The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-10-05
Gen. Garfield then read the following let
ter.
letter from Gen, ftis,

oetssF tEU" eens btH,
HEADQUARTERS tSioN VETERANS. NATION.
FORK CRY, September Is, 1875 Comrades; il
was my purpose 10 be present as Chairman Of
your National Committee, at your Convention on
the 10th instant, Causes unforeseen until the last
moment prevent my attendance. II is a source
Of unfeigned regret that ] am unable to meet an
assemblage OF the gallant men who periled
their lives for the salvation Of the Union.
My regret lie the deeper. as IL was my wish to
speak a few words to you 40 soldiers, soldiers
facc TO face. The Importance Of the occasion
which calls you together can not be ovcresti-
mated. II is my sincere belief that the tranquil.
" OF the country. purchased by, your hardship,
ponds on the election Of Gov. Hayes, The gallant
commander VINO lcl many Of you 10 vict ry. indie.
pendent Of all party considerations, l believe IL
TO be far better for the South, better for the North,
better for every portion. Of our vast republic that
the executive power OF the Government should
be ronfded to him rather than to his OPP.
station once filled by Washington you will ali
feel that he will enter upon the discharge Of his
responsible duties with a patriotism as pure. a
life as and an integrity as unqucs.
toned. The civil war, through which We have
passed with go fearful an expenditure OF blood
and treasure In re estaolishinF the Goyernment
providence, be mistaken for centuries TO come,
has brought with II new responsibilities. A race
to he rank Of citIlenship. HE rights nsa with which
they have been endowed by general consent are
TO be protected; but recent occurrences indicate,
! ItPEtt " euN tnNt tntTt uTt III tue SOutn lnll-
viluals who are intent ON disturbing the es,nb.
lisled order, Willie all such purposes are 10 he
resisted and foiled, If need be, by the whole lc.
climate power Of the Government, a generous
confidence and support should be extended TO
those who sustain the Government in Its manifest
duty TO enforce the requirements OF the Constitu.
tion AMI laws.
Your organization was framed In no spirit OF
hostility to any portion Of your fellow citizens.
IL WAS tormeyet 70 maintain by. The ballot in the
pCliti,a. field the principles which you upheld by
the bayonet in the field Of battle. We will sus.
tain our southern brethren in the enjoyment Of
every right and every privilege which We pos.
sess; their security is also ours, but we resist,
and will continue to resist, now and hereafter,
The elevation of any Northern man To the highest
o ona er IN ,ne g,u o, ,he psorie wh0 was I'M not openly
ment when ii was threatened with destruction.
! believe that the election of Gov. TIllcn would
be most unfortunate for the South. lie would
go into office distrusted by the whole b dy of pa.
triotic citizens of the North, those who sustained
the government in the grept peril.
The overwhelming ihaIorilies In Vermont and
Maine were called out by his nomination. The
other Republican States are only waiting for the
opportunity OF pronouncing the same emphatic
Judgment upon lin. Hc could not carry on the
Government successfully against this deeply
seated feeling Of distrust, and without warming
into life the sectional animositiea which have
proved so disastrous To TIE country, and which
ccrld not fail to involve us in new dissensions.
We are starting on at the beginning of the sec.
ond century of our national existence, on
a new career OF prosperity, animated by the
hope and confidence which are inspired by the
triumphant success of the past They must he
clouded or turned into disappointment. by our
own errors OF Judgment or ~ conduct. There are
already uaWnings of renewed. activity in the
channels If industry. A country with such I'M
mense powers of production can not long. con.
tinue unprosperous. No portion of the Union
has SO deep an interest In preserving internal or
der, which is essential TO the successful develop.
ment OF our resources, as the SOUTH; none which
would be affected 80 disastrously by its disturb
ance. Public quietude can not be maintained by
MIR. Tildcn. He has no other prestige than that
Of n party manager, and it is now understood in
his w state, and will be clearly shown through.
out the Union, that his claim to he a reformer Is
barele.s AND fraudulent. ' leave Tor discussion
elsewhere his long continued associations with
the prohigatc politicians 10y whom the City of New
YORK was plundered, and the recent develop.
ments which have so severely impaired public
confidence in his personal integrity. Iii $ enough
for us that he is presented to the people as the ex.
ponent of the principles and policy OF the Demo.
cratic party, that he declared the war a failure
when You were bringing it to a triumphant con.
%clusion, and that he refused to take part in up.
holding the Government when it WAS menacei
and imperiled-a Government which would not
be In existence II his example and his Counsel-
had prevailed with his countrymcn.
