The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-07-20
SPEECH OF HON. HENRY WILSON.
. -s.1H g +ztls-l H,4g- - 81 ..if'-'
An Admirable Exposition of PO-
~ liticaI Affairs.

WILMrNGToN, N. c., July Ex-senator Hen
ry Wilson addressed large meeting here yes
terday. He said that after an absence of five
years, during which he had heard of ruin in
North Carolina, he again stood among them
and found their city increased in prosperity md
their condition improved. He said:
cannot see nor do you feel the alleged des-
potism of the United States Government The
country is arrayed to-day in two grand organiza-
tions. Each have their policies and their
principles. They are arrayed against each
other -. f-r-ue.r trrf gra.yf.
The contest is not between men, but between
the ideas and principles of these organizations.
You could as well have been in Lees army and
say you fought for the Union, as to vote for the
Cincinnati and Baltimore ticket and say you
voted for Republicans. A vote for Greeley is a
vote to defeat the Republican party, and defeat
means determination. 1t is not time for the
Republican party to die, some say. 1t has
just begun to live, and will live thousand
years. 1t has done more for the country, for
liberty, to lift up down-trodden humanity and
to make the United States Government grand
and glorious, than any organization that ever
existed on Gods green earth -.H
He said that the Republican party was the
admiration of all the countries of Europe The
party has been right in every issue it has main
tanned during its existence, but before it dies
he desired that it should do something toward
converting some three million Democrats One
step had already been taken by the Democrats
when they went into convention at Baltimore
| and nominated two Republicans. He had act
| ed with the Republican party because it had
advocated the idea that all men are equal
whether black or white. There has been no
| despotism by the federal government. No
| book of history can be opened and show where
any country on the face of the earth has been
| so merciful. Mr.. Wilson then referred to the
progressive steps of the anti-slavery movement
and said that he spoke the sentiments of nine
tenths of the Northern men when he said that
they never entertained a sentiment of hatred
toward the Southern section of our country
You expected subjugation at the close of the
| war-that some of your men would be impris-
oned, tried and executed, but not man has
| been tried for treason. He showed that the re-
| construction measures of Congress were d
necessity forced upon Congress by the inaction
1 and wrong action of Southern men themselves,
| and that those measures were not prompted by
| any unkind feelings. He refutted the allega-
| ton of the despotism of the Ku-Klux act, and
stated that while the two Houses of Congress
| in 1871 were at variance on that subject Horace
Greeley wrote a leader saying that govern
ment that would not protect its own citizens
| ought to be swept from the face of the earth.
The President sent short message to Con-
gress asking for the passage of a law to punish
the Ku-Klux. 1t had the effect of battle Or
der, and the act was passed Immediately. The
government was fully informed of the doings OF
the Ku-Klux by members of its organization.
| The Democrats who have taken Mr.. Greeley
can say no more about the despotism of
the Ku-Klux acts. He then urged the Repub-
licans of North Carolina to carry this State
election, as the people of the United States are
looking upon their vote at this time as the set
Element of the Presidential contest. Garry the
election in this State and that will be the last
of the Observation-Disclosures ticket. Give us
victory here and we will carry twenty-seven
States. Mr., Wilson then defended the admin
istration of the charges of stealing, stating that
there had been less stealing under Grant thar
any other for quarter of century. He CLOSED
with warm eufogy of President Grant"