Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-12-11
Ggr. E!aine's Speech.

Der 10 iay WAS ih;a r. Wi:n enc OF lie largest
audiercos ever assembled there. The tloor Was
croVdsa from tic Presidents ciaif 10 the walls,
and rot only Tic galleries. but the vest!bules
toto which they open. were filed by peopa
anxious 70 see kIr. Blaine wave The bloody
shirt AID hear him rear, when ho Gid 1t. Pc
cisely at one clock the curtain rose. and the
play comncrcad by MI Ham!in moving to
take up his colleague = resolution. The resolu
ton vas then reGd. 1t differed somewhat from
the original resolution, in that it provided tor aD
Investigation into frauds and lnLimldstloD 10
| any of the States at the last election. MIR.
| Blaine then rose amidst breathless silence, and
read tlonl cote book carefully prepared
speech Of half hours duration, the purpose
| of which be said vas 10 have recorded the frauds
and outrages perpetrated st the South ct the
| last election, aad to sec if something could not
| be done to prevent their repetlloa. ITO &C.
| knowleGged that ell the information upon which
| be based his indictment of the whole southern
people was derived from the neWspaper', and
| So most people are aware OF the reliability OF
articles written to radical newspapers by defeat
ed candidates and their friends, the credlbIllty
of such information was made apparent by the
II said that by the Constitution and laws, as
they exist. The evils CT which ho complained
could rot be corrected, but that the American
people had spent millions Of treasure, and sac.
ri6ced thousands Of &ves in making the citizens
of the country Tree ADD equal, and that they
did not intend that this treasure should be
spent, asd that blood split in vain. He said
that iu South Csrollns there was no election,
bat under the name CT election 6 war was car
rioG oa bg the white against the colCred people.
He said saat the question was reduced now as
to whether The HGn who fought to preserve
tho Uoio1 or those wno fought to destroy 1t
should rule the country, aad that he and the
loya! North could ans@er thet Guesiion-that
nov, by preventing tue negroes tr1m voting,
the cy Confederate was tE!Ga as lEtu5Dtlai In
the Affairs OF the government as tho cE' alon
soldier. but that il could not be 50 much longer;
that noW By fraud and gross outage the dem
ccrst!c party has gotten control OF the next
Rouse Of Representatives but that the Amer.
lean people, who had stood almost erythiog,
we're row getting tired. and be warned the
gentlemen from the South that the extra straw
that broke the camel back ightsoou be added.
His whole aTgGneot was founded uron the
grouad.es5 assump tun that because the radical
caoGidstes were not elected il districts in which
the negroes have g maj Gritty Of the voters the
latter uGst necessarily have been cheated or
iuiimitatsd. He said that thera was Eot
siog!c Case ia tho who;e North Ehere.a voter
vas cheated or lntlmiistgd. ao1 that he did act
bcilve General Builder had sal there Was.
His speech was delivered with calrDe5s and
Ge;ibccaiuu, G1t WAS received with applause.
is 5000 2, h3 had takeo Ii; seat. Mr.. Thur
II n moved an a!naGGmen! that the proposed
iuvesi's atioa extend 10 the coiiccIlju OF assess
tneuts upo: o!Iicerhliy r5 aod the u:e oF;nccey
10 !ho late election, Mr. Thurmau, III speak
ing upan bis a:ceDd meui, s1iI Pr. Bia;ne ctul0
nos pr duc3 single ilsa:co to PRIV. his caae,
AMI thst lis Oh locked 70 him Gs {. Suing
uooa which 20 haoE acIiii2el speeches, caeu.
aGIa 10 proCu 5a - soi:d North agaI1St which
'ie pc7Iciaui legislation ct his :a7ly, and the
Freed meas Bureau he'd made a solid SCutb;
that property, Intelligence aGd education would
go7eru IL tie South a. they cid elsewhere. tie
said 5nat If lie ClI not others would ;hlrk that
Mr.. biaiao's speech Was lnlsnded. By the re.
plies it would produce, 70 slave OF legislation
u0un tic iii poriant matters Of finance aaa cur
reucy and cpmlerco hat demand the attention
OF tho Seuatc.
Nj. Thurman being apa!Gule1 during his re.
marks he President said that if the applause
VAS repee.ad tho galleries should &c cleared ,and
Mr.. EllnunG5 stoTed his a1lclcslty by moving
tiat those aprIsuiI2g DC arrested.
Upon the ooboia=io9 Ct Mr. Thufmal' s speech
Mr.. Lamar arose and con? acueed a speech that
vas in progress when this report closed.
During It be ga;t; 10 regretted that Mr..
Blaine with bis opportunities, abilities aod ns1
ucal desire 70 inc prove the people he had been
So iostrumcntal in iiheratirg should have so
narrowed his efforts as tc iacIute cniy the pc
litical preisrment of mere raitioal party and
that ii bis atto.:S succeeded aJod would be
created that would wash away the foundations
upon which Maine aca the other New England
States now hold sach an unequaliy prepondar.
a,iog Influence 10 the affairs of the government.
He said also, that if all MIR. Biaoe said be true.
the South was s.iII veal sud inpoteut mi
Gorily.