Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-09-21
RETRENCHMENT AND REFORM
GRAND RALLY OF The FEOfLE
THEUNION SHALL BE RESTORED!
EOUAL RIGHTS TO ALE!

EQUAL RIGHTS TO A L
Speeches OF Hons. Montgomery Blair
and HI. U. tlaushtOn.
The meeting last hight, under the auspices
of the Central TildeD aud Hendricks Club, al
the corner OF King aud St. Asaph streets, Was
truly grand success and is said to be one OF
the largest meetings ever held 10 old Alex
apdria, il being estimated that about 1000
people we're on the ground, at one time, anu
never did speakers have more attentive and
appreciative audience than did the Hons
Montgomery Blair, Of Mary land, aud Il. y.
Ctaughton, of this city, last night, and never
has it been the pleasure OF an audience to
step TO more powerful, soul-stlrrlDg words
OF ruth and wisdom, than were then ut
tered. The out-pouriog Of the people, 10
this vast number, cot in the interest OF
aty party, nor for the elevation OF any
particular PEI 500. but Of men of all parties,
evidenced that the people were awakening to
arcaiz .rion of the sad condition of the country,
brought about by the corrupt rule OF the
.dical party, for the past eight years. and tuly
determined to do what they could to restore
the integrity of thu Union to brlUg back
its original purity; 10 SECURE equal rights
to all to obtain exemption from MILL
tary despotism, which is as degrading to the
black man as it is humiliatng 10 the white
mau of the South, and to resurrect the buried
Constitution that their fathers framed, and
forever put stop to the is>ung oil such in
famous Documents as the Taft Circular.
and On the 4;h day Of next November to
sweep clean the foul watts, and as with u beasom
Of destruction free the body polric If the
cariiou crows.
| THE STAND.
| 1t was >pleudidty located o0 the southwest
rn:1 u King anl 81. Asaph streets, the position
81 which cni,bicd the speaker TO command a
| view Of bis audience 10 all directions and Iuade
the 81 ,ker visible TO the audcbcc FROM all
puiuts il use Il familiar phrase, "thc stand was
| Ian! someiy Gecrra;ed,' but that docs not con
yev an idea 0! the extent and arrangement OF
| tic decorations. 1t was tleray wrapped
! up in the American h1g,' ADD surrounded by
! fl rs OF every nation, tie Irish, German and
/ UuiteG States hIgs Wav ~ side by side from
| tie ulost CONSPICUOUS place on the stand, direct
| IL 10 front OF the speaker, aud above his head
! in gas lets, ARA pncd hy NJ. + Norris, the
letter" rILDEN l. H EN- d RIO X S. y
| Chuese autclns, DearEg the MOTTO Union
F,rcvcr,' spauncd ST. Asaph street from Ram
says store to the stand, AID King street,irom
the stand 10 Mu!r's building, and suspended
across King street, 10 iect from the ground
Was the Third Ward Tlldcn and Hen
d.icks hag, and from the top o. the stand
waved another large 'yidru and Hendricks fl x
! furnished by Mr.. John 7 dsett, the whole
being brilliantly Illuminated, and above all
this magnificent display fJatcd proudly the
hag OF the Uoion.
!. At about quarter to eight o'clock the First
! Ward Tildcn and Hendricks Club arrived on
the sfouod bearing trausp#reucics with APP
/, g,nia 10 the Rescue" Equal Rights to All, y
"Retrc ,chmeot and Reform" &C., audlighted
torches. the Alexandria Brass Band receiving
tn III With its loui>st strains, aud the club re-
spending with three hearty cheers.
At S O'Clock the res rived seats 90 the stand
being occupied by The Ulcers of the different
! Ward Clubs. tx Mayor K. kempcr, President
OF the Ccu.ral Tdea AID Hendricks Club,
called Il c ne, ting t. order, and in few ap.
nropria,v rniuaik>, Introduced TO the meeting
| the Hoa. Montgomery Blair, of Maryland,
who was received most enthusiastically, with
the loud st cheers.
Mr.. Blair said it afforded him unspeakable
pleasure to talk to such au audience upoa the
grca, issues involved and the great Interests at
stake 10 this campaigu. The notices, the
cmbl,ms, aud the fig, all showed that the
heart OF this people was Tor the Union, aud
that the day had gone, never to retu'o, When
! Virginia was arraycd against the Unlon, and
it was ouly those WHO pretended to be It's friends
that we're its enc mics, and he charged it upon the
radicaI party BECAUSE they were cndeavorlng to
keep up strife, au / We're continually stirring up
the emhitt2rm ms If the war that had past, and
ought to be buried forever. He was Ovcrjuyed,
-, he said to sec that those who were obce
against him, for be vas always Uoon man,
had returned, and ia their heart Of hearts,
loved the Union that their loretathers died for.
Why was there party 10 this country, he
asked, that sought TO keep alive, after these
long years thai slavery had been abolished aud
the negro r, copnizad, the cmbittermeuts of
thu past, aud divide the Uuion, and said it was
because that party, after plunderiug the gov
errm lot, could not stand before the Anne lean
/ people on any other issue. Some Of his audi
| cnce knew him wheu he occupied positions that
| they did not like, as member ot Lincoln S
! Cabluct, and more recently as counsel Tor VIM.
W. Bekuap. for he wal a praciicing lawyer,
and was Wiling 10 defend any one 90 technical
grounds, bu, be did not come there for the
purpose of getting their good wishes, and
while engaged IN that trial, he listened to a
speech from Mr. Hoar, of Massachusetts, one
Of the purest men 10 the radlca party, 10 which
it was stated that the United States would ex-
Gel ali other natous only 10 its corruption, aud
that Was the sentiment Of all the best men Of
the party, ani he said the Union could be as
efectualiy destroyed by corruption as by az at
tempt 10 sever it, aud therefore he came not
10 the name OF any party but in the interest of
the country, and 1t was the duty Of all, the
black as well as the white man, the old line
wbg as we'll as the democrat, TO come to its
/; scuc; the publication of the government Was
the only rea! Issue prcsented to the country, and
| hctnrr This is>ua all mall notifies uupht m