Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-08-25
suUOlpted by The House Of Representatives

This is greater number than fell at the battle =
Bull Run, aRd with another difference, that in tn
battle the slaughter was not al on one side. .
This terrible record, embracing larger number Al
victims than have fallen BY the tomahaWk snd scal
ing knife of the Indians in twenty years., IS 20
shouted out OF sight by cries of "bl ody shirt,
'earpe-bsggeT," scalawag," and sl the slangvTang-
cry OF brutal blaeKguardlsm, and as the indians
muttae the bodies OF their slatD these men muillate
the memories of their victims By covering them with
charges OF every species of crime.
LOWER IN THE SCALE OF HUMANITY.
That these men, their aders and abeters, lower
in the scale Of being than the Sioux the Modoes
proposition TOO plain for argument and will not be
denied by gOOd-hearted and Well-informed man.
In the South the effective arguments used against the
Republican party are the shotgun, revolver, and
knife and in the North the charge Of corruption and
the cry of reform. The first Of arguments is sharp
and murderous; the nd set false and hypoeriiica,
and both used ndiseriminatey by the same party
as the location or the occasion demands.
have no faith in that virtue which assails with
fury fraud and corruption, but connives at murder,
outrage and oppression. Those who make daily OUT
cry about frauds arcenie and defaeations but turn
deaf TO the cries OF murdered the shreks
OF victims upon whom inflicted iuferual outTages
10 the complaint of those who driven from their
homes and made outcasts from society," for no other
crime than their polticsl opinions, PharI-
sees and hypocrites Of the basest Frauds and
arcenies infamous crimes deserve the execra-
uon OF all men; but they inferior in enOrmty to
the crime Of murder. The taking of human life, ex-
eept in self-defense, is the Wickedest deed under
neaNen a,lI alnOns meu, anu the murderer need not
6e expected 10 hesitate at the commission Of any in
ferior crime He will commit perjury, forgery arson,
any deed We have seen how the pretended sbhOr-
renee OF public corruption has been made pretext
for murder, for the establishment Of reign Of terror
for driving men from society aepriving them of their
people of their dearest political rights.
REEKNe HYPOCRISY.
If there Is anything Odious than these crimes
It is that reeking hypocrisy which affects 10 stand
aghast at fraud while attempting TO cast It's mantle Of
eOncealnent and protection over deeds the most
dreaful and infamous.
The Infamous lies about negro plots TO murder the
ku-a u
gusting. Last summer the columns of the Southern
Associated Press for days grOaled with the stupid and
der the white men and the ugly white women OF
Georgia. That this infamous lie was intended as =
pretext for slaughter there is but little DOUBT.
MUST NOT SPEAK OF HIGH CRIMES.
Many well-meaning people deplore any reference to
the outrsges committed in the South iniinieal
reconciliation aud harmony between the sections
They are exceedingly anxious tha in this Centennial
year. past differences shall be forgotten and the people,
North and South, forgetting and foTgving and mind
tul only OF great national future shall and
embrace as a nation OF brothers. It is eonsummaton
devoutly 10 be wished; but must remind such we'll
meaning people that any formal reeOnei iation, while
the dearest rights Of millions systematically vio
unpunished. viii be Tankest hypocrisy, reEolnp,
alike to divine and human Justice. II is only The
the wound and says it is healed. The healing process
must begin at the bottom and be thorough be per-
manent and healthy. All the gushing and hand-shak-
ing which precedes the concession of equal rights and
justice to Of all eolors and opinions in the South
ern States Will be the veriest sham and deceive no
body. Such foul wrongs can not be ignored and
concealed. They viii forever obrude themselves upon
the world and cry aloud for redress.
But ONE HIGHWAY TO PEACE
Let me say to this class of people, and the men Of
the South there is but one highway to reconciliation
and that is open, straight and free; and its por
tails inscribed these words: Equal rights all;
to all equal protection Of the laws; and the South
people will walk in that highway they will arrive
at the temple Of peace and fad unbroken rest.
