Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-06-14
we will make thee ruler over many
! Loud cheers, amid which General Logan


Mr.. Spencer, at the instance of the New
York delegation, called upon their oldest
and most venerable member to speak fol
them to the Convention. He referred tc
the Hon. Gerrit Smith. [Great applause
and calls for Smith Music, "Hail to the
Chief" as Mr.. Smith proceeded to the
platform. The chairman presented him
amid cheers. He said the time bad nearly
come again when the American people
were to choose their President. Who shall
! it be? Voices Grant think agree
with you, because Grant is the saviour OF
his country, and has blessed it in peace.
He referred to Grants memorable ser
vices when the nation almost despaired Of
success in the war, and stated his persist
ent policy, which achieved a final victory
and the surrender of the rebels. Grant
had blessed the country, and now We want
to give him time to finish the work by
crushing the ku-Klux and saving the ne
gro. Having proved good President
once, he will make a good one for a sec
ond term, just as Lincoln, the second saw
our of the country, had been reelected, anC
so will be Grant, the third saviour of the
country. He told how signally had failed
all efforts to show him corrupt in anything
lie may have made some mistakes, but he
is honest, true and pure. We want Grant
four years longer, until the anti-Slavery
battle shall have been entirely fought out
He is doing well, and we need him unit
we reach the final triumph in the great
struggle. [Cheers.l
SENATOR MORTON Defends THE PRESI-
DENT AND THE KU-KLUX LAW.
Cries for Senator Morton were made
He came forward and took a seat on the
front of the stage. On being introduced
to the audience he was cheered.
lie said that he saw evidence here OF
victory in November. The enthusiasm
here was not manufactured, it was spon-
taneous. The republican party has the
great mission Of taking care of the inter
estS OF this country. 1t IS not a worship
per Of men. 1t holds fast 20 principles, not
men. We only do honor 20 the pioneers
of republican principles only so long as they
are true TO the cause. When q pioneer
falls he falls further than any one else
Some claim the paternity of our party, and
therefore they have right to kill it just as
certain anCientS used to claim the right to
kill their own offspring. daughter and
cries of Greeley Now we deny the pater-
nifty, but if we were to admit it we should
deny their murderous conclusions. CCheers1
He urged that the duty of the Republican
party was to improve the credit and finances
of the country. We shall bring the cur
rency up to the highest standard by further
faithful and iudiciOus administration and i
gradual reduction of the public debt. The
platform Of the Republican party is to be
found in its history for the past ten years.
and the acts OF this administ ration
| [Chee1s.1 Still our work is unfinished
The fourteenth and fifteenth amendments
must be so established that they shall be
recognized by all parties without question.
| We must estaoli fully the rights of col
| Ored men i'll this country so that they shall
be conceded by all parties, and the color ed
men shall have the full enjoyment Of all
their civil as we'll us political rights. T [Ap-
plause.l Until then our mission will not
be done. 1t will not be finished so long as
the ku-kiux organization exists. Zap
plause.l That organization will spring
! into life again unless we have the proper
legislation administered by a bold, strong
government, to protect our fellow citizens
absolutely, [apilause, just as we insist
| upon the protection of the lives and liberty
of American citizens in foreign lands
| Shah it be said that we insist on their pro-
lection in every land save our own? TAp-
| plauSe, and cries Of "No, nO,'1 Mr.. Morton
proceeded to vindicate the Ku klux law
He claimed that the President had exc
cuted and not abused it, and that it had
effected q greater amount Of good in the
least space of time than any law ever enact
ed. We only want honest fair elections,
that all men of all parties and :reeds may
have unrestricted enjoyment of political
| rights, and the ku kluX law looks to the
securement of that also. He eulOgized tie
republican party as the one which had
saved the country in the past, and by
which it must be preserved i'll the future.
! Break it down, and what security have you
that any other will carry out and complete
/ its work. Sometimes a great light is eX
/ tinguished-some one whom we have trust
N1 1-aIl IlS hNyt -11,t Oh ,nt
ralter or pause. The principle of the party
are greater than any-aye, of all of its
! leaders. Cheers. 1t is said that Presi-
! dent Grant has committed errors. admit
! it, and we say that his errors have been
! trivial, and any man who thinks that for
! that or auy other reason he can break up
! the republican party, commits great blum
! der. Laughter and cheers.) The man
that tres this will utterly fail, and will pass
away unnOticed and forgotten. Stand fast
by your principles. You will, tomorrow,
nominate General Grant. He has told you
that he had no policy save the will OF the
people. He has redeemed that pledge
| ICheers.l The general judgment is better
than the opinion of any one man, and the
Executive who follows the general .judg
ment will be the Wisest, aud will best sub
serve the public interests. If Gen. Grant
ever becomes rccreant to the republican
principles, he will pass away under public
condemnation just as others have passed
away who became recreant and unworthy
of trust.
EX-GOVERNOR ORR, OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
A delegate from South Corolina expressed
the qualification with which he had heard
Gerritt Smith, and nowasked that the South
be heard through Ex-Governor Orr, of South
Carolina.
Governor Orr took the platform and
pledged his State for the ticket. He referred
TO the ISLANDERS to which President Graut
had been subjected, and compa. ed his eN-
perience i'll this respect with that of Wash
ington and jackson, and eulogized the
President, whose reelection he considered
a necessity. If Grant had failed as Presi-
dent, he <the speaker) liked such failures.
lie claimed the administration was sue
cess at bone and abroad, ailated at some
length OIL the operations of Ku Kluxism in
South Carolina, sustained the Ku kluX leg
islation, and claimed that the laws had
been fairly and firmly executed.
President Grant, he said, did not act un-
til the Legislature Of South Carolina pass
ed resolutions calling upon him to send
the forces of the United States government
there to give them protection. With refer
ence to this ku KluX law, President Grant
has to execute the law. 1t was in the
statute book and he was called upon to eX-
ecute it by that tribunal which had the
right to call upon him. lie didn't pass the
law. How did it come to be passed Was
it not in the thunders of the New York
Tribune day after day and week after
week, rung into the ears Of Congress de
manding that they should pass some such
law to give protection to them, and now
x,-bop tho low iS naSSad and has hea0 pyo-