The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-09-30

Speech OF Gov PInehbaek. delivered at Masonic
4 Hall, indianapolis. w Wednesday. September. 10
! 1s74.l
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: We are Assem- bled to-
night on an occasion of more than ordinary in
terest and under circumstances of great import
anee. The historian has said that good nation
Is an irritable body. one that feels trenoi
throughout all its parts when no other part of IL
is seriously affected.
look in the faces of this intelligent audience
who are eonyersant with what is going on in the
State of Louisiana. 1t has been the misfor tune
of the Northern people that they have not. from
time to time been advised of the true state of at
fairs in Louisiana. We have relied up on the
statements OF partisan papers. upon the state
ments of persons going from the North and casu-
ally passing through the thoroughfares and high
ways of travel; but believe that the people o.
In dianarolis have not yet heard from witness
W no hes sen and who has been a part of the
work o. reconstruction in Louisiana. A great
aw writer has said that the requirements Of q
| iacts, that he should be able to tell them and
that he should be willing to tell them: and can
assure you from what he says to night and from
what his friends say of him; ne will tell you the
unvarnished truth. l now have the honor to in
| troduee to you Governor Pinchback. OF Louis
Governor Pinchback advanced to the front OF
The stage, ana aitsr eApla!hlng 1naI tae mass 81
i have been invited by the State Central Com
liens of Indianapolis this evening on the eondi-
gently. and in such manner as to command
your attention. shall proceed in a plain. unyar-
nished style, "nothing e4tanuatns or setting
The time has arrived in the life of the nation
ton OF the condition of that portion Of our coun-
| try is absolutely necessary; and in order TO do
this i is essential to go back in the history of the
country to the memorable campaign of l650, when
Abraham Lincoln, the martyr President, was
nominated for the Chief Maglstracy OF our gov
lernment; we might go back beyond that period
and take up the struggle between Tree tom and
slavery, beginning with the, formation Of the
century the CRISIS which eliminated in 1850 had
been gradually forming; but for my present pur-
pose it is unnecessary: it is enough to know that
in 1850 a large majority OF the. people residing
FESTIVE under the domination of the South. and
viewing it'll alarm the arrogant assumptions OF
southern leaders. determined to elect man for
President not only from their section of the
country. but who was known to be honest and
gressive tendencies of the age.
| The result of that campaign is fresh in the
memory of every man. Oar honored. loved and
trouble began; the Southern leaders inas ining
poweT which they mad held so long. passing from
their hands. swore that they would not stand it.
threats into cxeeution. Is it necessary ior me to
tell YOU, people Of Indiana. what followed? OF
its ree ord Of bloody disaster, which cost the
ton the lives of so many of its bravest and best
not; for in too many homes. all over this land,
North and South, the absence of the loved one
tells the tale, and appeals to you in MOURN full
silence, never, never to forget it. Would YOU
you? God Forbid Then look well to the South;
let not the cry of negro domination shut your
eyes to the true cause of the awful condition of
1t is not the negro they hate, nor do they m mr.
der him because ne , = negro In every Tea
loving and generous toward the oolored people.
It is the Repqbicfn party they hate and the eel
cans and vote the Republican ticket
Bnaea by nnsr b pda5zi9ns and Te TIM g
claim they have not suffered; their snfferings
essn great ana ha bm TO
Southern pride that had been accustomed TO re
at the nna ns
first by the overthrow ofthe rebellion, then by the
least, to have these slaves made their political
equals. all these things, however just and essen
cord with the march Of civil aud religious presress
have Imposed much suffering upon these PEG
wong o ao smartHs under these CHANGE.
wrought by the war. they have become desperate;
the ORTIZ. ana the belief that the naisnanag e
ment and extravagance Of the Southern govern
mind against the reconstruction measures. de-
stroyed Northern sympathy for the eolored peo-
fattered themselves WIS counting their support
| for third term, would not interfere, have.
ton to obtain possession OF the Southern State
governments, been led to the c9m nm of the
forced the Intervention of the general govern
m gp "a, a.,
under their control they could with the aid Of the
Northern Democracy, get possession OF the gen
they counted WITHOUT their host
| Our warrior President. ever firm in the execu-
Wies RE tempting bait Of the united south Tor
third term has not n ade him forget his cath Of
and he has. in uncertain sound, sent the fat
forth taat every citizen mast and shall, be pro
and the American people will honor him for this
frmness in his great Office
war was not failure; that the thirteenth, four
teenth ana fifteenth amendments are valid parts
the United States shall not be denied or abridged
in any State of the Union. that a citizen OF the
lana or any other State IN the Soath, i've and fol-
low the pursuit of HAPPINESS unmolested. Sc long
the South has TO COME to Indiana or ny Northern
State;. that the life, liberty and property OF the
what his race. Color or previous con 1ition. must
be es iealously guarded ami protected IS those OF
iren that every inch ofsoi under Ia jurisdiction
of the national emblem IS too sacred to BE stained
assassin must be stayed, even it requires resort
to the old Mosaic doctrine Of an eye fer an eye
ernments or Of o5no zious eficers in the Soata
must he effected, no. b.. mobs. who intinaiaate,
the constitution and laws of the States Just as it
is done in.the North; that the enlght Chris
and better order of things. and that the North
viii continue 70 insist On federal interfersnoe in
those States so long as the Southern people CON
tinue to outrage and murder men because they
are Republicans. even taoush they may be ''!S
norant negroes, carpst-haggers snd scalawsgs."
The great hue and cry about the ign oraacs, cx-
travasance and corruption OF the coiored voter
peopls t. marps At i. when they resaenbeS haH
bittsFiy every measure for the improvement and
men making these charges. and that no stone
has been LETT unturned" to prove negro Suffrage a
failura.
If these charges be true. sad DO not propose to
say thstthe men VITO hare cen t-oied public affairs
in the South since Instruction were all IEEm2c
ulate; its history anterior to the and long be-
fore szro freedom vas considered s pass eiiitE,
much less negro suffrage, affords proof OF many