The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-10-21
Mr.. BIaine's speech q, St. Louis, October II.

The Speaker made one of his telling
speeches at st. Louis on the 18th, in the
presence OF an immense audience. Wecopy
afew paragraphs that occur where he is dis
cussing the duty of the Government to pro-
tect the rights Of its citizens at home as
well as abroad. He said:
We are, as people, all agreed on this
question. There is practically no dissent.
We want to place our Government as high
as the highest, and if there be any particu-
lar thing that stands out prominently in
the national policy Of England to challenge
admiration-although Inever had any great
Anglo mania---but If there be anything that
challenges admiration it is the care with
which England guards, and guards Jealous
ly, the rights of the individual subject.
Why, you remember this case. Four ad.
yenturous merchants, traders in pursuit of
lawful gain, who associated together, had
penetrated into the heart of Abyssinia, and
were there engaged in lawful trade.
They were seized by order of the semi
barbarous king, their goods were confisca-
Gated, and their persons held in prison.
England demonstrated, sent agents, tried
diplomacy, resorted to threats but the
diplomacy was scorned, and the threats
laughed at and so the men were stripped
of their property, and held in durance
defantly by King Theodorus. And rather
than let these four men suffer, England
sent great army up the Mediterranean,
down the Red Sea, across the burning and
blazing desert, and over the conflagraton
and destruction Of that city, and over the
corpse of this semi-barbarous king, these
four British merchants, at a cost Of sixty
millions of dollars to the English treasury,
were brought back in triumph. Zap.
plause.l
This is what we would do, Democrats
and Republicans, all Of us, throw up our
hats at that. But while we are thus agreed,
gentlemen, | don't underestimate can't
comprehend how il is, that while our gov
eminent has got an arm long enough aud
strong enough to reach the eastern end of
the Mediterranean sea, and clutch out of
the hands of the Austrian power q man
who has got the shadow Of American citi-
zenship in him; or, on the other hand, an
arm long enough and strong enough to
reach across the Atlantic and over the
Pyrenees and take another man from
Spanish power, shall be told that if it at
tempts to vindicate the rights of man on
the soil of South Carolina, if he were out
ragged, that we must not do that, because
that is interfering with the great Demo-
cratic doctrire Of local self-goyernment.
[Great and prolonged applause.l
And, that, gentlemen, is just the posi-
ton Of the Democratic party to-day. If
you want the full protection of the United
States extended to YOU you must 60 out
of your own country to getit. Go either
to England, France, Austria, Germany,
Prussia, Russia, any of them, and let them
lay finger upon you in q hostile manner,
and we will vindicate you, to the cost Of
life and treasure but if you happen to
get q Ku-klux band after you down in Ala
bama, "for Gods sake don't say anything
about it, becauscl If you do you will override
the doctrine Of self-government and CEN
tralize everything in one power" laugh
ter and applause.l 80 you are to be told
this, in the language Of Mr.. Horace Greeley,
which am coming to directly. [Laughter.i
Now. have not gone on with this mere
abstract discussion, gentlemen, for the mere
pleasure of hearing my own voice, but
have been preparing q coat which propose
to fit very closely upon the shoulders of
Mr.. Horace Greeley. Laughter and ap-
plause.l l assure you that Mr.. Greeley
has taken that position, and that Mr.. Gree
lev deliberately engaged. when nominated
at Observation-Disclosures engaged-and
measure my words-deliberately cove
nanted that if they would give him the
Democratic support for the Presidency, he
would agree to betray the fourteenth
amendment, lapplausel; and ! make the
charge that everywhere every ku-klux pa
per in the South, as soon as that letter was
written, nailed that third paragraph to its
masthead as the reason for the faith that
was in their supporting Mr.. Greeley.
But lest they should not understand it,
Mr.. Greeley says furthe
''That there should be no federal subver-
sion Of the internal policy of the several
States municipalities, but each shall be left
free to enforce all rights and promote the
welfare OF its inhabitants by such means
as the judgment OF its own people shall
prescribe"
There you are, Horace. [Great laughter.]
That is if Ku-klux bard gets after you,
and mauls you, and mains you, and gives
you thirty-nine lashes on your bare back and
burns the house that shelters you and your
children, and serves you notice that you
have to leave within thirty hours or else be
hung to the nearest tree, why, you must not
think of destroying local self-eovernmeht
by appealing to Federal authority, but you
must appeal to those scoundrels themselves
and take such justice a. they shall pre-
scribe.
That is what Mr.. Greeley declares, and
itreminds me of a case IN Arkansas, where
Q man was arragned for stealing hog.
The proof was positive and clear; there
was no testimony in rebuttal, and the
Judge charged directly in accordace with
the law and fact, and yet, in two minutes
after, the jury brought in verdict, you res
member, Of mot guilty." and bystander
who heard the charge, said, "Mow, in the
name of heaven, Judge, can this bel
don't understand it 2" "Why," says the
Judge, "it is perfectly plain to me every
one Of those cussed scoundrels had a share
Of the pork.n (Great laughter.l
Now that is the kind of trial Mr.. Greeley
proposes to offer us no matter what kind
Of injury may be inflicted on you no mat
ter what you may suffer at the hands of any
ku-klux law, don't, for Heavens sake,
disturb the immensely grand doctrine of
local self-government, or run the risk of
centralzing power in the hands of the
Executive of the Government, or appeal to
those ku-klux scoundrels themselves and
L." . 4 ~ -