Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-04-27
COL. LEONARD SWEET on FHs
LIBERAL MOVEMENT
Resolusions Passed.


nation, We reproduce i. from the Chicago
Times for the consideration Of our readers
The speaker said he had attended the meet o
nR ~ one irrespective Of party and nationA .
Iy. He told the dsputation that waited !
npon him that no was willing TO join any Z
party that had for its view the publication
Of the naturalization Of the laws. He was ,
pleased 10 b. here 20 meet members OF all
parties present. What was the necessity
Of ali parties m setting, and why should they
hold msstings like the PRESENT. They oil
knew how msn Of party olune 10 their party
associations with great tenGcity, that In the
contest prejudiees wsrs excited that we're
hard 10 overcome. He believed that the
time had come when such prejudiOss should
be overcome, and he was very happy, 80 far
Is he could, 10 coutributs 10 the, result, and
bring together all parties 20 unite for one
oommon purpose fer . common reform:
lChsers.l What then was the object OF
joining togslhsr2 II was not OF should not
bo, for any personal Aggraudizsment' II
The object Of the formation Of - new party
was simply 70 beat Gen. Grant fer instance,
or 10 displses any one man, and 70 Put 10
his place another, IL was unvorthy OF the
effort 10 support il. Applause II they
had any other purpose worthy OF common
action, I, wn 10 enforce certain principles
which thsy considered vital to the prospsri-
" and growth Of our common country.
IOheers. What 10 the condition Of shings
that they haze before them, requiring DIFF
fsrsnI parties 10 unite together Jor oue com
mon parposs7 The history Of the war just
passed through was familiar to us all. The
war was fought not by the choice Of the
norIhern people, bat IN consequence OF the
necessity forced upon them. The south
conceived the idea Of making slavery ma
GonAl, and the north insisted on NJ least
restricting its growth, and elected Presi-
dent 70 carry out the ideas OF common liber
ty. The rebellion was inAuguratod, and the
war forced upon them. The war wss
fought with bitterness and zeal for four
years, and he did MOI deny, that all the con-
sequence Of il which necessarily fell upon
the southern people, were consciousness
which they brought upon themselves. Bot
IL in addition 10 the legitimate, necessity,
and essential consequences Of the war, the
administration had purposely or wantOnly
permitted the waste, and destruction Of the
southern people in times of peace subse-
qusnt 20 the time Of the war, that he held il
10 be wrong; and a. the south was really .
par, Of the Oouulry ii ought 10 be repealed
and rejected. Cheers.
Al the close Of the war we found sin
Eular state Of things. Four millions o.
bondsmsu we're suddenly set free, and were
soon enfrAuchissd. The former Gntago nism
between freedom aud slavery had ceased
Our attention should then have been given
entirely 10 reconstruction upon = humani
tartan and equitable basis. We did one
bat not the other. The slaves were enfran
chissd, bat the former freemen were dis
frauohissd. This was the great error oi
reconstruction. Liberty should have been
given TO ell. Instead of this the former
order WAS entirely reversed. he did MOI
oppose ths enfrAnchisement OF the slaves
but he could not cit quietly and see tbs
whitemAn enslAved. The effect Of placing
disabilities on the whites might have beef
forsseen, aud true stAtesmanship woulC
have averted il. II wac clear that th
ignorant blacks, suddenly placed in pows
from abjsct slavery, were unit 20 govern
The sifsoI was that oarpet-baRgers took nd
vantage Of the situAtion. They got contro
of the negro vote, aud had ever since lived
on the sweat Of the people. he blamed III
government for uphoding this system
the effect Of which was that the south hs
RN1S
than il did in the four years Of war. 81
did no, object to placing the blacks on 81
equal footing with the whites, but be di'
not want thsmto be above aud the whit
mao undsrneAth.
The speaker then cited some facts Ant
statistics. Congress had rsOsntlY appointed
COMMITTEES to INVESTIGATES the condition o
the south, foAnolAl aud social, aud the
had jusI made q report From that rspor
be gathered the following figures:
The indebtedness of Alabama in MAJ
1865, was 1921, ls6 As /; IN 1868, 81 ,904
1896 %. Ga the last state 70 port includ mi
subsidies, expended and provided BY Law,
was S3S, 1871 ,967.37 This Was an inoreas
Of the state debt and liabilities since III
war closed Of S32 100 57O45. AlAbam
was admitted into the Union in 1919. Be
tween that time and 1865 was q period q
40 years. Thus the property holding olasse
mAnagsd their state government for !
years and Accumulated q debt Of ouly Abou
$4,000 900, bat the carpet pAggerS have At
d,d more than $50 100000 10 less tbA
seven years.
10 1868 Arkauaas owed 81 9l5 55l.l !!
Nov the state debt and liabilities AmOu1ts
TO Sl976l.2 65 So. The increase Of III
state dsbt IN four years was $l6,799 Ola 4;
aud the Increase each year, - 1873 1853 81
That vas the dsbts and tAoilitIss OF tnt
state have increased each year for the las
four years ~ mach Gs the whole debt befor
that time. Az one OF the items Of 10
dressed expense, was the fact that Wherea
the expenses OF Ihs state Legislature frou
1864 TO 1866 we're ouly SCI 900.30, fror
1868 to 1870 they wsrs $3l7 2l9 So.
l. ...,. r ~ Al - IQE
was $523 ,Sj6 %; the dsot and Liabilities $
the present time are IS .237 .730.s4. OF thi
amount 81, 000. 900 vas tor railroad su 5sid
bot the bonds have been delivered and th
state has obtained only 10 miles of road
bed aud ten miles Of iron, and several la
suits to show for them. Besides the abov'
AddiIionAl railroad liabilities exist amour
log 10 $40 $50, 900 SO that rs the resu
OF -four years Of cArpet.bSg rule in thi
state there was an inoisase OF The publ
dsbg and liabilities from about $500 900 I
more than $4,000 900. Considering tbs
Florida was q small state aud might haV
been some ~hAf overlooked, these figure
showed wonderful energy in felonious lint
Laughter and cheers.
Toe ordinary STATE expenses Of the stat
Of Georgia from 1857 to 1860. inclusive
we're Only flsotDfO%o %. HIoW Aouof ~
t-o aud one.haf years, they we're 81 ia
576.bS The indebted ness OF this state
1869 vas 1864 $50; the present debt an
liability was $50, 1877 500; the increase sine
1869 being $l3 $50, 050 or the increas
each year, 81 527 6s3 80. Besides bill
have been passed plad1ing the state 10 =
indsbIsd ness Of $50 100000 more. TIL
state treasurer, 10 his testimony before ih
congregational committee, says, much bein
for railroad subsidy that the bonds wer
delivered "befors a mile Of road was cou
pleIsd or the frst cent Of subscription pait
II this reoklessness and waste are nc
speedily stopped the state will soon
absorbed, aud the toiling farmers, Wit
What little they can gather up. will be fore
ed 20 flee from their homes for safety fror
the INKgathersrs"
Louisiaoa was the state Of the WArmoth
aud Anu-Warmoths. Somsiimes one ~
was In aud l..