The Portland daily press., 1879-07-24


paid these very iive-twenty bonds in United
States notes with far greater saving than ii
we lad paid them IN greenbacks ten years ago,
and with infinitely greater advantage to the
public credit.
There is now no public debt about which
any question exists as to the terms and condi-
tions upon which it must be paid, and yet it is
proposed to violate these conditions by the
wholesale, and place the United States of
America in far worse position of dishcnor
and reputation than Mississippi or Louisiana,
or Egypt or Turkey.
Is it possible to go farther in the road of dis
honor than is proposed in these platforms?-
and yet the Democrats of the State of Maine,
members of the old, powerful organization
which for half a century controlled the desti-
MES OF the Government, are asked at the end
of a great war to support and maintain dogmas
which strike at the public honor, the public
faith, and all the cherished principles and
aims of that party in its palmy days. You are
now expected to adopt the crazy dogma of ex-
treme opinions, at war with everything that
was said by jefferson, or Madison or jackson,
or any of your time-honored leaders. know
that it is against the Judgment against the in
stinctS, of old-faShioned Democrats to train
under such banner, and | appeal to them
now to come to the rescue of their country
not to be carried by party name or party
badge to the dshonor of their country and the
shame of their children.
1 have sometimes thought that the Demo-
Gratis of the Northern States have been led
through devious paths enough by the rebels of
the South in their effort to destroy the Govern
ment, and in their later movements to sap and
mine all the great powers of the National Gov
ernment; but these extreme Greenbackers, as
they are called, ask you now to follow them in
voyage more dangerous upon dogmas that
cannot meet the PLAIN common sense and rea-
son of patriotic citizens, such as compose the
great body of the Democratic party.
One OF the members of Congress from the
State of Maine, the Hon. G. w. Ladd is re-
ported to have paid his attention to me, in
speech i'll this city, in the following language:
"Mr. Sherman has sold one hundred and ninety
millions of four per cent. bonds in one day to
bloodsuckers who were choking the country and he
should be impeached.'
By this act in single day, the Treasury De-
partment saved to the people of the United
suckers to whom he refers are those who pur-
chased tire forty millions of ten dollar refund
ing certificates, who formed in long lines in
front OF eight hundred post offices in the
United States, each demanding the sum of one
hundred dollars or less of those certificates in
exchange for United States notes, and the pur-
chasers of S150,000,000 United States bonds
taken by banks to be sold again to citizens and
corporations throughout the United States and
In Europe, bearing the lowest rate of interest
at which the United States has ever been able
to negotiate its securities. The proceeds were,
within ninety days, applied to the payment of
bonds upon which for sixteen years the Gov
ernment of the United States had been paying
five per cent in gold. These "bloodsuckers"
are among the most prominent and enterpris-
ing and lndustriou citizens of the United
States, anxious and willing to trust the Gov
ernment with their earnings, in the full faith
that the promises made to them upon their
bonds and certificates will be faithfully re-
deemed, and yet they are denounced by this
Congressman with terms of reproach, and |,
for doing what the law commanded me to do,
and which, proudly say was able to do,
through resumption and confidence in the pub
lie faith, deserve impeachment There
must be something, fellow citizens, in this
craze which destroys the reason of men.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
Iti to support such dogmas, my Republican
friends, that we are invited to desert the great
party to which we belong. 1t may be that the
Republican party has made in the last twenty
years some mistakes. 1t may not always have
come up to your aspirations Sometimes pow
eer may have been abused. To err is human;
but where it has erred it has always been on
the side of liberty and Justice. 1t led our
country in the great struggle for union and ma
tlonalIty, which more than all else tended to
make it great and powerful 1t has ALWAYS
taken side with the poor and feeble. 1t eman-
cipated a whole race, and has invested them
with liberty and all the rights of citizenship 1t
never robbed the ballot-box. 1t has never
deprived any class of people, for any cause, of
