Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-04-04
cor. lNoEasoLL Ar cAlcAoo.

| COL. IMoERsoLL At CHICAGO.
| Col. r. G. Ingersoll gave an extend.
ed speech at Farwell Hall, Chicago
March u. He gave his views of the
political situation. 1t was a great
speech even for him. He will
probably speak next at st. Louis, and
may speak in several of the large
cities Of the South, as he has al
ready in several Eastern cities. We
shall, from time to time, give extracts
from these speeches, as they are too
lengthy to be given in full in our
colamns. He warmly indorses Presi-
dent Hayes. We take the following
selection from his Chicago speech for
publication at this time:
1 believe IL is the duty of this gov
crnment to protect every citizen be-
meath its flag-every one, whether no
is black or white, or rich or poor.
believe that. But, say the democrat
ic party to-day, and some republicans,
it is tho business of state to protect
its own citizens. Who disputes it ?
But suppose tho state does not protect
its own citizens, then must the citizen
fly to another state2 Oh, no, they say
the General Government has a right
to protect that citizen if the Governor
of that state will call for help. But
suppose the Governor of that state is
the very whelp that is trampling up
on the rights of that citizen, You can
not get him to do much calling. But
they say the Legislature has the right.
And suppose the Legislature is tramp
ling upon the rights of this very citi-
zen then of course they say there is
a defect in the constitution, and the
poor fellow has to stand it. APP
plausc.1 don't believe that. I don't
believe that the arm of this govern
mcnt melts at state line like q sword
of wax in flame of fire. don't be-
lieve that. In the good old time You
had right to cross state line If you
were pursuing negro, and had q lop
cared hound at your heels there was
no state limo then: no state line when
you were endeavoring to steal another
man when ho wanted to grasp the
child and tear it from the breast of its
mother; there was no state line to
protect her, not particle. But now
when you want to cross a.state line,
not to steal a child, not for the divine
privilege of whipping some poor un-
fortunate wretch, but simply to pro-
tect an American citizen, up rises
every state like Chinese wall with
out gate, wall too high to be
leaped, and too thick to penetrate !;
and there stands the democratic par
ty on each side, and say that you can
not cross that line when you want to
do right; but when you wanted to
steal something there was no wall
there. [Applause. This doctrine that
state must protect its citizens, and
if a state docs not, that the United
States is not bound to, is tho most
absurcd proposition in the doctrine
of secession. Do owe allegiance to
the Government? Yes. What does
this Government owe me in consider
alton of that allegiance? Protection.
Applause. That is the only thing.
| owe allegiance to the State of Illin.
if this doctrine of the democratic par
ty is right, if man must look alone
to Illinois for protention, then pro-
pose to stand by the Government that
protects me; and whenever Illinois
draws the sword of civil war, when
ever Illinois tries to destroy this ma
tion, l am on the side of illinois, if
the general government will not pro-
tect me.
/ denounce that doctrine. l owe
allegiance to the general government.
Tho general government owes me
protection, and as long as the general
government claims to have the right
to put me in the line of battle so long
as it claims the right to confiscate tho
last dollar l have on earth for the
public defense; and as long as that
government claims the right to take
me and use my body as food for pow
der, so long that government owes
me protection in time of peace,
whether my rights are attacked by an
individual or by state. tApplause.
Tell me that the government is so
deaf that it cannot hear anything but
a Governor This government SO
deaf that il cannot hear anybody but
Legislature If this is so, then cv-
cry citizen ought to be stone deaf
when the government calls for yolun-
teers to defend its flag. Applause !
The government that cannot hear the
weakest wall of its meancst and poor
est citizen is disgrace to humanity.
Tremendous applause. Why, is it
possible that you have to go away
from home to be protected by the
United States? Is it possible that the
general government can protect men
in England and France, but not when
they are beneath the starry
folds of her flag? Is that the doc
trine? This Government, all power
fnl to protect her citizens when away
from home, all weakness when they
stand beneath her banner! | de-
nounce that doctrine as absurd and
as the last of the heresy called seces-
sion. Tremendous applause.