The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-07-13
THE woodstock MEETING

At Woodstock, Conn, on the 18th. a
meeting WAS held, at which IA number
Of speeches were made. Gov. Cham
berlain and Hon. James q. Blaine,
were among the speakers. Gov. Cham
berlain's speech was especially bitter
against the Presidents Southern pol
icy. We append a few extracts:
''But, fellow citizens, what is the
Presidents Southern Policy!
"In point of physical or external
fact, it consists in Withdrawing the
military forces of the United States
from the points in South Car olina and
Louisiana, where they had been previ
ously stationed for the protection and
support of the lawful governments of
those States.
''In point of immediate, forseen. and
intended consequence, it consists Ia the
overthrow and destruction of those
State governments, and the substitu-
ton III its stead of certain other or
CARNATIONS called State governments.
In point of actual present results, it
consists in the abandonment of South
ern Republicans, and especially the
col pred race, to the control and rule
rot only of the Democratic parry, but
of that class at the South which re-
garded slavery as Il Divine Institution,
! which waged four years OF destructive
war for its perpetuation, which stead
lily opposed citizenship and suffrage
for the negro-in a WORD, a class whose
traditions, principles, and history are
opposed to every step and feature of
what Republicans call our national
progress since 1860.
In point of general political and
moral significance, it consists in the
proclamation to the country and the
world that the will of the majority of
the voters of a State, lawfully and reg
ularly expressed, is no longer the ruI-
ing power i'll our States, and that the
constitutional guarantee to every State
in this Union of a republican form of
government and of protection against
Domestic violence, is henceforth inef-
fectual and worthless.
Does not such policy challenge at
tention? Does it not Justify free Gis
cussion! The statement which have
now made Is drawn with a fair aiid ju
dicial hand. Ii contains nothing but
clear, visible. actual facts. Aud get
ask you, FELLOW citizens, does ir not
sound like an indictment. =
There is DO point, feature, or form
of this policy that has support ia Il fair
construction Of the Constitution, or an
honest view OF the facts which are in
VOWED, and | believe il requires only a
careful examination, unintiuenced by
mawkiSh sentiment or the cowardice
which shriuks from attacking the con
duct of one who was chosen by our
own party, to convince all who have
sympathized with the principles of the
Republican party that such a policy
deserves, upon all legal aud cousEitu-
tIonal grounds, the condemnation
which | have pronounced upon it.
| But when We lock further and ill.,
Quire what other defences OF this policy
are offered. We are lost in d maze of
subterfugeS, contradictions, fsisehoods,
| failacies, and inanities. Cons spicious
in this list is the claim made by the
President himself and echoed by his
defenders, that this Presidential policy
is in accord with the platform of the
Republican party, with the Presidents
letter Of acceptance, and with his
known views at the time of his nomin-
alton and during the CANVASS. cali
this the chief of subterfuges, if not of
falsehoods. | confess cannot under
stand or measure the audacity which
prompts such claim. When, where,
by whom, before the nomination, or
after it. during the canvass or during
the long agony of suspense which sue
ceeded the canvass, will you find from
President Hayes, or any representative
of him or OF the Republican party, high
or low, a hint of such u policy! 1t can
not be found. Never till the country
heard with amusement the first wills
perings of the Vaccinations of Stanley
Matthews and the Ohio CLIQUE who
stood nearest the President-tile basest
passage have ever read in our poIiti
cal history-did any portion OF the
public or the Republican party imagine
that the President would enter upon
such a policy or course Of action. II is
impossible TO overstate this general
fact. Especially is it impossible to