Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-10-30
THE lSSUES Oh THE CAMP lIGN
DR.. Greeley Impeached from
His Own Record.
What the Republican Farty has
Accomplished.
Eloquent Speech of Hon.
James G.. Blaine.

An immense!meeting was held in the
Academy OF Music, Milwaukee, on the
evening of October 18th, which was
addressed by aon. James G. Blaine, of
Maine, speaker of the United States
House of Representatives, III the fol-
loving eloquent manner:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN, LADIES' AND GENTLEMEN
If it would not be offensive to any of the sup
porters of the late Nj. Greeley who may hap
pen to be in this crowd to make any refer
tnce to the late war, | would venture to ask
you. what at this day, seven years after the
war has closed we have got to point to as the
results of that long and sanguinary struggle +?
I know that
THE OPPOSITION TO GEN. GRANT
in this campaign deprecate the slightest ref
erence to that unpleasant topic, but at the
risk Of somewhat wounding their tender sem
sibilitles, beg again to ask you what, now, at
the end of seven wears after a hostile gun has
been fired, we have got to point to as the
great results Of that struggle? The ply ysical
union of the states Was maintained; the rebel
armies conquered and dispersed. That much
we know. That is of the past: but, what in
our pollcv, IN our history, what when the great
results are to be pointed out have we to show?
! think you will find, my friends, that so far
as our institutions are to be affected, so far as
the current history OF the country is directed,
and SO far as the future is to be shaped bv
what took place in that war, you will point to
THREE GREAT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
as the results thereof. And it has been the
singular fortune of the generation to which we
belong to have been enabled to amend the
constitution of the United States in three im-
portant respects. Prior to this generation
neither your fathers, nor your grandfathers,
nor indeed the great grandfatherS OF the
Younger portion Of this assembly had Witness
ed any change whatever IN the constitution of
the United States. When it was originally
adopted in 1889, and the government went into
operation, Jefferson was absent in Europe,
representing this country at the court of
France. He returned 10 take part in the first
administration OF Gen. Washiug gton, and on
his suggestion the state of Virginia proposed
eleven amendments to the constitution of he
United States. They were adopted, and were
incorporated IN the federal constitution by
what IN that day was known as the constitu-
tional bill of rights. In 1900, eight years after
these amendments were adopted,
VERY SEVERE STRUGGLE FOR The PRESIDENCY
enSuei. in the first place between Jefferson
and John Adams before the people, aud ulti-
uErety n rha House of Representatives be-
tween Aaron Burr snd Jefferson. That strug-
gls gave rise 10 smother amendment, which
c1suged the mode in which the electors of
President and Vice President voted for those
officers That amendment was conSummated
aud perfected in 1902 and from that day down
10 the administration of Abraham Lincoln the
Constitution OF the United States remained
unchanged and untouched.
During Mr.. Lincoln's administration,
THE THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT
was added, with which you are all familiar
\ the amendment which abol shed slavery
/ throughout the length aad breadth of the
4! land, and which, borrowing the language OF
/ Lord Mansfield, delivered IN England more
/ than two years before, made it forever impos-
sible that 4 slave could breai he the air of the
United States and i've. Cne rs.
But it was soon found, in the country, and
in the Congress representing the country,
that the mere fact of declaring man not to
be slave did not constitute him ! freeman,
IN other words, removing the shackles OF
I slavery did not clothe man with power of
defending himself in his rights freeman,
and the Difficult les which had been existing
TOR more than two score years. in reference 10
citizenship IN this country, as unchanged by
the thirteeth amendment, and existed when
the war closed az much as when the war be-
gan.
Let me explain myself.
IN THE OLD CONSTITUTION,
/ before these amendments were passed, these
words we're written 1.-THE citizen Of each
state shall be entrusted with the privileges
(
! states'
Now the meaning'of that is very plain to
you and to me. Phe meaning Of that is that
l. a citizen of Maine, if [ choose to come to
4 Wisconsin and settle, would be emitted to al
+ the privileges and immunities which you, as citi-
zens Of Wisconsin, enjoy. Itmeans that between
Maine and Wisconsin, between the 81 ates an
/ cieutIy known as the United States, this provi.
sion of the constitution had full force and effect
But the moment you made change south
/ ward below cei tain line, these letters Of the
/ constitution were lifeless and dead.
/ Now take my own state, where we are con.
stantly
ENGAGED IL SAYIGATION.
/ A large number Of colored men were sail
orr. A ship would sail from Maine to Charles
ton for cotton. Among the crew there would
be two or three cOlOrea men. AS soon as the
ship landed IN Charleston harbor, the cOlored
men would be seized and put into prison and
detained there as iolg as the ship remained III
port. The snip Obliged to pay tor then
maintenance. If the snIp sailed away and die
. not pay the cost Of their maintenance they
were liable to be
SOLD INTO HELPLESS SLAVERY,
in order TO pay the expenses of their mainten
snce. But if a Brit sh ship arrived in the same
port with full crew of colored men, these
men we're made Just as safe in Charleston q,
YOU were in Chicago. And thus the CALLING
discrimination made, that British flag
could protect personal rights III an American
port better than an American flag could
[Cheers.l
i This case operated SO long that the state O
Massachusetts, undertook to carry it to
LEGAL ARBITRAMENT, - ~
and sent to South Carolina an agent on behal
of that state. to bring the case before th,
courts aud the older portion OF this assembly
will probably remember that the gentleman
who went on that mission was the venerable
Samuel Hoar He was driven from Charleston
/ by a mob, and barely escaped with his life.
Thus it was
I WHEN THE WAR BEGAN;
thus il was when the war closed. There wa
no common standard Of citizenship. In th
whole United States | repeat, there was III
! common standard of citizenship. The dlti
Guilty all rested on this that South CarOlini
and Louisiana, and Alabama, declared tina
tnev would never consent that Maine and Hi
nois should determine for them the question
US citizenship and that the very fact tha
Maine and Illinois would admit man to cIti
zens.np did not make it Imperative upol
South Carolina and Louisiana, or aa,v othe
southern state to recognize that citizenship
Therefore you see, that when this war clos ed
after the Thirteenth amendment was adopted
the whole United States, which had been il
the Union for eighty years, we're baptise
anew in a sea OF blood, had not within it
IehSln anu Dreduln common slaHuhru U
American citizenship.
Now am not going to present to you form
ally what is commonly called i'll the choic
phrase of the Democracy,
THE NIaGER QUESTION
l am going to present to you the question c
C tIzenShp-a question which is broader thai
that OF any race and that which pertains to tn
American citizen regardless of race, and re
gardess of birth place. The Republican par
~, seeing this trouble, seeing what trouble j
had gwen II e to IN the past, and what create
: trouble 1t might brew in the future. determ
+ med o add another amendment to the copst
tuition and therefore they proposed to SUI
init TO the people
THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT
, to the Constitution of the United States. And
u gentlemen, beg you to reflect that the fou1
ders OF our government purposely made