American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-02-03

usurpaticn of power, and work for the reforms
necessary for the public welfare, The times de.
mand an uprising of honest citizens to sweep From
power the men who prostitute the name OF nh hon.
ored party to selfish interests. We therefore invite
all Republicans who desire the reform herein set
forth, TO meet IN National Mass Convention, at the
city OF Cincinnati on the first Wednesday of May
next At 10 m, there to take such action as CON
yicuons OF duty and the public exigehcy may re-
qure
A letter was read from Senator Schurz,
and several speeches were made, one by
Governor q. Crate Brown, in the course
OF which he discussed the resolutions
adopted by the Convention, and especially
the one relative to the Capitalization of
the Government. He said at is there
you have to confront your foe, 1t is there
he is surrounded with all the appliances
of military support f; disseminating ideas
that are dcmorali2ing the public thought
and teaching it to rely not upon the people,
not upon their own local, State, or other
associations for relief, but upon the sim
pie behest of a central power and central
authority Now, sir, for one / am free to
say do not fear the liberties Of this
country in the present instance and hour
will be wrested from them by the will of
any individual, however powerful he may
be, but do fear that if he is permitted
to 90 on, in the Capitalization of the
public sentiment the exciting of people
to acquiesce and consent to infractions of
the National Constitution invasion of
the rights of states domination by the
national authority of all election control,
through its hirclihgs of vice and party
machinery, you pave the way for an
incipient despotism that may some day
give you bloody account of itself. Have
we not seen already the effect of this
power in this nation since the advent of
West Point to Washington City? Have
we not recognized how the military
service has domineered over the civil
service? Have we not seen the whole
body of the civil list turned into
body of personal rctainersy Have
we not seen the Senate of the
United States dominated by single man?
Have we not seen the House of Repre-
sentatives placed upon the pension list
Loud cheers. Have we not seen all the
party machinery so corrupted that the
question is not whom will we choose, but
who is desired in Washington Have
we not seen, sir, the leading, the sole
representative of one great element of
our population, and certainly of great
element of the Republican strength
mean our German fellow.citizens, who
have but a single representative in the
Senate of the United States. Have we
not seen him, when he presented his card
at the door of the Executive Office, have
it returned to him with the words Not
in, while Chandler, Cameron, Sherman,
Drake and Morton were stepping in at
the side doors %
The Speaker here referred to the treat
ment received by Sumner and Greeley,
and said: 1T is not necessary | should
go on with the long list of martyrdoms
in the name of freedom by
those who arrogate the right to represent
and be the Republican party of this ma
ton, but let me tell you, gentlemen, that
strong as the President is, and | am of
those who believe him to be strong, and
brave, and selfwiled man, there are
stronger intellects behind him who have
more potent influences than any he yields,
and it is with that you will have to make
your fight for the control of this nation.n