New-York tribune., 1872-08-01
GRANTS ROAD TO RUIN.
SPEECH OF WILLIAM NJ. GROSVENOR All
COLUMBUS, OHIO, JULY 81. 1872.


this State barely old enough to ask the meaning Of tho
Harrison flags and logcabin handkerchief that were
neatiDg all over the steamer. there was great uprising
OF the people TO elect plain, honest man their fres
dent Since that time parties have been created ana de-
troyed but until this very year the country has seen
no other movement largely caused and shaped by the
neople I'm defiance OF wonted leadership as tho one
which brings you here. 1t Is not movement Oh
oHce eboders nor Of oiicesoekers The great DOdy Oh
voters caring nothing for Office and seelnng no private
cain break through the habits Of party only wheh
moved by honest convictions Of duty. Here arc men
who have been earnest Republicans ever since the sC
dard Of "Free Soil, free speech, free mem was
tsoa h,, lincoln and Trumbull OF Illinois, schurz,
tben of Wisconsin, Chase Of your own State. sum
nor n, and Seward and Greeley OF New
York Abraham Lincoln, were lie aliVe Ooay' "ou'u
stand with those other leaders ASKING 'nat RECOMMENDATION
OF which the bos living representative Is horace uree
ley Here are men who followed the leadershpoi Doug
las or OF Breekinrdge Were the giant OF the North
West alive to-day, would join hands with Breckn-
ridge on enc side and with Greeley on the other rising
above partIsanshp as lie did in 1901 for the discharge
Of patriotic duty Here many known 10 me Us ]e"i
Ous opponents Of that system OF taxation WHICH ou'
the many TO enrich the few Their petitions grow muSty
in official pgeOnhOles because sectlonai aniIno'i'
fanned into fame whenever any practical reIorin ~
urged. Here many who have laoOred thuS laI Ia
vain for an honest reform Of the civil service and who
SEQ az Senator Trumbul does that the first
step in that direction is the election OF an honest
and capable President, pledged not to seek reeiec-
tion. Here mSny countrymcn by birth, as we All
are proud 10 be by adoption, Of the eloquent senator
Carl schurz, who have heard his appeals iof amnesty
and reconciliation secuted as the dreams OF pnlOso-
pher or denounced as the wiles Of demagogue What
common object brings you togetheri Under many
forms and many Names II is the earnest desire for
REFORM No matter what reform you have asked. you
have seen II stopped by the same solid wall OF party
despotism supported by enormous patronage uhscrupu
ousIy used and sectional hatred assduousy Increased
At last YOU have declared that the path to all reform
shall be blocked DO longer. You do not expect 10
achieve everything at Teach children to shoot
their arrows at the Practical men do not hope TO
bring the millennium by one act OF Congress or one cleo
tion But We have learned that the first step toward
any reform whatever to break down the barrier OF
personal government and party despOtism which sec
tOnal hatred maintains.
CONDITION OF THE SOUTH
The question which stands in the way Of all others con-
cerns the condition and government OF the southern
States Until that has been settled that patriotic men
sha cease any reaction reversal Of the settle
ments made by war. they Will never give serious atten
ton the foremost place TO other topics mat question
can be so settled only by amnesty and reconciliation
Because people this because they realize that
the restoration Of peace, good feeling and local SELF
government at South is itself the greatest and most
pressing of all reforms and the only path by which any
reform be reached, they have ABANDONED
dces upon the altar of patriotism, and in two great Con-
yentiOns with uannity, have resolved 10 support
and to elect President Horace Greeley the champion
OF amnesty Could the people of this State understand
fully the condition Of the Southern states, ana the enec
of that condition upon the action of the Government and
OF parties believe they would the Reform cause
largest majority ever given for any candidate Lev
first examine the condition OF those states ana le
working OF the policy thus far enforced by the Repub-
lican party in the light OF cold dlspasslonate uherns
facts drawn from the and other official reports
You know already that in nine OF these States, those
south OF Virginia. Tennessee ana MlssOurl tDe hepuo
which the great body taxpayers had small voice and
from which the men OF experience and culture were
measures have been adopted in order to sustain these
governments But do you know that IN these states
much OF tho property Will not produce enough 10 pay
the taxes levied By the rulers whom our bayonets ss
tani DO you know that hundreds of large estates are
looking i'm vain purchasers because nobody can az
ford to own them Do you know why immigration does
not go to the south why capital shrfks sd from ta u
still prevaili The facts will show.