INVESTIGATIONS
The House Of Representatives during the late ses-
sion instituted twenty-sx Investigations into the
counts and conduct OF government officers. major
ity of the committees charged with these investga-
tions Ofieered and managed BY Conederats
= y. -
the manufacture OF reports 70 damage the Republican
party in the approaching election. For this purpose
the rules OF evidence were ignored hessay statements
and unsupported rumors received in testimony, the
telegraph violated, private books ami papers seized,
the rights of citizens trampled under foot and lun atG
asyums and peniIentiaries ransaeked for Witnesses
Informe-s yFara encouragad and amnloved and fhs
most incredible stories received With aTidity, although
contrsdicted and scattered TO the winds the next
day. Any Titus Oates, who would by a Munehausen
statement implicate the President In whisky frauds
or other crimes against the government was welcomed
as benefactOr, and treated with the most delicat9
and assiduous attentions.
TIE nSoUIsITIoSs-
The most Of these investigations were conducted
with closed doors, that the victims, whose names
were to be blaekened, would know nothing Of what
going until they got it through the newspapers
other indirect channels; and when some Of them
demanded to be heard and confronted with their ao-
eusers, it was refused, until the ISLANDERS
and then granted in such a man
to make their defense impossible imperfect.
The attempt drag down the Secreiory OF the Navy
and to him with scandal without his knowledge,
the reluctance with which they yielded his
demands to be heard and their refusal consider evil
denee which was offered In bis vindeaon, constitutes
one of the darkest pages in parliamentary history
These eommiitees deported themselves as lawlesa ,
bodies recognizing no pablio or private rights when
they hound To respect and were QlStlngulsQeQ
from the secret tribunals OF the Inqustiou only by
the absence OF the thumb-screW, the rack and the 4
stake
The single case of Secretary Belknap gave the
Democracy joy than the birth of a Saviour, and
ously for nearly six months. This had always
been Democrat and entered the Cabinet BY the per-
soDal preference and confdenee of the President,
without ever having been connected with the Re
publican party.
1t simPOssible now to fix tn cost of all these in
vestigati0ns. have heard estimate putting Il az
less half million of dollars Investigations set
on fOoE for the purpose of truth, justice and the pun
ishment of crime, are pralssEorthy and useful; but
when they used methods Of electioneering to
graify malice, blaeken tine innocent and help dema
gOgues traitors andheves and railroad robbers into
office, they become darker crimes than those they pre-
tend to investigate.
DESIRE TO SOIL TIE CHIEF MAGISTRATE. Il
One of the darkest features of this business the
intense desire to soil the reputation Of the Chief Mag
istrae. The effort to connect him with the whisky
frauds has been persistent and devsh, revealing not
only malice toward him personally, but an earnest
hatred of the government, and the determination
tarnish it before the world The filth hurled him
refused to stick, anu, rebOunding, adhered TO thel
sploehed faces of his adYersares and his good
and integrity shine brighter than through the,
Storm of dirty missiles. His command, 'Let no h.
guilty man escape" will be read and admired when ~
his enemies are remembered only to be despised.
The Republican party have chosen as Standard
bearers Messers. Hayes and Wheeler. They are able
and pure men, and have always been the right side
Of the great questions Of the day. They have been
true 10 their country, TO liberty, and 70 humanity,
and their lives have been illustrated by distinguished
services in the fed IN the government Of States and
In the councils Of the Nation.
Gov. Hayes was q brave soldier. who commanded
with distinction, and fell upon the field severely
wounded. His name has been inscribed upon that l.
roll of who offered their lives that their
try might live As pledge that his sdminisTatiOn
Will be and beuehceut, he presents an uutar-
nshed record without blot or bundeI and proof Of
his capacity, shows that he has judged " sely on b
every OCCASION ia the field and in politics. and be
stands in marked contrast 10 his competitor Who has
been couspcuousy wrong upon every great Question:
which has agtatsd the country for quarter OF cen-
fury. II 10 judge Of the comparative merits
lnd fitness Of these two for the Office Presi-
lent by their past lives, there is left for
ioubt. The one always right, the other always
wrong. One trained in correct principles thai be Is
rot required 10 unlearn. The other coming from
Tocaton aud from lifelong associations that should
ixcite the dstrust anu repugnance Of the country.
THE APPROACHING CONTEST
Indiana win be watched with the deepest interest