Middletown transcript., 1876-10-14
BLACK ON GARFIELD.

When General Garfield sent Judge
Jeremiah Black a copy Of his speech
reviewing the political issues Of the last
one hundred years in this country. with
applications more or less pertinent to
the pending Presidential canvass, he
stumbled into the wrong pew. Judge
Black acknowledges General Garfeld'a
courtesy in an open letter, which ex-
coriates the latter's argument most un-
mercifully. The Judge is perfectly at
home on the slavery question disinterred
by Garfield, and does not hesitate to
devote a few octave pages to fixing
upon New England the responsibility
for the introduction of negroes into this
country. He goes further. and en-
deavors to show that Massachusetts,
condemned Indians as we'll as Africans
to slavery Coming down, however.
to modern times, Judge Black wakes
warmer and strikes more telling blows.
The Republican party, he claims. has
dishonesty used the power it usurped
during and Immediately after the war.
This, it is urged, is the most corrupt
government this side Of Constantinople. !.
You may take the rottenest monarchy
in Europe, 60 over its history for q
hundred years and produce the worst
act you can find of fraudulent spoliation
upon its people, and if I do not show
something worse committed here under
the auspices Of the party now in power.
I will give up the case" He does not
wonder that General Garfeld's asser-
ton that the Republican party will
punish its own rascals was received
with laughter from the Republican side
of the House, for it is we'll known that
dishonesty is protected. encouraged and
rewarded by the highest authorities in
this government The Southern policy
of the administration, the political en-
slavement Of Louisiana and the Credit
Mobilisr and whisky ring frauds are
cited as cases in point These things
are not to be defended by waving the
bloody shirt After an elaboration Of
these points and good-tempered but
singing review Of General Gar6eld's
own share in the bad record Of the post
bellum Republican party, Judge Black
asks and answers his own questions in
these suggestive words:
I cannot describe to you how un-
pleasant is the sensation produced by
your profession of a desire for peace.
Why do you not give us peace if you
are willing we shall have it ? You need
but to cease hostilities and the general
tranquility will be restored. You refuse
to do that, because peace would endan-
ger your party ascendancy. To main
tain your plunderers in power you have
uniformly resorted to the bayouet-you
have made civil war the chronic condi-
tion of the country-wherever you
could have displaced liberty, fraternity
and equality, and given nothing instead
but infantry, artillery and cavalry.
You are at this moment openly engaged
in preparing your battalions for armed
intervention in the struggle of the peo-
pie with the carpet-baggers. What
makes this worse is your closing dec
laration that you will take no step
backward There is to be no repent
ance, no change Of policy. and conse-
quently no peaceful or honest govern
ment. !" Onward" you say is the
word. Onward-to what? To more
war, more plunder. more oppression.
more universal bankruptcy, heavier
taxes and still worse frauds on the
public treasury?