New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-10
GHORGL.

.the eBReubeFs-Rlecesf II the Georgia hcgds
1afure, Jannary 15, 1870.
Al On the assembling of the persons elect t
the General Assembly, under the proclama
ttion Of Governor Bullock, convening then
In Atlantis, for organization under the act o
& Congress of December; % 1859, Hon. AmO
". Akerman was invited to address the Re
4 publican caucus at public mass meetin.
held at Republican Headquarters Hall
FJanuary Is, 1870. As this is the last pOliti
Zeal speech delivered by the new Attorne,
General, we give few extracts from :;
phOnOgraphic report Of the whole speecl
taken 1t the time Of delivery:
We have had a Republican party here il
Georgia for a few years, and. although 1T
experience as party is short, its political
experience has been great. 1t has had It's
alterations of victory and defeat, OF eleva
ton and of depression; it has had its scenes
of trial. its scenes of modification IL mas
had it's moments of encouragement, ana
notwithstanding its brief age in years, yet,
by virtue of that great age in experience, II
has its veterans and its nOyices, ana wher-
ever / find man who was in favor OF the
convention in the election held in October,
1867; wherever find one who was for the
adoption of the constitution made by that
convention: wherever l find a man who
voted for Republican candidates in April,
1868: wherever find man who declared
himself Republican, and made proof OF
the sincerity Of his declaration by his acts
in favor of the President, and for the Presi-
dental candidates Of the Republican party
in. 1868, and who cast his votes for those
candidates, and who now stands upon the
same platform as,he then stood, there find
a veteran Republican, and am ready to give
him the right hand of fellowship. APPLAUSE. ]
There is an organization here in Georgia
holding itself forth as branch Of an organi-
zation which exists all over the United
States, called the Democratic party. Its
organization was begun in the city Of Ma
con early in December, 1867. A convention
was called, Conservative Convention, so
called, presided over by that very conspicu-
GUS gentleman, Mr.. Benjamin III. Hill. The
acts of that convention was q protest against
the reconstruction acts of Congress. They
very soon threw off the mask, in the am
biguous name put upon it, and declared
themselves members of the Democratic
party, continued from time to time its Or
ganizatiOn, and the organization existing
here now in the State of Georgia sprang
from that very same source. Opposition to
the acts of the United States government
was that in which the Democratic party of
Georgia had its birth; opposition to the
United States government has been the con-
stant business of the Democratic party ever
since; opposition to the acts of the United
States government will be the business OF
the Democratic party now and forever, as
long as its present spirit animates it.
When l find men of intellect and expert
ence now crying out for State rights, when
l find them using the same arguments which
were used to justify notification in the year
1888, under the name of State rights; when
l find them ready to justify secession IN
1860 and 1861, under the name Of State
rights, distrust them. distrust the creed
which is den0minated State rights creed
The recollectiOns connected with it are all
unfortunate. Let not State have the
right TO defy the national power; let us feel
that the sovereignty of the American peo-
pie is represented in that government which
resides at Washington !; let us feel that
States, though important in their sphere,
have no right to raise themselves above
their sphere, although that sphere is an i'm
pOrtant one. u, .-s... ....s .5-...., ..
Mr.. Akerman alluded TO the freed people
in the State, and spoke of their condition
and the duties OF the party toward them.
He then continued:
The admission of these people to full par
ticipation in all political rights has been
given in many States, and has been in our
own, and who is hurt by it. Where is the
Who has felt the shock! Now,
adopting the old rule of judging the future
by the past, l say that We have no right to
anticipate mischief, especially when SO many
and political enfranchisement of one Of these
races was to make society unsafe, then it
ought not to be allowed the instincts of self
would call upon us to resist it.
But it has been done, and done with safety.
and where is the man who will now say that
it ought not to have been done!
There are certain objects which all of us
ought to sec. in our political action, and
there are certain objects which we have a
right to demand and obtain. l will read
you a few Of the most prominent articles.
ty, and to secure by law equal civil and pO-
litical rights to all men. This is the prime
article OF the Republican creed. have
seen some things reported in Northern pa
pers concerning the State of Georgia which
am obliged to admit are lamentably true.
will not run over the direful catalogue.
l feel an interest in the character of the
State in which live, and would, if justi,e
to the living and the dead permitted it, cast
q garment over the wrongs committed in the
State. But the truth must be told. You
know that assassination for the last two
years has been perpetrated in Georgia Oh
uCu UcNftLSC VI kurII hCpuDilCdn pOI1lICs.
You know that Ashburn was butchered in
Columbus. and that the law has not pun
shed the murderers; you know that Rutfin
was murdered in Richmond county, and
hat the law has not punished his murderers;
you know that Walker was murdered in
southwestern Georgia, and that the law has
rot punished the murderers; you know
hat Aver was assassinated in Jefferson
county, and that the law has not punished
lis murderers; you know that Adkins was
in Warren, and that the law has
lot punished his murderers and these are
)ut the beginnings Of the long and direful
catalogue. l say nothing of minor offenses.
will not dwell upon the lynching which
vas not attended with such serious results.
You know these men were slaughtered
or their politics and for nothing else.
Nv Democratic friend, you know that the
Democratic press Of the State has not
poken out against these things as it might
lave spoken Iadmit that some Of them
ave had the manhood to speak out, and
hey are honorable exceptions; yet it ought to
'e their voice all the time, just as long as
rime is perpetrated, to rouse the people up
0 sound sentiment to go hand in hand
ntil it overcomes and dePresses and
rushes out, by the penitentiary and the
allows. all those men who take the lives Of
heir fellow-beings ON account of political
differences. That is our. first want. and you
will get that want from the Republican
'arty in Georgia, not from the Democratic
'arty, for the Republican party is for law,
md order, and justice.
The Republican party is bound to prevail
s long as it is true to its principles. The
latiOnal ideas which are imbued and organ
zed in that party alone are the only ideas
which suit these times. Should the oppo-
lite party get in power and attempt to carry
n the government upon the Democratic
leas, they will run ashore as surely as they
an ashore at Richmond under the Southern
They will either have to give
p the job completely. or run it upon Re
ublican principles. These principles suit
he times-these PRINCIPLES suit the instincts