New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-10-08
LOUISIANIAN ABROAD
HE TAKES THE POLITICAL FIELD
SPEECH OF GENERAL SYPHER
SOUTHERN REPUBLICANS INDICATED

Following Secretary Boutwell, at Cleve
land, ON the evening of the twenty Dintl
instant, General ]. H. Sypher, who repre-
sents the First Congressional District o.
Louisiana, address the Ohio Republicans in
the following speech. which is reported in
the Cleveland Leader. General Syphe,
being loudly called for, came forward and
said:
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentlemen
1t was customary during the war when Oul
armies were marching through the hostile
country to ''press" horses into the service
to replace those Of our cavalry and artillery
that had become unserviceable. find my.
self in similar situation this evening
Without warning or ceremony find myself
''pressed" into the service, and ii had the
assurance that by the feeble effort l am
the overwhelming majority you will poll on
the election day, would he satisfied.
l observe from a slight examination of
public prints that the issues presented in
this campaign by the public speakers Of
both political parties are of national sig
niticance and importance. From this fact
it is fair to infer that ysu have good govern
ment in Ohio. At least it would seem sat
isfactory to the people, and it is not made
party in their declaration of principles, or
public discussions. Under our dual form of
government, State or national, the citizens
are called upon to exercise their right of
franchise frequently, and as often rs they
are required to chose between the princi-
pies and candidates Of the two political par
ties contending tor the supremacy.
The Issues OF greatest prominence in this
campaign seem to be those of tariff and
finance. / invite your attention to these
briefly.
This seems to be one Of the leading topics
Of discussion, although not distinct issue
Of either political party. In the short time
l have to devote to this great question,
can only submit general principles and his
torical facts.
In our war with England, in 1912, our
statesmen discovered how dependent we
were as nation, being forced to the hui
initiating necessity OF purchasing our arms
tor defense and clothing for our soldiers
from the enemy with whom we were then
at war.
Out If this necessity sprung the tariff
legislation OF our early history. In those
days the East was for free trade and the
North and South were advocates of pro-
lection. great change soon came over
Southern statesmen. and under the lead of
John Z. Calhoun the discovery was made
that manufacturing with slave labor would
not prove successful. and under this leader
ship the tariff acts were declared unconsti-
tutOnal, and IN 1882 notification and seces-
sion were threatened unless these acts were
repealed.
This change of policy go suddenly on the
part of the South was induced in the hone
of controlling the cotton market of the
world, to do which they only required cheap
food and cheap clothing for their slaves.
But to secure these it was necessary to re.
press domestic manufactures. throw open
our markets to English manufactures. force
the skilled labor Of the East and West into
agricultural pursuits, and destroy our home
market for provisions Such a policy would
enable them to feed and clothe their slaves
at lower rates, and proclaim liking Cotton
sovereign of the universe What were the
results Of this suicidal policy! Mills and
factories were stopped: furnace and rolling
mill fires were extinguished; banks lost
their specie; merchants were bankrupt:
mechanics and skilled operatives
were forced into agriculture; the East
was unable to pay for the pro-
duce bought of the West; England pur-
chased her grain from the Baltic and Egypt.
and the Western farmer, after supplying
the necessary food for the slaves of the
South, consumed his corn as fuel and al
lowed his wheat to rot in the fields. This
my fellOw-citizens, is very brief history
of Democratic free trade. Do you desire
any more of it! This was the condition of
our country when the rebel, free trade De-
nocracy fired upon our flag; we had not
the iron from which to make gun barrel,
nor the skilled laborer to fashion it; we
were unable to ciOthe our soldiers or fur
nish them a blanket to protect them from
rain and cold in the camp and bivouac, and
our loyal battaliOns were compelled to fight
our battles of freedom under banner
made of English bunting. Pr
Having departed from the wise policy in
augurated by the great statesmen Of our
early history, necessity compelled us to re-
trace our steps and at least devise means of
self-defense. This we did in the tariff act
of 1861 and the subsequent legislation, the
effect of which upon the industries of the
country must be familiar to all of you. But
in the great revolution in Southern society
and industry, this vital question to her
prosperity has not been overlooked. If the
Democratic party still calculate upon free
trade South they count without their host"
That policy was buried with its twin ini-
-quity, slavery. The policy requiring cheap
food to grow cheap cotton was annihilated
by the emancipation proclamation, and his
majesty, king Cotton" abdicated when
the "L,ost Cause" absconded in petticoats.
ILaughter and applause The South, that
IL the regenerated South, has no future pol
ICY antagonistic ito any other interest or