New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-07-18
SPEECH OF
HON. GERRIT SMITH.
TO HIS NEIGHBoRs,
In Peterboro, N. Y, June %, 1872.

Inc democratic party is my dread. TIL,
Republican party is my hope. What is this
party of which L am so much afraid? | ueef
not say that 1t is not the original Democratic
party-the party of my childhood and youth
mat was worthy party-a party for human
rights and human equality. 1t was the re.
form party OF its day. 1t favored universal
Suffrage and the abolition of imprisonment
1or debt, and many other benefcent changes
But this modern Democratic party-this de.
generate Democratic party-is very unlike
the original Democratic party. 1t is uttcrl,
unworthy OF the name it has so falsely, moi
TO say so knavishly, assumed. 1t had, 70,
many years before our accused rebellion
sympathiZed with and served the slave power
OF our land. Hence, when, a dozen wears
ago, that mighty power became so infatuated
as to fall upon our nation with the purpose
OF breaking Il up entirely aud forever, il
1ound the Democratic party ready to help
carry this malignant purpose into effect In
deed, but for the wcll-known prosaverv
spirit OF that party, the rebellion would not
nave been.. 1t was the slave powers reli-
ance on that spirit and on the implicitly, il
not IN fact expressly, promised aid of tens
OF thousands OF Northern Democratic troops,
which supplied what that power lacked OF
encouragement and bol,ness to plunge into
the rebellion. When speaking of this de-
generate Democratic party, /, of course, do
not include in it the thousands of loyal men
who, on the breaking out of the rebellion,
fOrsOok it and espoused the cause Of their
country. All the way through the war, this
Infamous party continued in more or less
active sympathy with the slave pOwer-ever
hostile to the emancipation of the slaves.
and ever hating and despising the colored
race. All the way through the war, it
mOurned over our successes and rejoiced in
our defeats. All the way through the war it
dlsiavored enlistments i'll our army, and OPP
posed the drafting of men to fill up our
wasting ranks. All the way through it. it
did what it could TO weaken our national
credit both ut home and abroad; and to re-
duce and cripple our means for carving on
the war. And since the war its conduct has
been in keeping with its conduct during the
war. Reputation of our national debt, and
impossibility that it could ever he paid, when
not the cry upon its lips, were still the deep
desire of its heart. Despairing of the literal
reinstatement of the negro, it went for
heaping upon him as much of other Injustice
and cruelty as was possible. 1t refused him
the right to vote and to be educated. To this
day it persists in refusing him his full meas
ure of civil rights and his equality before the
law. Worst and most satanic of all, il op-
poses all effectual legislation for suppressing
these Southern associations that whip and
hang and shoot thousands of innocent blacks,
and not few innocent white men also. who
dare stand up for justice to these innocent
blacks. Let me here say that nothing sur
prises and alarms me more than the soffened
tone in which this hell-born Ku-Kluxism is
now spoken of in certain quarters where,
until quite recently, it was denounced with
the utmost vehemence. How great the change
at this point, in even the New York Tri-
bine! Does it but reflect a change in its
former eminent editor? How sad, if so,
This and few other newspapers, styling
themselves " Liberal Republican '(alas, they
are quite too liberal toward this superlatiye
wickedness y continued, until within few
months, to inveigh against Ku-kluxism as
the most horrid of all crimes of earth. But
now, these newspapers would have us believe
that ku-kluXism was only little and short
lived affair, which has already passed away,
leaving peace, harmony, and love to supply
its place. i admit that there is just now lull
in the storm, but the storm is not yet ended
1 admit that, just now, the outbreaks of this
matchless wickedness are less frequent, but
there are still thousands upon thousands of
men and women who are in constant dread
Of their recurrence. Let President Grant,
who SO faithfully executes the laws against
for only single week, and the flames of hell
would again burst out there as filriously as
ever, and the whip and halter and bullet be
again as busy as ever. 1t is true that thirty
six persons, convicted of Ku-KluX crimes,
were sent few days ago to the Albany pen
itentiary, and that hundreds and more nearly
thousands of others are now under Indictment
for such crimes /; but the spirit of Ku- Kluxism
will not die out so long as the Democratic
party exists to sympathize with that spirit
Let us not be deceived by the representation
that ku-kluxism is confined to the slow
whites of the South. Many of the ntiuen-
tial Southern Democrats are involved in it.
No small proof Of this is that not few of
them fled the country as soon as President
Grant undertook to enforce the laws against
the murderOus scOundrels. No wonder that
he is unpopular with these scOundrels, and
that they prefer for President some softer
person than this iron and invincible soldier.
Nevertheless, the dread he inspires is just
what is needed a few years longer to restrain
and subdue this worst element in the popu-
lation of our country, if not indeed the worst
in the whole world. Not only did consent
to have my name at the head Of the names
to Jefferson Davis bail bond, but, as you are
aware, l felt so kindly toward the South, as
to be, from the very first, in favor of univer-
sal amnesty. When, however, the reign of
Ku-KluXism set in, L paused, and doubted
whether that portion OF our country, which
breeds and cherishes such monsters, should
receive any more unmeritcd iavors. Heartily
did concur with the motion of our old neigh
Dor, Senator Nye, that the candidates for
amnesty be required to purge themselves
by their oaths of all participation in Ku-
kluXism.
Such, my neighbors, as L have described
it, is the Democratic party. But what Occa-
sion had for describing il: The occasion
is the present rekindling Of its zeal and re-
newing of its efforts to get the reins of Gov
eminent once more into its own hands. But
by all that is precious in justice and mercy
the Republican party must be kept i'll power {;
and by all that is abhOrrenl in oppression
and cruelty and murder the Democratic party
must be kept out of power. 1t is said, how
ever, that the Democratic party has been
kept out of power a dozen years, and that 1t
is now time to forgive it and to let it try its
hand at ruling again. No, it is not! When
then will II be time: Never! Never!
What, not If il repent? 1t cannot repent.
1t has sinned too long aud TOO deeply TO be
capable of repentance. 1t cannot rise up out
of the bottomless depths of its political wick
edness. As that generation of Israeltcs
which rebelled against Heaven, was shut out
ca <bo snH 1..,,l