Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-17
TRUE AS GOSPEL.
Governor Hendricks on the Southern
Troubles.


In his speech at indianapolis, on
Monday, Gov. Hendricks said:
my countrymen. we must look
squarely and honestly at this question
OF he strife between the two races.
During the war, when the Southern
men were of In the field, there were no
instructions. The oolored people pre-
served the peace at home. After the
close of the war, there was harmony
between the C until your ~unfortu-
nate policy of reconstruction was start
ed. In that you undertook to la, We the
machinery of society uponone element,
and to exclude intelligence. You
stripped the white man of political
privileges, and clothed the negro with
political power. The races had been
harmonious, but at once and for a pur-
pose you placed them in hostileattitude
You left many of the h~angers-on Of the
army in the South-men who went not
to fight, butte plumber. They were your
emissaries; they organized the negroes
into political party. In every neigh
borhOod they formed them into oath
bound secret societies, called loyal
leagues. They were sworn to stand
together. In these societies, from
which the Southern white man was ex-
cluded, they were taught to regard the
white men as their enemies, and that
they would soon receive their property.
Thus they were arrayed in antagonism
to the whites. The work was done
thoroughly, and by ityou held political
power in many States. But those
States are crushed and ruined now.
We can not, we must not, go on in this
direction. The welfare of our country
calls for a change. Men must be
placed in power who will relieve socie-
ty from these dangerous influences;
who Will stand honestly between the
two races, and see to it that each is
fairly and fully protected in its rights;
who will e that harmony, based upon
justice, is restored, so that labor shall
be secure and capital shall not be
afraid.
''The South is now being covered
with troops. If Gen. Grant would in
vestigate for himself, l would not fear
the result. In many respects l admire
him. He is a man of great ability, and
does not hate people merely because
they oppose his corrupt party. Two
years ago / said that we were fighting
the ring that controlled him more than
the President himself, and now we have
to fear the bad influences thatsurround
him. He willnot investigate. He will
take his information from the most
malignant man in the Countrywide At
torney General. The men who are
maintaining such baleful authority in
the South crawl into the Office of the
Attorney General and do their work.
1t is a dreadful thing that our army
must be used to perpetuate a rule so
hurtful to the whole country, such as
prevails in South Carolina, Florida,
Mississippi and Louisiana. Whole
communities and the business and pro-
duction of the country are being played
upon for political results. The welfare
of the country calls for a change. Let
the sentiment be felt everywhere, from
the palace Of the capitalist to the cabin
of the negro, that complete and exact
justice shall prevail, and then all will
once mor bow to public authority. 1t
was so once; it may be so again. The
party IN power has failed. Let us not
be led by hate to utter ruin"