Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-08-03
GEN. FUTILE.
Why He Left the Demo
cratic Party.
when the Rebels Took
Command Of It, He Con-
c1ud0d to Leave.

fRcgistcr.l
Mr.. Chairman and Gentleman o.
the Hayes and Wheeler Clstb:
When concluded to change my
party I thought that i might be al.
lowed to do II quietly. 1t was a pri.
vate act, and required no public
announcement and there WAS no one
to whom was obligated to account
for such an action. But as my course
has been SO assailed, and have been
called 80 severely to account, may
rs well embrace this opportunity to
tell both my Democratic and my
Republican friends why have left
the old Democracy, and why 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.
ICheers.l / am no speaker, and
make no prctcnsions of being. But
/ can talk to you as neighbors. ]
have been considered doubtful by
many Democrats for nearly two
years. Laughter.l Indeed ] never
have been Democrat IL the issues
on which they are fighting this year
are the principles Of the party.
IGreat applause.l But nearly two
years ago the course of duty was de-
veloped much more plainly than II
ever had been before. What ] had
seen before that that was wrong, ]
had continued to hope would be
found to DO mistaken and that II
would be mended.
REBEL DEMOCRATS.
Nearly two years ago was In ST.
Louis. Now there IL nothing pecu.
liar in simply having been In st.
Louis. But I was there also In 1861
lCheers. That WAS just after the
first battle OF Bull Run, and st. Lou.
IL was thoroughly, wildly, insancly
rebel. 1t was worth mans life
then almost to BIO seen In the Union
uniform. A Union officer about the
hotels, where congregated the nois
lest secession elements, was hooted
ut and derided, and told with sneers
ayes, you'll go south, and you will
come back, as tho Union soldiers
have Just come back from Bull Run
with your tails tucked" But rs
remember IL, none Of our troops
from Iowa ever came back In that
shape. Laughter and applause.
That was tho feeling In st. Louis In
1861, and this feeling ] found there
again, In the same spirit and in the
tho same place, re-oxpressed by the
same men, when was there In 1874
II was then ! heard the news that
the Democrats had elected n MAORI
~ OF tho National House, and these
same fellows who swarmed about
tho hotels talking treason and derid.
ing Union soldiers I'm 1861 were ex-
ultant and dolirious with Joy this
last time. / remarked to a gentle
man who had been conrad with
mo In tho war, "This looks like the
same set of set OF fellows who were
rpuuting troaoon hero Mt the begin
ming Of the war. What Is Il that Is
exciting them so, and what ails
them? We asked squad OF them
what II was that made "them feel so
good?" l heard one Of them say
we have got them this time. We
can beat them this time"
We nsken who they meant by
"them?" They replied, "we'll elect
tho next President, and then we've
got them. Then we'll got pay for
all our property destroyed In the
war, and then we'll get pay for our
lost slaves. We have the House
overwhelmingly now, and In 1876,
tho Centennial year, we can get the
Senate and Democratic President.
Then we can appoint our commit
toes To suit ourselves, and choose our
own Southern Claims Court, and
mako good our losses by tho war"
They meant that they would get
pay for all the property destroyed
by tho Union army, and pay for all
their emancipated slaves.
THE REBEL PROGRAMME.
Said ono, "givo us possession Of
the government, and tho North will
DO the rebels next time" This was
tho talk, and tho talk In earncst--as
was the talk Of the same men In
1861. They mean 1t. They talked
1t over coolly and seriously Said
they had already nm united South,
which would be nearly enough, and
that their Democratic allies In tho
North dare not deny them tho little
more, tho fow more votes, that they
would need. This Is their idea to-
dny---to gain by legislation, by
means OF diplomacy and trickery,
what they failed to gain by means OF
force. / believe II; know 1t. All
their OK expressions suggest 1t, and all
their actions prove II. What else do
they mean? Why ID IL that the
State of Missouri has issued to every |
former owner OF slaves In that state
a certificate for one thousand dollars
for every slave, payable when the
general government will pay IL?
This very thing, the total amount Of
the value Of their emancIpated slaves
Is now estimated rs part of the
State debt OF Missouri! ! used to
think that this was Republican
tho certificate matter.
But II Is an actual fact, and these
and all certificates or
Of losses sustained through
,ut the State are being saved up rs
,arefully rs money against tho day