The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-02-21
The War on Grant.
SPEECH OF GOVERNOR GRATz BROWN
BEFOrE HE LIBERAL MISSOURI con-
yENTiON.

BEFORE HE Liberal MISSOURI cox
yENTIoN.
We copy as follows from the speech
Of Governor Gra,z Brown at the Lib
eral Missouri Convention:
Da, by day The firm foundations of
the constitutions! forms of government
me being iusili"us', s;,pp'd. under
one excu>. or another now t." mold
judicial decisions. now TO control tlec.
lions, nov to suppress in alleged dis
order ami TIA Is. under the yaisr of
maintaining tie lihrrtieS of some,
tlrle is being prepared that fatal
lptl,argy of l"ra! independence and
selfgnveInnent which Int ssuuoills
the way FL the slavery of all. The
assumption and continued exercise Ivy
the General Government of power,
largely sel;asSertcd in time nf war,
never dreamed of herctu!o,e in time o.
peace. the military marsl,alil G of all
its functions into the control of sin
Gle will, and the fierce pnrtisanship
which acco,ds tn that viii almost an
Immunity rom challenge, are signs of
the ,i,nr 70" plain t" he misunderstood.
signs ef peril TO the hheItiss of the
people. The pr"!"nga'i II IF DIES
poti.. control over all those sections
that had surrendered aud acGniesced
in the settlements OF the war, rattle,
for political Than patriotic ends; the
refusal of such policies of amnesty AMI
general Suffrage as would have r,sto,-
I'd peace and >eif-sovernmcnt gave
ominous >had"wing to man, of the
friends of real freedom nf Whit VII.
contemplated. And the enormous
stretches of Executive pnwrr no less
than its ruthless exercise. to maste,
other communities elsew here. lv thu.
power of pai,"na"", have not served
to tighten ny the picture.
Now sir, for one. am certai,,,,
free to say that do not fear that the
lleitlcS at this nation. IL the present
instance and li0nr, viii he wreStpd
from them 10y the will of ANY indl.
vidnaI man. however powerful h.
ma, be; bat do fear that if this il
permitted tn 90 on. this decentralization
OF pullic sentiment dds tear!iiu. nf
the people To ;,cquieSe in, and consent
Ia, i ti.ctiouS I" the National Con
s:itution. in violation al the rights of
communities; this dominion 10y the
National Authority at all election con
troll through lis hire.ing~ of office and
its party machinery. that yoa pave the
way 10: an incipient de~p"'i,m that
may some day give you a bloody az
count nf itself.
Mr.. President, am nn alarmSt
bit when 81. many of ti.os.. whn hav,
been lie oSt >te.diast fri. nd> If
freed. M II this natin express their
Craze, ppiehrns' III at wi.at Is, trans ,
pis!n-, IL not i,n:c that we should
engage m some serious etinr, Ia l,rin.
our government lack to these limita-
items of powers whir;, have been found
so cSseuiial to the safe ordering If any
f,rr s"cirtE. AMI may adj another |
thought, which is this: hat as Il he
lever III midi, ia"a' Ii: er,y. in tl.. light
of free speech, in the value Of the
widest discussion at National p'litirs,
lcannot i'ut feel additional nlI>givin.s
al the practices Of t'nsr who assume
tn conduct the National Guvernmen,
in the name "l freedom, YET evidence
such dire and sinister intolerance
against ali who may question the " is
dom of their action. They wIm would
erect il dtspotiSm within the patty |
Will not be lodi 1" erect n d.spntisn,
Within the uatinn, il only public
thought can he once sufficiently de- |
moralizcd and suhdued. Aud again
lrlleris. foi one | do not feel .iisp"sc. !
4" stand i'll, by and see this nstrcism
ut the tra'e est and he stlnI .esi in the /
battles of the past q" forward without
any organized resistance. Must we
signify only Mqairsrenre while sn
'lauy, manly us those who are held IN |
haaor. are thrust aside ln The. regime
That controls at the seat of Govern.
mnt?
Have we not seen alread, the effect |
OF this power in the nation since tin. /
advent OF West Point to Washington
city, [Clee,s Have we not rc.s-
MED how the military service has
snpplanted the civil ser,irnP Have
We not seen the Whole body at the
elvl' list termed into a body ut personal
,teiainprs? Have we not seen the SEN
ate at t. United States dominated by
single Exrrutive- nuicrP Have we
nat seen the H.nsr of Representatives
placed upon the pension list 2 Loud
cheers. Have We not seen all paris
IN The macl,snery of go. eminent y"
corrupted that the question is not with
The people whom will y"u choose, tut