Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-03-23
sDseob Of Bob Inrersoll.

ance Of the lecturer was greeted with an
outburst of enthusiastic applause, and
throughout his speech the many telling
points ehcited the most enthusiastic APP
probation. The name of Evarts was
cheered over and over again. Carl Schurz
also came in for clapping Of hands.
Judge Key and John Sherman likewise
found favor with the audience. When
Col. tngersoll said that with Gen Sher-
man holding the sword and John Sher
man the purse of the nation, America
would never be whipped nor robbed,
cheer upon cheer broke forth. We give
the following extracts from the speech:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-We have passed
through the most remarkable campaign OF
our history--a campaign remarkable in every
respect. IL was bitter, passionate, relentless
and desperate, and | admit, for one, that
added to its bitterness and relentlessness,
And II may be well enough for the to say
that now, having in some part changed my
feeling, that | am willing to forgive and do
forgive with all my heart every person and
every party that ever said nythlng against
Each party expended all the means at its
disposal; nothing was left undone, good or
bad. Everything happened that could hap
pen. There was no complication omitted.
Each party said and did about all that could
be said and done. Everybody attended to
politics. Business was suspended Every.
thing was given over to professions and
torches, and flags aud transparencies, and
resolutions and conventions, and speeches
and songs. Old arguments were rcvamped;
old stories were pressed into the service and
speeches were made over and over again,
and the old story of the war was revived,
and the North was arrayed against the South
as though upon the field of battle. Party
cries were heard upon every hand. Each
party leaped like tiger upon the reputation
of the other, end tore with tooth and claw,
with might and main. Speeches by the hun
dred thousand documents by the million,
discussions without number, all this and all
these constituted the campaign OF 1876. In
olden times it used to be said that after the
election you could probably tell who was
Governor. In this campaign no particular
light was thrown upon that question by the
election. The Democrats swOre that Tilden
was President but at their banquet they saw
the dim outline of the skeleton of defeat.
Republicans rejoiced with a face ready at
any moment to express the profoundest grief
Then came dispatches and rumors, and esti.
mated majorities, and vague talk about Re.
| turning Boards, aud intimidated voters, and
stuffed ballot-boxes, and fraudulent returns,
and bribed clerks, and injunctiOns, and con.
tempts of court, and kilograms in cipher, and
outrages, and octoroon balls. Everybody
| discussed the qualifications of electors, and
| the value of Governors certificates, and how
| to get behind returns, and who had the right
to count, and persons expecting offices OF
| trust, honor and profit began to threaten
war and extermination, and calls were made
for 100000 men, and there was no end oi
| meetings and resolutions and denunciations
and the downfall of the country was prophe
sled; and yet, Notwithstanding all this, The
name of the person who really was elected
remained unknown. The last scene of thi,
/ 81 f1al hictOry 80 for n.
election by the people was concerned was
... -. cRoNIT.
| see him now as he leaves the land where
rolls the Oregon, and hears no sound save
his own dashings. Cronin, the last sur
yiving veteran Of the great army of honesty
and reform. Cronin, a quorum of one
| Crotin, who elected the two others by
plurality of his own vote. | see him now
armed with Hoadley's opinion and will
Growers certificate, trudging wearily anc
drearily over the wide and wasted saleratu:
deserts of the West. |...
And still the wonder is and still it grows
| How one small head could carry all his nose.
| Then came the great question of who shal
| count the electoral vote. The Vice Presi
dent being q Republican, it was generally
contended, at least by me, that he had {
right to count that vote. My doctrine was
If the Vice-President would count the vote
right he had the right to count it, The Vice
| President not being a Democrat, the mem
| bers of that party claimed that the House
could prevent the Vice President from count
ing it, and this was claimed simply because
the House was not Republican. Nearly al
decided according to their politics..
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.
Finally, bill was passed creating a tri
buDal to count the vote, if any, and hear testi
mony, if any, and declare what man had beer
elected President, If any. This tribunal con
! sisted of fifteen mer, ten being chosen on ac
count of their politics, and five from purel,
! geographical considerations l was there
and know exactly how it was. This tri
bunal divided as near even as it is possible
to divide fifteen men. Ga all questions, ex
| cept adjournments, they stood eight to seven
and 1t has been remarked by unprejud1ceC
! observers that in no single Instance inyolv
ing an electoral vote did a solitary Democra
vote with the Republicans. 1t seemed i'm
possible for them to forget old party idea
and associations; such is the weakness o
man and such is the strength of politica
habit. But, notwithstanding the seveI
| Democrats voted constantly together, tn
eight Republicans kept having majority o
one, until the last disputed State was give
against the great party of honesty and re
form, and Hayes and Wheeler were declared
to be President and Vice-President of tn
United States.
THE SOUTHERN QUESTION.
Another question pressing now for al
| answer is: To what extent can the Genera
Government defend its citizens in the variou
| States? 1t has lately been said by some ex
ceedingly orthodox Democrat that if Stat
will not protect citizen the citizen cal
leave that State. 1t has been said that tn
| General Government has no right 10 marcl
| an army across the line of State to protec
the rights of citizen, unless the Governor O
that State, If the Legislature is not il
session, and the Legislature OF the State il i
Is in session, calls upon the President TO
troops. In. my Judgment that Is the ab
surdest kind of secession. II the State o
Illinois must protect me; IL have no righ
to call for the protection of the General Coy
ernment, all have to say is that my allie
4 glance must belong to the Government tina
protects me. II Illinois protects me and tn,
| General Government has not the power, thei
my first allegiance is due Illinois, and sioult
Illinois unsheath the sword of civil war
must stand by my State If that doctrine
| true. What does the General Goyernmen
propose to give.m me in exchange for my allie
glance? The General Government has thu
right to take my properly; the General Gov
| ernment has the right to take my body in tn,
necessary defense of this Government
What does that Government propose TO Civ,
| me in exchange for that right? Protection
or else our Government is fraud. Th
Government that will not protect its citizen
| is q ulsgrace 10 humanity. Ihe GoVernmen
| that waits until Il Governor calls-a Govern
nent that cannot hear the faintest cry of tn,
meanest citizen beneath its flag when hi
rights are being trampled upon, even by
sovereign State, has no right TO exist upoI
the face of the earth. 1t is the duty of th,
! United States of America to see to it tha
\ every State has a government, not only re
| publican in form, but it is the duty of thu
| United States to see to it that life, libert
AID property are protected in each State
and. II they are not protected 1t Is the duty o
tine United States to protect them, If 1t take
all their military forces both upon land ant
upon sea-
PEACE AND COMPROMISE.
This is no time for war. War settles moth
! ing except a mere question of strength. Tha
! is all war ever did settle. You cannot shoe
ideas into man with musket, nor with
cannon Into one of those old Bourbon Dem
! ocrats of the North. You cannot let preiu
| dices out with the sword. This is the timt
! for reason, for discussion, for compromise
| This Is the time to repair, to rebuild, to pre-
! serve. War destroys; peace creates. Wari
decay and death; peace is growth and life
and sunlight and air. War kills men-no
mistakes. Artillery does not reason; IL as
| serts. bayonet has point enough, but M
/ lnarin NH..s. Nh.. 4