Comrades-ln seasons of danger and trial ,yo,
have fastened TO The support of the Republican
party with a devotion and al energy which have
always been crowned with success. The samy
party appeals to you again for aid, in a contest
involving the public honor and prosperity of the
continued tranquility OF the Union. No party
in the hundred years of our national life, has
done so much for the good name and the welfare
Of the country, by its patriotism. its flrmness,
its perseverance,. 1t upheld the Government and
saved the Union from dissolution. II abolished
sl.very, and obliteratei forever the only blot or
our national sscutcheon, and, in eleven years
by prudent financial manageUe It, it has paid OF
200. M ,ttO of the debt contracted for the pres.
%eryation of the Union. ! ~conjurc you, by these
triumphant achievements OF the last sixteen
years, by the remembrance of your heroic com
rades who are slumbering in honorable graves
and by the memory Of the martyrcd Lincoln, un
der whose guidance, in saving the Union and
abolishinR slavery, we achieved the greatest q
all human victories-by all these haliowed recol,
%Iections. / ~conjure you to stand by the party
which was inspired and ennobled by his exam
pie and the cause which was consecrated by
his blood. Your fellow. citizen. comraie and
friend, tSignetil JONI A. DIX.
While the committees were out, Gen. Lo.
gan, in response to loud calls for him, ap.
peared and spoke as follows:
Gen. Logan's Speech.
Comrades, I shall respond but n moment tc
your ran, while the committee compare their re
port. We have met here as fellow soldiers who
have served in the same great cause, and as fel,
low citizens. but | have been surprised to heal
it remarked, as n reproach that this is a politica
meeting. suppose it is, who have a greater
right 10 meet together and consult in regard "a
the political future Of their country than the men
who, in its direst calamity, stood forth for the
nag and the Constitution, and fought treason tc
the death, swearing that this Republic should
live and be for the benefit Of all. lGreat cheers
Why should we not consult together Does any
one charge that we hold q political meeting? /
answer yes. and you have a right to do so. The
soldiers who fought, and who were all faithful
who are still faithful, are not soured by petty
personal grievances. They have met. to
ratfy the nomination Of one Of their comrades,
brave soldier, Rutherford u. Hayes. When
they say soldiers have no right TO meet and cx.
press their Views on the political future Of the
country, you have but to ask them who, when
treasury p5lunderei, the army destroyed. the
thN r scat'eTei 70 Ss, t ,ha came a. 1he call rhos OF
strong arms steadied the mighty fabric when its
great pillars rocked and tottered in the hour OF
the supreme trial. The soldier citizens who res
cued the nation earned the right. that never
should be questioned, to consult and to lie heard
IN regard TO our national Affairs. For this only
semblage Of sol iers to ratify the nomination OF
Hayes and " heeler, and then look across the
Ohio River at such a meeting OF soldiers as would
rntify the nomination Of TilGen and Hendricks.
or what material would that soldiers u litical
material be made up7 OF rebels, of conquered
traitors, or brohen.down sccessionists, Of old
country. We are told TO let bygones be bygones,
and look nj the future. Yes, but upon one con
dition-when the men who tried TO destroy the
Government; 10 tear up the nag; 10 trample the
Constitution under foot, shall become
law. abiding, and love the flag and obey the
Constitution and all its amendments, and pro
tect every citizen, white or black, in all his
rights and say w have had enough OF war and
treason and murder-thcn, and not till then, viii
We shake hands across the bloody chasm. lalk
about their being satisfied the Consti,u-
tional amendments and the condition OF this
country as a Union of free citizens with equal
rights, II is a mere sham. They present nc
candidates whoever indOrsed q Republican meas.
ure or upheld the cause OF the Union during the
war or since the war. They opposed every Law
that gave freedom or guaranteed II; that con
ferred the right to vote or protected the ballot.
box. They now pretend To acqniescc in the great
enactments OF ir edom, that they may get con
troll and leave these very measures null and
f~ruitless for want Of legislation TO carry then
out These declarations now are misleading az
they were during the war. They have nominated
Mr. Tilden for President. What did he even
do TO suppress the rebellion Moth.
inga. And Mr.: Hendricks for Vice
President; what did he ever do 10 encourage
men who fight for their country. or what vote
did he. ever cast for a law or constitutional
amendment giving their rights to the people2 ",
demand not empty professions, but earnest men
whose lives prove their devotion to their country
In It's extremity-men such az Gov. Hayes. whal
Union speech did Tilden ever make; 1t Ia sait
that q newsboy created a sensation in the streets
of New York one day, during the war, by crying
Here's your Herald! Great Union speech d
Samuel j. Tilden!" The first man who caugh
at the paper ran it over in vain for the speech