American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-04-27
VOL. XIII.
The Liberal Republican Mass Meeting
in New York City-SenatOr Trum-
bulls Speech.

NEW YORK, April IL.
The great meeting held here tonight t
advocate the Liberal Republican polio
!. of the approaching Cincinnati CONVEX
ton, was one of the largest in numbers
and most imposing in composition, eve
held in this city. An hour before tn
commencement of the meeting Coope
Institute was thronged to its utmost ca
pacity. Thousands clamored in vain 70
admission, and failing to find it, RENAME,
for hours outside the building. Ever
seat was occupied, and the aisles from tn
platform upwards were densely crowded
The audience was an eminently respecta
BILE and representative one. The platform
was literally packed with men prominen
in political and social circles in New
York. Among them were Horace Gree
ley, Sinclair Tousey, Moses II. Grinnell
Hiram Barney, Marshall o. Roberts
George Wilkes, Frank Leslie, John A
Dix, and large number of other promi
nent men.
Colonel Frederick Conkling was elected
President of the meeting, and severa
Vice Presidents and Secretaries were
chosen.
A declaration of principles was adopted
to the effect that the political action Of
individuals and conventions should bt
left free from the influence of politica
patronage; that business men should not
under fear of unjust official interference
with their affairs, be compelled to pay
tribute for political purposes; that public
| offices are, or should be, created for the
public convenience and not as awards for
| partisan services, nor for personal ag-
grandiZement; that the acts of the officials
! should be confined within the strict letter
of the laws creating such officials; that
the success of republican principles is of
paramount importance to the country,
and that the success of those principles
in the approaching national election does
not depend on any one individual; that
| the prosperity of the country demands a
thorough, radical, and immediate reform
| in all departments of the public service,
| civil, military, and naval, and that the
one-term principle for the Presidents Of
flee will conduce more to that end than
any other measure.
The meeting was addressed by Senators
Lyman Trumbull and Carl Schurz. After
few Introductory remarks, Mr.. Trum-
bull said:
The war closed, the armies were disbanded,
and slavery forever prohibited by Constitu-
tional amendment. Then equal rights for all
were established throughout the land, and
provision made for the debt incurred in the
maintenance Of the Union, and that the pay
ment of bounties and pensions of soldiers
should be forever sacred, and that the debt
of the rebels and payment for slaves should
never be made. Since then provision has
been made by which the debt incurred is in
gradual course of extinction. To-day all the
States are restored to their former relations
in the Union, and what more is there to dis
turb the happiness and peace of the people?
There are several causes for the dissatisfac
tion of the people, which 1 can only briefly
allude to on this present occasion, and shall
not touch upon many which ought to be dis
cussed before the people at large. But one
cause OF complaint which produces aliena-
ton in the late insurrectionary States, and
keeps alive the hates and animOsities engen
dered by the war, is the continuance of po-
litical disabilities after the occasion for them
has passed away. In consequence of this
continuance, the Government in the late in
surrectionary States has fallen into the hands
of inexperienced, and, in many cases, cor
rupt, Adventures, who plundered the people
of these States scarcely less than you, in the
city of New York, have been plundered by
your former City Government. Applause.
Why are these disabilities not discontinued?
Why are they not removed and the people
enfranchised? / think there are two causes,
and two alone, which prevent it-one mer-
cenary and the other political. Applause.
The mercenary one is, that these Adventures
should exclude from office in these States
former leading men that reside there,
of large experience and capacity, and
although they were traitors during the war,
they were lot thieves nor plunderers. Loud
cheers Their exclusion has thrown these
governments into the hands of men who
have used their power to plumber the people
over whom they rule, and the debts of South
ern States have been swollen in some in
stances twenty fold from what they were be-
fore the war began, and they don't even have
what you had in the city of New York to
show for the money expended. Another
reason for the continuance of these political |
disabilities is, as l said, of a partisan char |
acter. The men in power use political disa |
aG ifaI w tn
trade. To illustrate what mean, will re- |
fer to what took place in the State of Geor- |
gia few years ago when a man named Bull |
lock was Governor. When the Legislature |
of that State was about to be organized, it |
was understood that certain persons had |
been elected who were laboring under polit- |
zeal disabilities. They were given to under
stand that those of them who would sustain
the Governor could have their political dis
abilities removed, and those who would not |
could not take seats in the Legislature, and |
the result was that the political disabilities
were removed from such acted with the
Governor, and the Others were excluded, |
and the result was that he got control of |
that Legislature, and succeeded in fastening
upon the State n debt, the discovery of |
which caused him to flee from the State, and |
escape the punishment which would have |
followed the frauds committed. So it is with |
of Congress elected from Southern |
States. They promised to remove political |
disabilities from adherents, and they are !
y
gain favor. Three cheers were here hearth |
ly given for Horace Greeley, who was espied |
on the platform. Senator Trumbull contin- |
ued am glad to hear such cheers in honor |
of the first champion, / believe, in the coun- |
try, and he proclaimed it boldly, of Universal |
Renewed cheers. The one great |
then, which is demanded in the |
name of honesty, in the name of peace and |
the country's best interest, is the passage of |
a general bill removing political disabilities. |
tGreat cheers.1 Another cause of complaint |
among the people is the way in which the |
as if it was so much money-tO carry cleo
tons, not in the interest of the party, even
it does not rise to SO high dignity-but in the |
interest of a faction of party. lGreat APP |
the city of New York, for it has recently |
teen disclosed by an Investigating Commit
tee which sat in this city, that your Custom
House is here filled with men who, instead |
Of having received their appointment in con
of their fidelity, their ability, and |
heir offices for the best interests of their
are appointed because of the infu-
ence 1t is supposed they can exert at some
primary election or State Convention, in
,eaching your people whom to vote for at
he polls. Laughter.
This Civil Service system Of ours is the pa
-ent of many, very many, evils ! cannot
stop to night to point them out The officers
n many localities are taxed a portion Of
heir salaries for party purposes, and if they
10 not perform the political duty required
If them they very soon removed, and 9th
RS substituted who will be active in poll
les.
Passing from this question of the Civil |
service system, which would occupy an hour
% discuss properly before you, / come to
mother measure which should create alarm
throughout the country. ] aIlude particu-
.t.lt