The elective franchise. 1t maintains the su-
premacy OF the National Government ON all ma
tIonal affairs, while observing and protecting
the rights of the States 1t has tried to secure
the equality of all citizens before the law. 1t
opposes all distinctions among men, whether
white or black, native or naturalized. 1t invites
them all to partake of equal privileges, and Sc
Gu res them an equal chance in life. 1t thas Sc
cured, for the first time in history the rights
OF a naturalized citizen to protection against
claims OF military duty to his native country. 1t
prescribes religious test. While it respects re-
lglon for its benencial influence upon civil
society, it recognizes the right of each individ-
al to worship God according to the dictates of
his own conscience without prejudice or inter-
ference. 1t supports free common schools as
the basis of republican institutions. 1t ha
done more than any party that ever existed to
provide lands for the landless. 1t devised ard
enacted the homestead law, and has constantly
extended this policy so that all citizens, native
and naturalized, may enjoy, without cost, linn
tied portions of the public land. 1t protects
American labor. 1t is in favor of American
industry: 1t seeks to diversity productions. 1t
has steadily pursued, as an object Of national
importance, the development OF our commerce
on inland waters and on the high seas. 1t has
protected our flag on every sea; not the stars
and bars, not the flag of State, but the stars
and stripes of the Union. 1t seeks to establish
in this Republic of ours a great, strong free
Government of free men. 1t would, with
hate, extends the right hand of fellowship
and fraternity to those who lately
We're at war with us, aid them in
making fruitful their waste places and in
developing their immense resources, if only
they would allow the poor and ignorant men
among them the benefits conferred by the Con-
stitution and the laws. No hand of oppression
rests upon them. No bayonet points to them
except in their political imaginings. We
would gladly fraternize with them if they
Nrn1Jl n Hour aaN11 1,,.4
Constitution and laws of our country to be exc
cuted and enforced by our country, and for the
equal benefit of all our countrymen. If they
will not accept this, but will keep up sectional
ism, maintain the solid South upon the basis
of the principles of the Confederate States, we
must prepare to stand together as the loyal
North, true to the Union, true to liberty and
faithful to every national obligation Iappeal
TO every man who ever, at any time, belonged
to the Republican party, to every man who
supported his country in its time of danger, to
every lover of liberty regulated by law, and ev-
cry intelligent Democrat who can see with us
the evil tendencies of the dogmas 1 have coml-
mented upon, to join us in reforming all that
is evil, all the abuses of the past and in devel-
oplng the principles and policies which in
twenty years have done so much to strengthen
our Government, to consolidate our institu-
tlons, and to excite the respect and admiration
of mankind.
Before the tremendous applause which fol-
lowed the close of Secretary Sherman's speech
had died away loud calls came from every part
of the hall for Blaine, but Mr.. Washburn told
the audience they should hear from Mr.. Blaine
but he first wanted to introduce to them one
whom they all wanted to see and hear, Hon.
Daniel f. Davis, who was greeted with gem
uine and hearty applause. Mr.. Davis said:
Fellow citizens,-I came here like yourselves
to listen and not to speak but after your hearty
call VIII Just say one or two words, and l
must touch upon some of the points in the can
did and able argument of Secretary Sherman.
We came from the most costly struggle of mod
ern times with debt of two billion eight hun
dred millions, with an inflated currency and
with some of the most important political ques-
tions OF recent times, but in fifteen years
years long in mems lives but short in the his
tory OF nations-we have paid more than one
third Of this enormous debt; have reduced the
annual interest sixty-seven millions, and have
settled forever many of the questions which
were then before the country. We have taken
hold of resumption which hung over the coun-
try like a black pail and which our opponents
declared impossible, and in the face of all op-
position it has been successful and stands as
the most magnificent financial achievement in
modern times. Mr.. Davis then referred to the
question Of State rights, and turning to Secre-
tary Sherman said the people of the State of