New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-06-06

appointments lucy nave Iaticu, anu ne mas
come out triumphant. Now, finally, we
must have Grant few years longer in the
Presidency, because the anti-slayery battle
Is not yet fought out.
care very little for dollars and cents; / dc
care for human rights. That battle will not
be fought out so long as single man in this
land is deprived of one single right on the
ground of his color, Applause, ] and cannot
but feel whenever see in the proceedings OF
Congress the defeat of an anti-Ku-klux bill
or the defeat of a civil rights bill, that here
are steps towards the revival of American
slavery. Grant is doing well, and is crush
ing out Ku-kluXsm. We want him to con-
tlnue the leadership a little longer until the
final and complete triumph Of our cause.
The calls for Morton being persistently re-
newed, that gentleman came forward and
was introduced to the audience, and being
unable, from physical intirmity, to stand,
seated himself in chair in front of the plat
form. He said:
In the enthusiasm which prevails here to-
day l see unmistakable evidence of victory.
This enthusiasm is not manufactured; it is
spontaneous. 1t comes from the hearts of
the audience here to-day representing the
great masses of the people of the United
States. [Applause.] You represent the
Republican party, and that party has a great
mission to perform, and that mission is no
less than taking care of this country. To
that party the interests of this great nation
mnst be committed in the future as they have
been preserved and fostered in the past.
The Republican party is not wOrshiper
OF men. We hold by the pioneers of Repub-
lican principles. We do them all honor, but
only so long rs they remain faithful to those
principles. (Applause.l When pioneer
falls, he falls farther than any one else
lCries of "Good!" and applause Among
several other nations Of antiquity the idea
prevails that a father had right to kill his
own offspring, and some men have recently
claimed that they were the fathers of the Re-
publican party, and they claim the right on
that account to kill it. Laughter and APP
paternity. lApplause.l But if we admitted
the paternity we should deny the right to kill
What are the things the Republican party yet
have to do?
We know that it has been dinned in our
ears for two or three years past that our mis-
sion was performed. Whenever a man has
been beaten for the nomination of Congress,
he has generally come to the conclusion that
the mission of the Republican party was at an
end, and we ought to form new party. If
he has been turned out of Office for malfeas-
ance, or if he has failed to get into office, he
would conclude that the duties of the Repub-
lican party were at an end, and that new
organization ought to be formed. Applause
l ask you to-day? What are the duties before
us? First, in regard to those duties which
concern the Administration, it is the duty of
the Republican party to perfect our national
financial system, lcheers j gradually, but
surcly-nOt by violence or spasmodiC Efforts
to bring our national currency to par.
We are certainly and safely approaching
that point. We do not propose to accomplish
it by violent theories, but by using the natural
causes which are now at work. We shall
place the credit of the nation upon higher
basis than it ever occupied before--upon
higher basis than that occupied by that of
any other nation. [Applause.l We shall do
that by faithfully performing all our promises.
by keeping our contracts in the spirit and the
letter, and by the gradual but certain reduc-
ton of the public debt. [Cheers.] While we
shall carry out to the letter the present policy
we have on hand, we shall have nothing new
on the subject. l may say in regard to plat
forms it is scarcely necessary for this conven-
ton to adopt one. The platform of the
Republican party is found in its history for
the last ten years, and it is to be found in the
policy of the present Administration. [Great
applause
II Is W carry out ana 10 cOllSecfatc the re-
forms upon which this Administration has al
ready entered. lChecrs.l But our work is
not done in regard to those great measures
which have grown out Of the war. 1t is for
the Republican party to establish the four
teenth and fifteenth amendments, lcheers 4
to establish them in the Constitution beyond
peradventure, that they shall be recognized
by all parties that there shall no longer be
any considerable party in the country that
shall dare question the legality or validity of
these amendments. Applause 1t is for
the Republican party to establish fully the
rights of the colored men of this country.
[ Applause.]
Our work will not be done until there shall
be an equal protection under the law eX-
tended to men of every race and color, and of
all men of all political views in every part of
the United States. Applause.
The mission of the Republican party will
not be performed so long as there shall re-
main a Ku-klux organization in any State of
this Union, lapplause,l for that organization
but sleeps in some OF the States. 1t will
awake to active, terrible life, shortly before
the Presidential election, if there shall not
be proper legislation, and if there shall not be
bold, firm administration of the Government
to guarantee protection to all. [Cheers.]
Our Government protects the rights of the
Aneric;l1 citlZen everywhere, III every fOrelgn
country. If half dozen Americans were
murdered in London or Havana, by a mob.
we should demand the prompt punishment of
the mllrderers. 1t would be "a cause of ma
tiOnal offense, and the Government of Eng
land or Spain would use every exertion to
bring the murderers to punishment. A MUIR
der Of an American citizen in foreign land
requires the immediate notice of the Govern
ment, and that life must be indicated if needs
be by the whole power of the nation. Shall
it then be said that the Government has the
power and the right to protect American citi-
zens in every country but our own? [Cheers.
hold that when any State fails, refuses, or
from any cause is unable to secure to her
citizens an equal protection of the laws, Sc
curity for life. liberty, and property, | hold
that it is within the power, and the absolute
and solemn duty of the Government of the
United States to extend protection in such
cases. lApplause.l
In passing what was called the Ku-klux
law we did not intend to place arbitrary pow
err in the hands of the President of the United
States, to be exercised by caprice, Or for sell
fish or partisan purposes. That power was
placed there for the purpose of protecting or
enabling him to protect the lives, liberty, and
property OF hundreds and thousands and even
of millions people in some of the Southern
States, when the State governments had been
unable or had failed to grant such protection.