Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-10-27

Az NtRAcT FEW MS SPEECH N INV YORK.
have not lpen INDUCING in what j.
/ popularity known a. "shakIug the bloody
| shirt ! have preferred % dwell upon the
| Democratic party as it now i, presenting,
as nearly as | an able, the spirit shown by
them, the purposes intended by them, the
measures initiated by them in their present
power in tie II use OF Representatives. And
have desired, on that presentation, 10 ak
you, a. thoughtful men and responsible
voters this question II. with the small mod
| icum Of power with which they have been
/ intrusted in the House Of Representatives
and intruited at a time when they had every
temptation and every powerful impulse to
/ lie prudeat and wary and cautious-if, |
say. with all these influences making them
tend to prudence. they have acted as have
/ shown yol they have acted, what Is the use
/ Of Specializing as to what they will do with
/ the PresieIt Democratic President, and
/ the Senate Democratic Senate. Ii it be
thus in the green tree, what in Gods name
Will it be in full maturity? But as to the
bloody shirt this shaking OF the bloody
shirt, as ias been well said-that is not the
crime. the crime is the reason why
We shake the bloody shirt" and it will be
shaken ia, as long as crime prevails.
Now, they tell you that they had a peace
iul election IN Mississippi last year, and that
they recovered that State from the Republi-
cans Mississippi, upon any registry Of vot-
ing, Is Republican By an rwhelming ma
jority. Its nearly as strongly Republican
as Vermont. But they last year carried it
Tor a Democratic Governor. and they seized
the Legislature. They have all the power,
aud they tel iyou very defantly, and with
a great flourish of pride in their manner.
that it was a peaceful election. Well,
wish to put it on record here, and to he held
they call a peaceful election there were more
men murdered-in the campaign leading to
that election and connected with that Demo
cratic triumph in Mississippi-there were
more men murdered than were ever murder
ed or who ever lost their lives at all the |
electlOns-mun'clpal State, and national |
that have ever been held in all the free |
States from Maine TO California in all the |
time of the Federal Government, from
George Washington down to Grant Take |
all the little election rows aud riots and |
scrimmages and disturbances in times of |
high excitement - and you are always |
liable to have them, especially in large |
cities. where there are many bad ele-
put them all together at all the
elections in all the free States from the
foundation of the Federal Government to
this hour, and they will not aggregate one
half, nay, not one-quarter of the men that
lost their lives in - peaceful election - last
year. | want to put on record another fact,
too ; that since the surrender of Gen. Lee
and state this from official papers | am
not making loose, rambling statement. but
am taking it from evidence that would
be taken for evidence in any court of law
"a little stricter evidence than that on
which they propose to assail the Treasury
1t the United States. testimony that could
5e cumulated a hundred-fo if the men who
could give it dared to SPEAK out since the
var closed in 1865 there baye been more
men murdered in the South for political
'plnion-that is, murdered for being Repub-
icans-than fell on the Union side in the
hree b.oodiest battles of the war. | make
hat statement, gentlemen. And vet nothing
: more common than to sheer at the "bloody
hirt, and II man who pretends TO discuss
he validity and the integrity of the Thir-
zenith. Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amend
nents, and who insists that they form the
Of this contest in which We
re engaged is rather laughed down in Dem
cratic audiences and in Democratic news
apers. They say that is ques-
ION which We are forcing upon the people,
nd which does not belong to this campaign
hat the South wants peace, and that people
mo talk about outrages upon poor negroes
re shaking the bloody Shirt and are I
rying to get up an excitement to hide {
1me other issue which they wish to avoid.
Ill have to say about that is this that
be Government of the United States. if it
,tends to be honest, is bond either to repeal
nd annul the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
mendments or to enforce them. For ,,
lere Is one thing you cannot stand, ,
I'd that Is to allow these amendments
remain in your Constitution, and quietly q
ermlt them to be trampled under foot and :
ade OF no effect. That is just what you >
arnot do. Let me tell you, gentleman, 0
lat can never be endured in this country q
nd the man who thinks he can do it with
fety in New York has either never read
story, or has read it in vain. The man
no thinks that any constitutional franchise
hich he enjoys in the city of New York is g
lie while the constitutional franchise of any =
her man in this country is rrampled upon a
axes great and grievous mistake. The {
overnment of the United States is power Y
!, none more 30 on the globe but il is not A
werful enough TO do wrong.