Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-08-11
SPEECH OF
GENERAL ]. N. TUTTLE,
DES MONIES, JULY goth.
His Reasons for Abandoning the Con-
federate Democracy.
A TELLING EFFORT.

Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of
the Hayes and Wheeler Club:
When | concluded to change my
party l thought that might be al
lowed to do it quietly. 1t was pri-
vate act, and required no public an
nouncement, and there was no one to
whom l was obligated to account for
such an action. But, as my course
has been so assailed, and have been
called so severely to account, l may
as well embrace this opportunity to
tell both my Democratic and my Re
publican friends why 1 have left the
old Democracy, and why I am here
tonight. The act of my change was
a private one, but my reasons for so
doing were public ones, and they
may be told, and shall be. Cheers.
I am no speaker, and make no pre-
tensions of being. But l can talk to
you as neighbors. have been con-
sidered doubtful by many Democrats
for nearly two years. Laughter.
Indeed, I never have been a Demo
crat if the issues on which they are
fighting this year are the principles
of the party. Great applause.l But
nearly two years ago the course OF
duty was developed much more plain
ly than it ever had been before
What l had seen before that was
wrong, l had continued to hope
would be found to be mistakes that
would be mended.
REBEL DEMOCRATS.
Nearly two years ago l was IN st.
Louis. Now there is nothing pecul-
lar in simply having been at St.
Louis. But was there also in 1861.
[Cheers.1 That was just after the
first battle OF Bull Run, and st. Louis
was thoroughly, wildly, insanely
Rebel. 1t was worth a mans life
then almost to be seen in the Union
uniform. A Union officer about the
hotels, there congregated the noisest
Secession elements, was hooted at,
and derided, and told, with sneers,
eyes, you'll go South, and you will
come back, as the Union soldiers
have Just come back from Bull Run,
with your tails tucked" But, as l
remember it, none of our troops from
Iowa ever came back In that shape.
Laughter and applause. That was
the feeling in St. Louis in 1861; and
this feeling l found there again, in
the same spirit and in the same
place, expressed by the very same
men. when l was there in 1874. 1t
was then l heard the news that the
Democrats had elected majority of
the National House; and these same
fellows who swarmcd about the hotels,
talking treason, and deriding Union
soldiers, in 1861, were exultant and
de.irious with joy this last time. l
remarked to a gentleman, who had
been comrade with me in the war,
"this looks like the same set of fel-
lows who were spouting treason here
at the beginning of the war. What
is it that is exciting them SO, and
what ails them?" We asked squad
of them what it was that "made them
feel so good?" / heard one Of them
say, ave have got them this time
We can beat them this time" We
asked who they meant by "them. y
They replied, "We'll elect the next
President, and then we've got them.
Then we'll get pay for all property
destroyed in the war, and then we'll
get pay for all our lost slaves. We
have the House overwhelming now,
and in 1876, the Centennial year, we
can get the Senate and a Democratic
President. Then we can appoint our
committees to suit ourselves, and
choose our own Southern Claims
Committee or Southern Claims Court,
and make good our losses by tEo
war;" They meant that they would
get pay for all the property destroyed
by the Union Army, and pay for all
their emancipated slaves.
THE Ex-REBEL PROGRAMME.
Said one, "Give us possession of
the Government, and the North will