The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-04-06
Republican Meeting at New Haven
Speech of Hon. James q. Blaine.

Republican Meeting at New Haven
Speech of Hon. James q. Blaine.
There was an enthusiastic meeting of re-
publcans at New Haven Friday night.
Among the speakers was Hon, James g.
Blaine, who said that democratic papers
were finding fault because the republicans
in the Northern states persisted in discus
sing the issues which grew out of the war
and still remained unsettled, when at the
same time it was undenable that the dem
ocratc party in the Southern states in
every county AMI township were discus
sing these same issues from precisely the
opposite point Of view. For the Republ-
cans to abandon these issues, which involve
the questions of citizenship, of free suf-
frage and the sup. cmacy of the constitu-
ton with its amendments, would be to
surrender and disband their organization
before the legitimate ends OF the great
struggle had been fully attained. If he
was pointed TO tSprcssions of Democratic
acQuiescence in these results, he must re-
ceive them with caution because the con-
dition Of the South did not correspond to
these assurances of acquiescencc. In this
remark he was not specially referring to
personal outrages, elegantly termed "blooly
shirt" issue by the Democracy but to that
general condition of inequality and opprcs-
sion under the law which prevailed in so
many of the Southern States. Nor had he
confidence in the efforts or intention of the
Democratic party to pacify and harmonize
the South on the basis of submission to
law and order. Look at the course of the
Democratic members of the House of Rep
resentatlves in the settlement of the Louis
lana committeeman it was certainly a
very able committee, not rash, or partisan
or prejudiced-was to do two things, viz,
correct the errors of the Republican enroll
ing board and give the Legislature in its
popular branch to the Democrats. Second
To recognize Gov. kellogg as the de .facto
executive of the State, as President Grant
had wisely and necessarily done. This
seemed to be not only fair adjustment,
but it was really the only adjustment prac-
ticable; any other would have involved
wrong on the one hand and anarchy on the
other. And yet every Democrat in the
House, save only Mr.. Stephens of Georgia,
voted against permitting the subject to be
even introduced, voted against allowing
the committee to report the adjustment,
voted against even giving Congress an OPP
portunity to bring peace to that distracted
State, voted to continue disorder, voted TO
invite repetition of the audacious revolu
ton of Sept. IA, voted that discord might
hold high carnival in that rot-rldden
State if only thereby the prospect of
Democratic victory could be enhanced.
And if to-day law and order have suprem-
acy in Louisiana, if to-day revolution and
anarchy are kept out, you owe the result
wholly to the fact that the Republicans
were enabled to outvote the Democrats in
the House of Representatives. Mr.. Blaine
said he had never sought to play the part
of the alarmist, and had no possible desire
to appear sensational. But lie ventured to
say to the people of Connecticut that it
was safe thing for this country not to put
the Democratic party in the way of obtain
ing control of the National Government
Such a result would be the beginning of a
policy of reaction of which no man could
see the end-a policy so violent that under
the impetus acquired from victory and the
confidence growing out of power it would
rush probably to the wildness of counter
revolution, overturning or setting aside, or
at least unsettling, many of the now &C.
cepted and most important points of pub
lie policy. The aim of the Democratic
party now is to consolidate the South, and
then secure as much Northern support as
may possibly be obtained. And it is a
most startling fact that, with the electoral
votes of the former slave States, they need
but a fraction of the Northern vote to give
them the Government. Look at the figures:
with Colorado admitted the total electoral
vote will be 369-of which 1856 constitute
majority. The Southern States united
can give 1873 votes, leaving only forty-seven
to be obtained out of the 231 that belong
to the North. The three States of New
York, Connecticut and California can give
these forty-seven votes, and your own
prosperous State is one that is found on
the list of those who wish to control the
Government by this combination. And if
this design should succeed it would only be
history repeating itself. Against an over.
whelming majority of the free States in
1856 small fraction of them united with
the South, and were enabled to fasten the
buchanan dynasty upon the country, with
all the unnumbered evils that followed
Are you in Connecticut,-l speak to you
not as Republicans and not as Democrats
but are you, as Connecticut men, ready
and willing to have the political strength OF
your State used in an "unholy alliance
by which the Government is to be taker
from the men who fought for the Union
and handed over to the control of those
who fought to destroy the Union? For tC
this complexion will the impending issut
come. Mr.. Blaine said he reposed no taitl
in any special form of additional coercivt
legislation by Congress, nor would he adj
wise or consent to any interference with al
existing State government except undc
the express terms of the constitution an,
under an exigcncy so pressing as to inyolv
the public safety. What is wanted is no
more law, but better public opinion, an,
the only way to bring that about is for tn
Northern States to hold the political powe
of the country tenaciously and unwavering
ly in the hands of those who held the coun
try together in its hour of EXTREMIST peril
1t is the belief of the South that a small
section of the North can be detached, an
this tends continually to consolidate tn
South on the issue of caste and color. lie
Northern firmness be as conspicuous an
as enduring in peace as ii was in war, an
the South will weary of the contest an
divide on other issues / make this appea
to the North, SAID Mr. Blaine, not from IN
kindness or prejudice toward the South
God knows i have neither toward tina
people | would do all in my power t
restore kindly feeling, to recall prosperity
to build up her waste places, and to max
every acre from the Potomac to the Ri
Grande fertile and productive and profit,