The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-10-24
SPEECH OF
HON. JOHN r.. ENSOR,
ODD FELLOWS HALL, ELKToN, OCT. u,
1874

MI EtSoI on DelllS Introduced was re-
ceived with applause, and spoke as follows
FslL0to Citizens Of Cecil COunty:-I take
great pleasure in coming before you this
evening. | have come before you as one
who is a citizen of the State of Maryland
and of this Congressional District, to ask
your attention for short time to matters
of great public interest to us all. Not
only as to what the Democratic or Republi-
can party may say or do, but to the great
questions of national interest and policy,
on the correct solution of which depends
} the future welfare and prosperity of our
common country. Now, Mr.. President,
am sure that whatever difference of opinion
there may be among MS in minor matters,
we are all agreed, whether Democrats or
, Republicans, upon certain vital principles
which are necessary to the growth and
happiness of the people of this great cOun-
try, the United States of America. We all
rejoice in this fact. And to the Republican
party we are indebted for the preservation
of this Union, and the fact that we now
live in a united country, under common
flag, under free institutions, and that this
evening we are permitted to rejoice that
these things are indeed true. Applause. |
Yes, my friends, to that party may we
ascribe the praise that we to-day live under
the constitution constructed, and bequeath-
ed to US, by Jefferson, Madison, and the
great lights of the past generation, and
that the national flag was carried trium-
phantly through the war of the great Iebel-
lion. You will all admit that.
Some people say that it is now high time
that these things should be forgotten, that
we should cease to rejoice in victories over
our countrymen. We are willing to forget,
we are willing and anxious that these ami
mosities, born Of state of war, should be
forever buried and forgotten, for it is best
they should be. The best interests of the
South especially demand it, But these
Southern men are impracticables; they are
not willing to quit the life of lazy luxury
and martial pomp to which they were
accustomed; they are not willing to come
down to honest labor, and like the rest OF
us earn their living by the sweat of their
brow. No, none of this. Educated to
believe that slavery was divine, that they
had divine right to live off the unrequited
toll of others, they were firmly imbued
with these opinions; and not even four
years war with a million of the nations
noblest sons sleeping on Southern battle
| fields has been sufficient to teach them that
| as slavery was wrong, SO must they endure
the logical and inevitable consequences of
| its overthrow. The laws of God and nature
cannot be violated without suffering
Virtue is its own reward. but crime brings
it's own retribution. You will find on
examination that what is giving the South
most trouble to day, is not her poverty, not
her carpet baggers, not so called Republl-
can expressions: these are as nothing in
the scale; but her danger and her troubles
come from the fact that her people are
unwilling to support themselves by honest
labor. 1t was sweet to be supported by
the labor of others, it was sweet to hang
around the groceries, and have no other
object in life than to spend their money:
and to-day those men thus reared and
apparently unable to accept the situation
are the real foes of the South The people
of the North have the kindest feelings
toward them, but the great bane OF life is
that every one must work out his own
salvation. The men of the South do not
seem able to comprehend the fact that the
colored people in their midst are their
natural and best friends. Quite the con-
trary. Chagrined by the result of their
appeal to arms, mortified that their former
slaves are now their civil equals they throw
away all their chances for retrieving their
broken fortunes and initiating the policy
of the Spaniards with the Jews, seek to
drive them from their midst or exterminate
| them. Should they succeed the historical
parallel would be complete. AS Spain was
literally ruined for a hundred years SO
would be the late Slave States. But this
is not the age for things like this. There
is moral sense pervading all modern
nations and peoples, which compels them
to prohibit gigantic folly and wrong; and
if the folly which generates the ku klux,
the White Leagues and kindred forms of
wrong is not suppressed by the good sense
of the Southern people themselves, it will
| +In l,,t,- e oil twill md oil
meaning persons for the sake of humanity
itself, to interfere in this bloody business
More than 5000 Republicans in the South
have been murdered by these midnight
assassins. There only crime was differ
ence of opinion as to what were the best
| interests of their country. And as if to
forever foreclose against themselves all
chance for improvement, have atrociously
murdered the school teacher, the editor and
the preacher, burning the school house and
the church. The colored man can never
be reduced to slavery again; he is voter
and citizen; he can never be deprived OF
his rights. The amendments to the con-
stitution guarantee him citizenship and it
can never be taken away from him. Pro-
gress in that direction never goes back
ward. Applause
The recent defeats of the Republican
| party III ONO anu lUuldHd, Hdu Dut littic
reference to this Southern question. The
| great question there was initiation or con-
traction of the currency, more greenbacks
or hard money. Upon this there is great
difference of opinion. The intationists are
not all Democrats, nor are the Republicans
| all contractionists. In fact, parties in
those two States are reformed: they were
neither strictly Democrat nor Republican
There the party calling themselves Demo-
Gratis were inflationists. those calling them
selves Republicans adopted the hard money
theory, that is an immediate return to
specie payments. AS such the Republicans
were defeated. | notice great deal of
good feeling here among our Democrats at
what they term their victory. But this
rejoicing is without consideration. They
in fact rejoice in the defeat of their own
cherished principles. They glory in the
mere name of Democratic victory, the
substance is wanting. On reference to the
latest Democratic platform of Maryland,
YOU will observe that our Democrats adopt
the platform of the Democracy of New
York, which specifically declares against
initiation and in favor of a return to specie
payment. So you see the Maryland DEM
ocrats have cause for tears instead of joy.
But they are so little used to even the
name of Democratic victory that their
emotion may be eXcuSaOle. III may Strlke
YOU as a curious circumstance that the
Democrats of the West have precisely op-
posite opinions from their brethren of the
East. and win their so called victories on
precisely opposite platforms. This is part
Of the evidence that the Democratic party
has no coherency, it has no fixed principles,
no object, no definite plan; it is the party
of the opposition and such party cannot
be national one and can never win any
national election. Here in Maryland, as
understand it, there is no difference of
opinion between the two parties on the
currency question. Republicans as well as
Democrats say they are in favor of the
contraction of the currency and a speedy
return to specie. Now as the Ohio and
Indiana Democratic victories have been
fought and won on principles which we
both declare to be erroneous, it is a reason
why we should both be professedly sorry
, that result has been obtained which we
, both believe would be national msfor-
tune if carried out.
7 would also nnint ont to vou that the