Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-11-23
Speech of Secretary Morrill,.
ADDRESS TO WALL STREET MERCHANTS. No
vEMBER 4, 1876.

vENBER 1, 1876.
Nr. Chairman and Feiloo- Citizens This looks
to me very like business. | feel that | want TO
congratulate the country that at length the bust
ness instincts of the people have become onscious
OF the impending danger, and hail it as q haIbin-
ger of that success which in the Providence Of
God, and in the right and potency of the great
cause which we advocate here to day, Is TO
triumph early next week. [Applausel And be-
ing here hundred years IRON the glorious dec
lafahon Of human rights, standing here on this
ground made sacred by the Inauguration of him
who was made first in peace trst in war, and first
IN The hearts OF his countrymen; standing here
now, fellow citizens, at the end OF sixteen years of
victory and triumph over rebellion, civil " ar and
treason,-s country redeemed nationality saved
and preserved, a credit second TO no government
on the face OF the earth let us lift our hands rev.
erently to God and give him praise for the won
deifu things that have been done ia this land.
lCheefs am to speak TO you in a brief way, if
you shall lend me your ears. with no prepared
thoughts for the suddenness Of your call, and the
eNigencies of a rigorous service gives me no time
to collect two thoughts in any logical manner;
and for the desultory way in which am to ad-
dress you, you must make all due allowance.
| The subjects to which shall direct your atten-
ton are simple and plain; they are open to all of
you they are familar to all of you and they only
need to be emphasized now at this period of the
canvass. What are the questions aud what have
been the questions before you in the last sixteen
years They are simply whether this nation shall
| live or perish. Applause | shall not have oc-
casion, time, strength or opportunity TO refer to
Them extensively, but let me state a single fact
from which you may infer few thoughts. Six
teen years ago last March, when this party came
INTO power IN whose interests you are here assem-
bled to-day, you had no nationality. The govern
ment OF your country was broken asunder; seven
OF ITS States were in open rebellion; they had Or
gained an independent government within your
jurisdiction and limits, and were maintaining it.
he credit OF your country was below par. In
other words, exaggerate nothing when say to
you that among the great nations Of Europe this
nation OF onrs had neither nationality nor credit
| What do you say of it to-day All the pote mates
OF the esrth nave sent their messengers here with
| their gifts this Centennial year, they have laid
them at our feet, and they do us honor. Its pa-
uonalty is assured, 1t ranks a frst-class power
among the nations of the EARTH and as to its credit
1t Is second to no other nation in Europe or else
where. And what are the questions that we have
TO deal with We have re-established our nation
ality; our credit is all that desire and what is
the trouble Let me tell an old maxim which has
been and ever will be true, that eternal vigilance
Is the plce OF liberty and 1t costs no less to main
tam and preserve human institutions than to &C
quire them. That is fundamental maxim which
desire to illustrate. In these last sixteen wears
the American people have expenoed over eleven
billions OF money in maintaining and preserving
the Ii lbertes Il at suppose to have been organ
lied on this very spot.
n hundred years ago our fathers supposed that
something had been achieved when our national
independence had been won. Did they not and
do we not venerate the names and memories of
our revolutionary fathers 7 But to make the
Declaration of Independence for which they
fought nationality, aud TO make it something
among the nations of the earth has cost YOU
eleven billions OF money in the last sixteen years.
They say We have squandered great deal, and
will come to that by and by. We have spent free
ly, we have loved our couHtiy dearly we have
served il well-and of this we dare and defy con-
tradiction. Ii cost blood and il cost treasure and
1t is worth all that it cost. Applause.
WHAT 1T COSTS TO MAINTAIN THE GOVERNMENT.
Why, my friends, not to trouble you with fig
ures any further than is necessary for illustrations,
| propose to state what it costs to maintain the
government; and bear in mind il Is one thing to
acquire and another thing TO maintain it. Now,
my friends the aggregate expenditures of the
United states Goyernment since 1889, when it was
inaugurated on this spot, have been little less
than fifteen billions of dollars this sum covers the
entire expenditure. You, gentlemen, and l. and
all of have spent within the last sixteen years
81 900 100000 of that. There is no answer for
such an exravagant and enormous expenditure as
that unless we have got something to show for it.
Well. we have a nationality redeemed rcgener-
ated, assured and reconstructed so that now IT is
put in harmony with the Declaration of Indepen-
dence. Applause. That nationality means equal
rights that nationality and the flag, its symbol,
means a shield and protection to all men high and
low. TApplause.]
More than that, my friends you have establish
ed a national credit at the mention Of which the
Golfers of the Old World fly open on their hinges
to take the lowest grade Of your bonds It cost
something TO do it, know; but if there is a man
here who thinks the expenditure could have been
better employed lie had better ask me how we
spent that money from the time when our armies
crossed the Potomac and entered the rebel terri
tory, down to the close of the conflict of arms: if
anybody is curious and skeptical, or desires to
crlticise the manner in which that money was ex-
pended, the next thing he had better do is to dig
up the bones of the dead patriots who perished in
Southern he!ds Applause. Well now, what is
the natterf Laughter. That is the question.
will tell you what the matter is. There is O
skeleton in the house. Cheers and laughter.
There is a SOLID South; the democrats boast that
the have 1t. Well, they always had it, and that
is the gst of the whole thing. I.aughtet OF
such not the kingdom Of heaven, by any
means at all Renewed laughter.l Out Of such
came conspiracy, insurrection civil war and rebel
lion. solid South before the war made the civil
war, didn't it [Cres of YES ''yes."l 1t has
the same significance to-day. Repeated cries of
Eyes. Now that is what is the matter. fCheers.l
But, my friends, the democrats say they do not
look at it So Laughter.l That was their case
in olGen times; they were so blinded that when
the day of rebellion came they said then thst it
was only little unpleasantness, and we had bet
ter keep quiet Laughter aud cheers. solid
South to-day is the hope OF democracy, the hope
of the Lost Cause. And what is the significance
oil IL Let any thinking man answer a
voice, "Anoher rebellion" Yes, it is incipient
rebellion; it is incpent insuncction; 1t tends to
disorder. To-day, throughout the entire South it
distuIbs the public tranquility and demands that
the President OF the United States shall send the
Army to preserve the public peace. Applause
And still there are those who cry peace peace !"
as they did before the war Let me tell you, my
friends, that solid South is the Trojan horse in
American politics. Shouts of "Good" and ap-
plsuse. Its Significance is precisely what it was
before the war. A voice, "Kebellion." Thank
God, they have not the same opportunities.
[Chee,s.l The American people have learned
something, and the larger portion Of them are not
Bourbons. Applause.
THE SOUTHERN QUESTION.
That is one of our troubles, and will tell you
gre at deal moe about this Southern question be-
fore get through. You know what the South
did and what it achieved. Ii was brought upon
the nation, and the result of it was the eytermna-
ton of slavery, the enfanchisement of the slaves,
and the PRONUNCIATION of equal rights to all men
human beings-before the law of this country
| IApplsusel. Out of these three distinct propo-
stions-the product OF the fruit of the rebellion.
and the result Of this party-comes the Southern
question; but that will OK plain little further on.
l have already told you about the standing of our
public credit here aud elsewhere; what is the
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