New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-03
THE rOErriCa. ssfsrsszOy.
A SPEECH DELIVERED BY HON JOHN
F. QUARLES. AT ATLANTA, GEORGIA
AUGUST %. 1872

A SPEECH DELIVERED BY HON. JOIN
f. QUARLES, AT ATLANTA, GEORGIA
AUGUST %, 1872
Mr.. Chairman and fcl'ow-citizeus:
There are times in the history of ever,
people when in the discussion of public ques
lions, patriotism demands of those who cate
the political arena that they rise above ever,
consideration Of party and from the loft,
heights Of craftsmanship, examine eacl
question at issue by the light of reason an,
truth.
With a Just sense, / trust, of the salaml
responsibilities of the hour, | come in til,
spirit Of patriotism, rather than that of party
to advise with YOU as to what is for the in
tcrest of our State andof the whole country
If L shall be found advocating one set o.
principles in opposition to another, it will be
because / believe that those principles will
best subserye the interest of the country and
preserve the liberties OF the people. If
shall be found advocating the claims of one
party as against another, it will be because !
believe that party to be the better exponent
of the principles to which | have alluded
and a safe custodian of our Republican insti.
buttons. Ii | shall be found advocating the
claims OF one set of candidates in preference
to another, it viii be because those .cantli-
dates more fully represent the ideas which
underlie our free Institutions, and are better
calculated to guide the destinies of the Re-
public. Ia this spirit l appeal to YOU, citi-
zens of Georgia, to join with me in examn-
ing the political questions Of the day.
! We are not here to discuss the issues of the
war; for all parties in this country agree that
these have been settled forever. We are
not here to discuss the reconstruction meas
ures, for all classes agree that the results OF
| tbpCn mo
here to discuss the legality of the recent
amendments to the Constitution, for there
are few men in this country who would care
to see these dangerous and intricate questions
again thrown as fuel amid the flames Of po-
| litical discussion.
| THEQ QUESTION STATED.
These things being settled, and both par
ties being agreed as to principles, our poIiti-
cal problem reduces to this Shall there be
a change i'll the Administration Or in other
words, are there any reasons why the Ameri-
can people should prefer the nominees Of the
Cincinnati, rather than those of the Phila-
delpha Convention / repeat the question
Why should the people of this country. and
especially why should the people of the South
prefer Mr.. Greeley to General Grant:
MIR. HILLS "EEAsoNs."
Some weeks since distinguished gentleman
delivered an able and elegant address in this
city, in support of Mr.. Greeley. OF this CEN
teman ii may be truly said that for power of
intellect and beauty of dlctiOn, he has no
| equal i'll this State, and few superiors in the
country. AS he addressed himself princi-
pally to the reasons why the Southern people
should support the platform and candidates
OF the Cincinnati Convention, it will be we'll
n notice some Of those reocops
"TIIE AMERICAN THEORY"
Mr.. Hill opened his brilliant Grafton by
declaring that "there are wise men in the
nation, and many of them who believe that
upon the results of the pending canvass for
President, the whole continuance of the
original theory of American government de-
pends.' 1t is difficult to understand ire
cisely what is meant by this "theory of
American government" Very early in the
history of the Republic, or coeval, / should
rather say with its formation, two theories
of government obtained in the politics of
this country. The one was formulated in
that master exposition of constitutional gov
eminent by Hamilton the other was sum
med up in that famous document known as
the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.
The champions OF these respective theories
contended for the mastery on many a forcn-
sic battlefield, until the champions of the
theory embodied in those famous resolutions
struck a blow at the life of the nation. Then
the American people rose in their might and
| crushed the hydra-headed monster of State
sovereignty and secession; they hurled il
down to perdition, saying, " Down, down to
hell, and say we sent thee thither.n Yes.
this theory has been buried in that "bloody
chasm" overwhich Mr.. Hill and Mr.. Greeley
now propose to clasp hands. We have bui
one theory of government and that is the
supremacy Of the General Government, and
the equalit} t the States. And no party in
this country questions that theory.
Observation-Disclosures.
Mr.. Hill declares that Mr.. Greeley never
has at any time approved of those odious
features of the reconstruction policy which
DISTINGUISHED the virtue and intelligence of
the South, and entrancished the ignorance
and vice Of the South. This declaration is
calculated to deceive. When Mr.. Hill as
serts that the reconstruction measures dis
franchised the virtue and intelligence OF the
South, | have to say that he makes an I'M
just reflection upon the many noble men who
| were not DISTINGUISHED and who took part in
reconstruction. And that mputation falls
alike upon Democrats and Republicans. And
when Mr.. Hill asserts, as the concluding
| sentence implies, that all the vice and ignO-
rance in the South is to be found in the race
lately eniranchised, he makes an assertion
he knows was not true, and such as no can
did man would have made.
| The fact is the fourteenth amendment, and
not the reconstruction measures, disfran-
chised the Southern leaders, and if Mr.. Gree
| ley offered any opposition to that amend
ment, it was very feeble indeed. And so
| far as the reconstruction measure are con-
cerned, assert and defy successful contra
diction, that there is not a single feature in
them which Mr.. Greeley did not advocate
with all the vehemence of his nature.
AMNESTY.
Another reason given why the South
should support the Cincinnati nominee is,
| that the Cincinnati movement compelled the
Republicans in Congress to pass the recent
amnesty bill.
Nov this statement is wholly false. The
passage of this bill was simply carving into
effect The plan laid down at the commence
ment of the session, and the Cincinnati
movement had no more to do with it than it
had to do with the passage of the reputation
bills of the present Legislature, by which our
Democratic friends managed to destroy the
credit of the State.
| 1t will be remembered that President
Grant in his annual message in December,