Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-09-14
cRoESBEcK.
He BsIisyss In Ststss Rights and
would Sup plant Chase
His Platform Defined snd most ably
Defended.

His Platform Defined snd most abl]
Defended.
Tbs Amendments skilIfnIIy MhIts'
washed and the Cracks be-
twesa them and the Con-
sfitution StgesSed.
STEUBENvILLE, o.. September H.
At a Democratic meeting, held to-day
in this city, the Hon. VIM. J. Groes-
beck addressed the people.
Mr., ,GrOesbeck, after a few introducto.
ry,remarks, said: "Important changes
have been made in cur political con-
dition during the last ten years, and
not a few of our very best citizens be-
| lieve we have gone downward. /
do not wonder at this. The condition
OF our people, prior TO 1861, was one
of extraordinary contentment and
| quietness. The peace OF the Nation
mad not been broken. The COnstitu-
| ton had always commanded respect.
None of our sacred rights, as we call
them, such as liberty of person, free
dom of speech and the like, had been
violated. l believe the writ of hd6eds
corpus had not been suspended prior
to 1861. We sought to administer the
Federal government for general pur-
poses, and the State government for
special and home purposes. Neither
had seriously invaded the Jurisdiction
of the other. As oar fathers started,
so We hsd gone on, peacefully, and
steadily, and without any noticeable
departure. The Governments over
US did not embarrass US. They were
in no sense a burden, and taxation
fell as lightly upon our homes as q
gentle snow. It was most happy
period for all of US who enjoyed the
privileges and immunities of citizen
ship. There was slavery in the land.
About one out OF every nine of its
inhabitants was q slave. That was
our danger, troubling our fathers in
the beginning, and troubling Us al.
ways, and more and more.
This brings me to notice the
resolution Of our recent State
convention and the changes that
have taken place in our pOliti-
cal condition during the last ten years.
They are about thus: First, changes in
the Constitution of the United States.
Secondly, changes in the admins
tratiOn Of the Government. What are
the changes that have been made ia
the Constitution? They are three in
number. The first is this: No slavery
shall exist in the United States. When |
the Constitution was adopted slavery |
was everywhere in the North as well |
as in the South, and therefore the
Constitution did not forbid. From
time to time, however, the States, act |
ing separately, abolished it within |
their respective jurisdictions, till it |
was to be found nowhere but in the |
South, and at last il was disturbed |
even there. The South rebelled at this.
Then came long, bloody and costly
civil war, and rebellion was over
whelmed and slavery destroyed. This
result is now declared in the COnsti-
tutiOn-which declaration was to be
The results Of g successful
war are always declared in some bind
ing form. In war between nations,
the results appear in treaty; if it be
a civil war, they have some modifica-
tons of the fundamental law, con.
forming it to the conditions of the
Such is our case. The
recent constitutional amendments
stand for the final treaty II our civil
war. The changes, stated in the few
est words, are: No person shall be a
slave, and all born or naturalized here
shall be citizens with equal civil and |
political rights. When but a mere
handful of our cOlOSed population
we're free, and the great mass of them |
were in bonds, the question of their
civil and political rights was not be-
Ore US. Such question could not
arise till slavery was re-
moved. Now all of this population
are free. They are great multitude
about one eighth of our people.
10 not think it good statesmanship, in
such = government as ours, to
make so large a mass of freemen
/ subject class, or to hold them |
in an inferior or de
graded condition. Slavery was
always a danger. This other
condition ofthe eolored people, would
De a danger also ever trOublingus and
threatening our peace. Many of you :
will remember when the party now in
OUT 4
OTeigu born population. 1t succeeded |
or time, but Democracy at last tri-
lmphed and saved the political rights {
If our foreign born citizens. One of
he reasons that justified US applies I
o the case of our eolored population;
hey are more numerous than our [
oreign born population was in the
lays of ofKnowNothingism. They are |
ust as free; the Constitution no longer
or embarasses US, and our [
yery Democracy requires that we /
hOuld act now as we did then-and !
Why should we not? Have this peo-
lie ever wrOnged US? How, or when? 3,
Who have been wrOnged? Shall De-
point its guns upon the low 9
v and unfortunate2 It would be an {
warfare. Point your guns [
lOnder, upon the national capitol, at 8
he high places, against Imperialism I
There is your danger, 8
nd there is to be your struggle. l I
must believe that the extension of s
ne right Of suffrage to that part of I
ur cOlOred population was too much {
astened. According to the theory 7
4 our Government, all should make | .
ONE preparation for the responsible
uties OF full citizen; we delay the Y
by our naturalization laws. Z
Veil, the work is done, and we should
make the best of it. Depending upon I
be school and church and summon LII
lg them to their utmost exertion, let e
5 90 forward hopefully and v
ravely, and after all, it is not +
be most learned that do the C
est voting. The farmer votes as T
'isely as the professor, and the q
umble are quite as devoted to free I,
as the exalted. These are !
langes made in our Federal COnstitu- S
on during the last ten years. 1 have I
cen requested to notice them, and
lOuld have noticed them without re- L
1est, for there seems to be an appre- @
ensiOn with many that the old Con- II
tuition has been spoiled and put n
Iide. Far from it. That same Con- O
tuition which our fathers had and to O
hich the Democracy has been so V
ithiul through all our history, is our n
These amendments il
ave been added to it and that is all. "
be Constitution remains still an ex- a
'Ilent Constitution, and the State II
mains with ample sovereignty to do c,
) proper work. We have no right D
despond as II all were lost; nor oi
lOuld we spend our strength in vain. el
ruggle not to get back to a condition 81
hich can never be restored. Ad- b
mister the Constitution as amended, d
,eordiDg to the terms and directions cG
within it, and all win be q
ell. The mischief Is not in the 81
q
Now, as heretofore, our Union Is az
nited government with only such @
,wers as are delegated to it. Now, Il
hnrnfnfnro al rnorrara not flclcnra Tod | n,