New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-23
Pershing's Record.

Hon. L. M. Mcpherson has opened the
Republican campaign in Berks county with
an able discussion OF the political issue,
which clearly indicates the true points of
the controversy, and sets before the people
the record of the Democratic candidates
and the sophistries of the Democratic plat
form in their t ne light. Mr.. McPhersun's
dissection of Mr.. Pershing's political record,
drawn as it is from official s0urces, presents
a damning array of facts against the Demo-
cratic candidate, which grows all the
blacker as it is cOntrasted with the noble
record Of the brave and patriotic Hartranft.
Mr.. Mcpherson has rendered the State
high service in thus setting forth the true
political character OF the man whom the
Democratic party has declared to be the
best it has 10 vtf-r for the gOvernorship of
Pennsylvania. For by this eloquent speech
the people will learn that they are now
asked to vote for man who, however re-
spectacle his private characl er may be, is
on public record as the consistent friend of
slavery aud the consistent enemy of the
Union and of the OnmOn people. Quoting
from Mr. McPher ols speech, we find that
in the Legislature of 1863, his party being
in the majority, Mr.. Pershing was guilty
of the inhumanity of voting for bill to
prohibit cOlored persons from coming
into the State to make it their temporary or
permanent residence. In the same Legis-
lature he voted for resolutions deuOuncing
President LincOln's emancipation prvclsma-
ton as unconstitutional, and his other acts
under the war power as arbitrary and I'M
just. As if to give emphasis 70 his love for
slavery, we find him in the Legislature of
1865 resisting the ratification Of the thir.
teenth amendment, and vO ing against that
first and greatest conquest of the war in
these immortal words: Neither slavery or
involuntary servitude, except as q punish
m far orina w IA
have been duly convicted, shall exist within
the United States or any place subject to
it's Jurisdiction.
ITO crown this anna zing subservie-cy, we
find him in the Legislature of 1865 voting
against the r. solution iustructing our SEN
atOrs and requesting cur Representatives
ito resist the admission into full fellowship
a. States of any and all the States lately in
the rebellion until the organic law of the
nation shall be SO amended rs to protect the
credit OF the government; to prevent the
payment of sny debt incurred by rebellion;
to define the paramount authority of the
general government; to protect all persons
in all States in their rights before the law;
to prevent cOmp' N sation for tmancipated
slaves, and to establish an equal basis of
representation, and thus secure to the ma
ton the Just fruits of the war inaugurated
wantonly by treason
Upon these principles the fourteenth
amendment was based. Judge Pershing
was not in the Legislature when the formal
vote on the ratification was taken, hut we
have right to assume that he was as
hostile to these conditions when thus
formulated as before. So tast il the people
Of Pennsplvanis have pride in the alb
sOlute freedom of our whole people o. con-
ferred in the thirteenth amendment, or have
sense OF security under any Of the far
resching pf0visi0ns of the fourteenth amend
ment, no part of their gratitude for these il
due to the Democratic nominee for Gov
ernOr; but ell are enjoyed in spite o. his in
fluence and his eforts. Having the disposi-
tiO1 betrayed by these votes, it was, of
course, easy for him to oppose, In the
Legislature of 1854 the bill giving the
soldiers in the army the right to vote in
their campo. Willing TO be guilty of 60
grt At ibju. tiee to men who were actually
battling for the PR servatiOn of their gov
ernuenr, it is not surprising that he should
have found . reason In 1863 for voting
against an act to prohibit corporations from
paying their employees In Orders upon stores
and In 1865 for an act to make the en-
ployes of rsIlr0ad corporations responsible
for accidents, instead Of the corporations
themselves.
TO ttate this record IL to convict him.
during the stxuggle Of the war, Of the in.
,ensest form of psrtisanship, and 70 con-
meet hia name with those reactionsry tffurta
which, II successful, would have made the
war, ON Our part . useless and criminal
sacrifice Of blood and treasure, and would
have covered this generation with shame
and opened for pcsferify the food gates of
msery."-PkiiadelpAia Epening Bviletix. 4.