the minds OF the
! Southern people First, what should be
our relations to the government OF the
United States? Second, what should be
the political relations between those OF
our own people who had always been free
! and those who had Just become free! Be
fore these questions could be answered
another presented itself to wit, to whom
the right Of settling these relations be-
| longed. This preliminary question was
| soon practically answered. The govern
task of reconstruction, and reconstruction
| in effect involves our political relations to
| the United States, and the political rela-
| lions between the different classes Of our
own people. A few found the authority
| for this assumption by the general
government in its right as a conquer
or: manv found that authority IN
its duty to guarantee republican gov
| ernments to the States At first but
few persons of any consideration denied
this authority to the general government.
Our State rights politicians raised no OBJ
! lection when President johnson dlrec'eo
the call of State conventions, and pre-
scribed the qualifications of members ana
constituents, enfranchising those Whom
| he chose to enfranchise, and distranchlslng
those whom he chose to disfranchise. Such
! politicians contentedly sat in the conven-
| tions thus called, and obediently voted to
conform 10 the directions which the Presl-