The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-09-25
SENATOR TRURMANS SPEECH al
TIFFLIN, OHIO REASONS WHY
A DEMOCRAT SHOULD SUP
PORT GREELEY.

A large and enthusiastic Greeley
and Brown meeting at Tiflin, Ohio
was addressed by Senator schur'
and Trumbull, Liberal Republicans
and by Senator Thurman, the dis
tinguished Democratic leader OF tina
State. The speech Of the latter il
especially noteworthy as giving sat
isfactory and conclusive reasons why
a lifelong Democrat may wlthou
any abandonment Of principle sup
port Horace Greeley.
r. The Senator states at the outsc
that Greeley was not his choice to-
the Presidency, aud that he preferred
d strait Democratic ticket and
Square fight, but that he was over
ruled by the people-by the will Of {
large majority of the Democratic par
ty. This he thinks it is idle to deny
The people believed that strict Dem
ocrat could not be elected, and be
tween the two preferred Greeley to
Grant. In this preference the Sena
tor concurs, and gives in his ad
hesion to the former, unless such &C
tion involve an abandonment OF
principle, OF be tantamount to an en-
dorsement of Greeley's past record
The Senator shows conclusively, we
think, that it does lot Our points OF
difference with Greeley were chiefly
upon dead issues which we trust are
buried forever. He was On abolition
list, but slavery has been abolished for
ever; he has been the earnest advo-
cate of the various constitutional
amendments, but whatever differences
of opinion may have existed, as to
their policy, and the legality of the
means by which their adoption was
secured, yet they have been adopted
and are recognized as parts of the
constitution by every department OF
the Government. Again we differed
as to reconstruction, yet the re-
construction acts have been executed,
and no one now thinks Of overturn-
ing the State Governments which
hav, been constituted under them.
These are the dead issues which in
the past have constituted the chief
points of our difference with Greeley.
Upcn living present issues we are
fully in accord with hinl-perfect re-
'conciliation between the North and
the South-the one-tcrm principle in
relation to the Prcsidency-military
and civil service rcform-opposition
to ncpotism and fa1oritlsm-the su-
premacy Of the civil authority over
the military, and Of local self-govcrn-
ment over Capitalization. Now can
We as sensible and practical men de-
cline to support one who is pledged to
carry out these great principles, be-
cause we cannot get oil we ask, and
have a straight out Democratic Pres
idcnt? We do not put our support
of Greeley upon the ground of choos-
ing the least of two evils. The most
that could be said is, that y Demo
cratic Adrninistration would be pref
cradle; but Greeley if elected would
make fair upright, and intelligent
President, and his administration
would be bencfcent and useful. On
the contrary, to vote for Grant, is to
aid in pcrpetuating a faction, (which
sets all constitutional limitations at
defiance, overthrows the most sacred
safeguards of liberty, puts the mill
'tary above the civil power, lends all
its influence to uphold the infamous
rulers who maltreat, plumber, and
impoverish the South; seeks to main
tain its ascendency by keeping ever
alive the animosities Of the war, and
uses the bayonct and the patronage Of
the Government to control conven-
lions and carry elections"
Men at the North blinded by pas
sion and prejudice may cry out eff
the South does suffer, let her suffer,
she deserves it." and may hence sus-
tain the policy which Expresses us;
but that any true friend of the South
can hesitate q moment is passing
strange. Read what we havo suffer
ed.
aJust think of it. So impoverish-
ed are these Southern States that the
incomes of the people of a single
county in Ohio exceed those of tho
whole people Of fyo States; Official
documents show that the value of the
real estate of the South has deprecia-
ted more than one-half, while the 10
cal taxes have been increased more
than l50 per cent. beyond what they
were in 1860. Then there is the ap-
palina fact that the debts of the
reconstructed States have been in
creased since the close of the war
more than s2no oo9,0oo and that