The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-11-04
GEN. GRANT CHANGES HIS TUNE.

AT public meeting at Utica, New
York, over which Gen. Grant pre-
sided, he made probably the longest
speech of his life, in which he swal-
lowed the words he uttered so often
directly after his late sojourn in the
South, but in thus stultifying him
self he follows the dictates of his
managers. In which did he tell the
truth-when he said the people of
the South were courteous to North
ern people and loyal to the Union,
or when he spoke to these people
at Utica as follows:
| come here TO preside at a politi-
cal meeting. 1t is entirely new busi-
ness for me, and if ii was not for the
earnestness feel for the cause which
agitates the public mind mt the pres
ent time, L should continue a custom
which L have followed for more than
fifty years-that is, in not taking
part in political meetings. But this
country has suffered so much in
blood and treasure to uphold the
flag of our Union and maintain the
best form of government that has
ever been devised for men, that it
seems TO me that l could not bear
the idea of seeing the country in its
legislative and in all its branches
turned over to a party composed in
great part of those who so recently
tried to de- troy il. We do not adj
vocate the principles of the Repub-
can party, because we believe they
are for the good of the Republican
party alopc, and to the prejudice of
the interests of the opposite party;
but we proclaim them at this time
because w believe they are the best
for all parties. We believe that the
Democrats are just as much interest
cd to-day in the success of the Re
publican party as the Republicans
of the United States are. We believe
further that the Southern states late
ly in rebellion are just as much inter-
ested, and more interested. in the sue
cess of the Republican party. We all
know that there is no man in the
South who is not privileged to come
and settle amongst us in the North
in any section and retain his politi-
cal views and at the same time pros
ecute his business, whether it be
professional, mercantile or what
not. The Northern man has not the
same privilege in the South, and if
he goes there to prosecute his bust
ness he must be quiet on political
questions of great weight. In other
words, the carpet-bagger is not n
welcome citizen among them. Now,
we want to see all of this changed.
|, myself, am from Northwestern
state. We are all carpet-baggers in
that section. The whole of it has
been built up i'll the lifetime of many
here present, and see the result of
carpet-bag settlement in the north
wesr. The whole of it, out of which
has been grated five or six fine
states, is the gift of one of the old
slave states. See the prosperity and
thrift that has been brought to
these new states by these car
pet-baggers. They built up our
Cincinnati, our Chicago. our De-
troit, our indianapolis, our Cleve-
land, and hundreds of smaller towns
of great prosperity. With tie same
privileges extended to the carpet
baggers, the growth that has been
seen III the Northwest would have
been seen ere this i'll the Southern
states. We claim that no great pros
perity can ovcrtake these until every
citizen of every state is regarded as
q citizen of the United States, no
matter where he goes, and with the
privilege of proclaiming his political
principles without molestation.