New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-10-29

Of the Democratic party took tho aide Of
the South. Thousands and thousands OF
Democrats came out from that party ana
ranged themselves on the eide Of the govern
mentl It may be that some weak kneed ke-
publicans ct that time took tho other SIDE. l
never saw one that did; but may be there
was one. But . great many Democrats and
that old, rotten Democratic party and
ranged themselves on the side Of country,
on tho side Of liberty, ON the side OF eternal
right, and the war commenced. No need
that I should describe this war. You al
know all about it, and am not In Q condi
ton tonight, and you have not the time,
and have not the voice to tell you ell that
happened in that war. 1t IL sufficient to
say that all the people that loved liberty;
made ell the sacrifice of blood, made all
the sacrifice of treasury necessary to take
the banner from the clutch of treason, and
make it wave over every inch of American
territory redeemed forever.
It is sufficient to say that there are good
men in the country enough to make war on
the infamous institution of slavery. 1t il
sufficient to say that they broke the
shackles of 1000 900 of human beings; that
there were good men enough, that there
were patriots enough to say that these
freedmen should not be Migrants, but that
they should be citizens. 1t il sufficient for
me to say that these freedmen should not
be left to the tender mercies of their former
masters, of their former thieves, of their
former robbers; but the good men said:
"These negroes shall not only be citizens,
but they shall be armed with the ballot to
protect their rights, the same IS other citi.
zens are armed with the ballot"
Another question We are asking to night,
hA
party IL now trying to solve and settle. is:
Shall these negroes have the right to cast
their ballots peaceably for the government
of their choicei That Is the great question
tonight. Shall all the citizens of the
United States having the right to vote
shall they be allowed to vote without being
interfered with By any Ku-Klux, by any
White Liner, by any white vsgrant, BY any
recent robber, by any unconverted Demo
by any other wretch whateveri That is the
question. Now, the great Republican party
says: Every citizen shall have the right to
cast the ballot, and if he can't get that
right in any other way, We will march An
army into the States Of this Union in order
to secure that right to every citizen in it."
The Democrat says: THAT 10 tyranny"
The Democrat says whenever you march
soldiers into . State you GROSS the sacred
un0 u eOVoIoikn CsoVos onu yvo No AO
right to 60 there to protect the rights of any
citizen, especially of those citizens who
want to vote the Republican ticket in .
State which the Democrats wish to carry.
Now, my friends, in old times the State
was not sacred. Any man hunting his run
away slave held it - his.c0nstitutiOnsl right
to cross that State line, and not only that,
but any State line could be crossed by any
bloodhound, who was ono step above the
any State line for the purpose of enjoying
the constitutional right to put his white
teeth in the black flesh of man, and every
Democrat said. "Long live the constitu-
tion!" Now, what We want is to drive the
bloodhound back and let the soldier of the
United States GROSS that State line-n0t for
the purpose of robbing human beings, not
for the purpose of enslaving man, not for
the purpose of stealing children, not for the
purpose of whipping women-but for the
purpose Of protecting those human beings
crat says the State 10 too sacred thing to
be crossed on such matters.
Isay they, the colored people, have suf.
branded like cattle. For 200 years they
we're pursued by bloodhounds. For 200
years the sacred ties of husband, wife,
father. mother, brother and sister-every
sacred tie in the human heart-were rent
asunder and trampled beneath the brutal
foot of might. They have suffered enough.
Besides all that, during four years of war
they were the only friends We had in the
Southern States that were on our side. |
Whenever they had an opportunity to help
} Union soldier they did it. More than
hiatt say it to their credit-to their hu- |
nanity's credit, be it said, they stayed at |
home and defended the wife and child of |
he white master, when the white master |
vent to the field to war, to fight for the |
ig bit 10 sell the wife and child of those who |
tayed at home to protect that masters |
wife and child.
Now. my friends, there is another ques- |
hands is the government safer |
n-the hands of the people Who said it was |
lot nation, or the hands of the party that |
ought over thousand ensanguined fields |
o prove by the point CT the bayOnet that 1t |
3 q nationi l ask you, in whose hands is
or it, or the party that objected to it at
very step? l ask you another thing. |
'hould We now turn this government over
o the hands of the party that endeavored
Or four years to destroy it? I'll tell you
vhat I'd say: "The party that saved the
hip of State should sail it; the party that
ave the nation shall rule; the party that
aved the flag shall carry it,. Of what use
7ss all the blood and treasure spent if now
onnection with the rebel sympathis-
az Democracy of the North. together
nth few renegades from the Republican
srty, who left the Republican party
ecause we would not make them President
1hen they were not fit for corporals-My
riende, can not 60 into such disgustingly
mall details; must attend to the main
uestion. There never has man left the
.epublicsn party and joined the Demo
ratio party that is worth the notice OF an
onest man. Now, then, l say the question
], shall We hand this government over to
abels that are sorry they failed to destroy
!, to these sympathizers in the North that
re also sorry the rebels failed to destroy
!, together with q few renegade Repub-
cans, and might add few Democratic
,ldiers who fought we'll and calamity for
10 nation, but there are not enough of
lem to make salt for that party; there are
OF enough of them in that party to give it
although they do give it all
,all we turn the government over into the
ands of these peOple2
But let me tell you am not in any sense
Republican. / would not care Q cent, l
ould not care farthing, whether Mr..
rown or Mr.. Smith were President of the
nited States. l would not care what
arty had power; would not care what
arty had control, provided believed the
arty had the government that would pro.
ct liberty everywhere, and would give
Iual right to every American citizen.
ould not think it worth my while to 60
,out the country and talk. only l firmly,
'lemly believe that if the Democratic
srty comes into power, every white and
,lored Union man in the South will be, so
speak, in hell. He can not live there
it'll any peace; he will not be allowed to
Ipress his convictions. And tell you that
don't WANT to be ruled by party that looks
BON Republicanism in every Southern