RoBBERIEs or THE cARPEr-BAG GOVERNMENTS.
When we speak Of the debts of Southern States bear
in mind that all the Indebtedness incurred in aid OF Re
belion wac repudiated The people pay not dollar for
interest or principle OF any debt incurred during the
war The increase 1861 is wholly the result OF such
government has been upheld the under the
name and by the power Of the Republican party Hav
ing lost enormous invested from their earnings and
forever sunk in war bonds, people Frustrated in their
Industry have been burdened since the war closed, in
In 1861 North Carolina had debt OF $l2 6s92l5 Rob
bers, who obtained power by calling themselves Repub
LEANS have sweed debt TO s34ss 64 Acts passed
by shameless bribery bonds sold at 10 10 80 cents on the
collar; officials hastily decampng with the proceeds
state with nothing to show its increased debfOr
railroad companies were forced To compromise for
pittance OF the nominal value of the bondsthese
arc the outlines OF the picture. TIE Governor officially
says august ls7lD the people cannot bear the neces
and In some cases of even the necessares OF life" In
consequence the State had 650O0 acres OF improved
and the value of Improved farms was S43OOO ls6O
and in was only s7sOOOOOO, While real estate has
nearly half ITS value have risen from 40 cents
on the 800 to 81 80, or more than fourfold.
In 1861 south Carolina had debt OF Sil0795S. In 1871
the Governor admitted that there had been printed
$50 600 OF bonds and stocks. beside S5O0O OF ster
ling bonds-how many have been sold, or at what
figures knows But the local taxes 81 2OOO0O
In lsGJ and 81 IN 1870 an increase from cents 70
81 the $QO Is 1t strange that the area OF improved
acres Is IL strange that the value of farms in this
stricken State decreased from SlS9oooo to $5OOooOi
Think OF I'll loss or over twO-thrds OF the entire
value OF real estate. the debt increased sixOld, aud
taxes increased nearly the same Can any civilized com
munity look with fondneSs upon such government
Florida, In 1861, had debt OF s5iO6li Its DEBT IN lon
9I5S1-having increased fortyfod The state
averaged SO per annum before the war, but IN
1871 S4lIl According TO census reports the local
taxation increased from cents IN 1860 to 81 50 in the 500
in 1870 In August 1871, convention Of taxpayers de-
cared that after the actual cost Of production there
amount pay the taxes upon their propertyhus leav
without the means of support for their families
was sis 100000 in 1900 aud only $40 900 200 IN 1870
The debt OF Georgia s267O750 III 1861; how large it
was in 1871 no man knows. Bullock ana his felowrob-
bers fugves and years may eapse before the peO
pie know how large quantity Of bonds he carried of
with him The known liabilities about s20OO0OOO The
have increased from 10 cents to 81 the
enfold Is t strange that the number Of OF i'm
proved land has decreased fromis 1860 $780,
1870 and the value Of farms from Sl5 100000 to sg
0O0,0O0i
the debt Of Alabama in 1861 s795OOO In 1871 IL
6,769 97, and further indebtedness OF $6,O0OOOO
by Endorsement OF railroad bonds had been authorized
The taxes in 1860 SSlll and In 1870 they were
S992 The ratio or taxation increased from 2Oeents TO
IL the sO0ust tenfod again. In consequence, tho
OF improved farms decreased from 6,3S5OOO
1860 to 5000 iu 1870 and the value frOm ST50OOO