The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-10-02
Senator Sherman ON the South.
He sTIRs Up THE OHIO VOTERS.
TO the Cincinnati Commercial.

TO the Cincinnati Commercially
SrRINGFIELD, O., Sept. 22.-The Re-
publicans opened the campaign in this
county with a speech by Senator Sher-
man at City Hall tonight. Before the
hour fixed for speaking the hall was
filled, many. standing throughout the
speech and showing an unusual interest
in the discussion.
Senator Sherman was received with
applause, and spoke as follows:
"TwO or three issues are prominently
presented to voters III the pending cleo
ton in Ohio. The first of these in the
present situation Of affairs is the cOndi-
ton of the Southern States. In Repub-
lican Government all citizens are equally
entitled to protection by the law. The
class distinctions that belong in mOnar-
chial countries are unknown here, the
framels OF the Constitution having
undertaken to frame a pure republican
form of. government. Slavery OF the
blacks alone formed an exception. All
free men and women, including the free
blacks, were regarded as equal in privi-
lcges and immunitics in all of the States,
an equality guaranteed by an express
provision of the Constitution. In the
course of time it began to be held in
hDtliliItlh DUttCtH UI"G Ills prov w 1
altogether dependent on the comfy Of
States, and could not be enforced ly the
General Government. Than followed
the bred Scott decision, that the negro
had no rights that q white man is bound
to respect.
One result Of the war of the rebellion
was to do away with all distinctions in
the right of citizens to the protection of
the law. There was no equality among
citizens until the close of the results of
the civil war. Until that time we were
community of States, with but ill-defin-
ed powers. Now every man, black and
white, high and low, has a right to go
everywhere II flag floats and demand
protection of the law. [Cheers.] We
of the North always believed in this.
It was questioned by a few Democrats
under the influence of the slave power,
but all question about it was set at rest
by the fourteenth amendment to the
Constitution of the United States pro
posed by the Republican party, and OPP
posed by the Democracy. 1t was put
into the Constitution in spite Of the OPP
position of the Democratic party, and
the life and soul Of the Republican party
is in those few linRs-the right of all
men to life, liberty and property. If
the Democratic party were in power,
the testing of those social guarantees Of
the paper on which they were written.
[Applause.]
Suppose you had had James Buchanan
President last week instead of Ulysses
Grant, where would the people of Louis
lana be to-day? We should have war
and bloodshed. Tfthe Democratic party
were in power, though there are good
in it. the Administration would be
ruled by the majority Ofthe party. When
Andy Johnson went over to the Demo-
cracy he abandoned every principle of
the Republicans, and murder and riot in
the South were the result. When Presi-
dent Grant took the chair he ~interpOsed
the power of the Government to put
down those outrages. [Applause.]
Senator Sherman here read a detailed
account of the Outrages ~perpetrated in
during the month of August,
and commented specially upon the muir
der of Julia Hayden, asthe most damna-
BILE murder of which he had read. PeO-
pie who would commit Il crime like that
not to go to hell, but have a spe-
cial place of murder assigned them.
Loud %applause.l All these outrages
we're committed in the State of Tennes-
NCC3 llTIC CSClJ OIlSCIIoluCI Ic al DCuIO- !
GRAFT. and all because the victims skin is
black. Now, we of the Republican party |
demand that these people shall be pro-
There is no power to check all
these atrocities but that of the silent man
1T Washington.
The Louisiana troubles sprang up be-
5ween two parties, neither Of which was
by the voice of the people, but
he Kellogg government had all the
forms of law and decisions of courts on
is side, and the White Leagues arose
md Overthrew the government, and then
,oOly telegrapliedt to Washington: "Now
inst let us alone Success in this thing
would have set a precedent dangerous to
;he whole country. If there had been a
Democratic President in WashinhtOn,
loes anybody suppose it would have
able to withstand the pressure of
ts party and overthrow the usurDatiOn I?
with the Republican party in power
ire the citizens of the South sure OF pro-
under the guarantees put into the
Constitution by this party.
1t is a painful subject. | don't like to
speak of it.. | have no doubt two-thirds
It the Southern people are opposed to it,
1ut they are pOwerless. have no doubt
5ov. Brown, of Tennessee, is doing all
he can to punish the perpetrators of
;hese outrages, but such is the local SEN
iment that he is pOWerlesS. No one has
punished for any of these things
.xceptb by Federal authority. All Of these
where murder runs rife, are Dem
Why is it, my Democratic
that In these States, with the
power of government in your hands, you
re unable to punish murder?