The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-09-14


{ MR.. CHAIRMAN AND FELLow-CITI-
zENs: came here tonight with nc
purpose to make,a set speech, but if j
give it up. After hearing the magnifi-
cent oration and argument to which
you have listened, / should feel that il
foil or contrast to that which you have
heard. But l feel it duty to say
something to you tonight. 1t so hap
pens that, although have lived in
this city for more than seventeen
years, have never made what we call
full speech to Columbus audience,
and That because of no inciVility on
your part, for you have again and
again asked me to speak, but circum-
stances have SO happened that it new
er was convenient teyou and me that
l should address you at large land to-
night find myself i'll the same cate
CORY, for surely 1 shall not begin at
the hour of ten in the night to- discuss
at large questions which can't be fully
considered under an hour and a half,
or perhaps two hours, and even then,
after that long discussion, there is
more left to be said than has been
said. I shall, therefore, run very rap
idly over only few of the topics,
supplying here and there's remark up
onthe subjects which have already
been spoken of, and treating very
briefly some of which no mention
has been made.o
ri My fellow-citizens, I want to call
your attention to what are the claims
of General Grants Administration to
the confidence and support of the peo-
pie; what are his claims as set forth
by the prominent. advocates of his
Administration, and to ask you
whether these claims are we'll found
ed orinot. And first and foremost of
these claims is this, that he has re-
stored albthe febellious States in the
Union to their proper relations to the
Federal Governme ents; ;pathat this great
work has been done by him, and
therefore he merits the gratitude and
everlasting confidence of the Ameri-
can people. Now say boldly, that
SO far from his having restored those
States to their normal relation, or
rather so far from the Republican par
ty in Congress, which is the real gov
erning power in this land, having
done that work, they have done moth
ing in the world since the war has
closed but retard that work. When
the war closed, what was the condi.
ton of the country? The Confede-
rate army immediately disbanded !;
within thirty days after the surrender
at Appomattox there was not an
armed man in all this land in hostile
array against the Government of the
, United States. There were the States
that had gone into the rebellion with
precisely the same boundaries, with
sprecisely the same people, save those
whom death had stricken down, and.
what is more, with precisely the same
Constitution they had before the re-
ibellion began. What, then, was nee
essary to restore those States to their
normal condition, their normal and
proper relation to the Federal Govern
ment? Nothing in the wide world
but that they should elect their Sena-
tors and Representatives and those
Senators and Representatives be all
lowed to take their places. That was
the whole that was necessary, and the
whole thing could have been done in
less than ninety days after the surren-
der at Appomatox, and in ninety days
every wheel and cog and pinion of the
Government would have been in its
place, and that machinery would have
been in as smooth and perfect opera
ton as it ever was since the Constitu-
ton was formed. What prevented
this from being done? Was it reIuc-
lance ON the part of the South to elect
their Senators and Representatives p
Why, so far from that, they were
most anxious to have them elected
Who kept them out? The Republi-
can Congress kept them out. l must
say that was not the sentiment of the
people of either party when the war
closed, in that shout which, all over
the land. was, Let US close the breach !;
let us have the Government of our
fathersl Yet the Republican leaders
determined that that should not be !;
they determined that those States
should be kept out of the Union for
many a weary year. a.5
3 So, my friends, they kept them out
of representation not only that, they
overturned every one of those State
Governments, and compelled the peo-
pie to form new constitutions, not
such as the people want, but such as
the Radical party i'll Congress saw fit
to dictate; and thps.it was that year
after year the question of reconstruc-
ton was agitated, and thus the disor-
der to which it gave rise.
Now, my friends, it has been COM
mon for the Republican party of this
country to say that Democrats have
taken new departure, and that new
departure, they allege, consists in say
ing that we have been wrong, and the
Republicans have, been right. say
there has never been any such confess
sion as that. We are as much opposed
to what has been done as when we
gave our votes against it. Why, if. /
should see a man strike another in All
unlawful and brutal manner in the
street, throttle him and knock him
down and trespass upon his rights,
and I should seq his xvounda and hrui.