The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-09-11
NORTHERN DEMOCRAT ON THE
SOLID SOUTH.

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the line, The recent speech Of Cha
D. May, at Michigan City, Indiana,
hne sample of the sort of anne,
which is now daily addressed to tIl
sufiragans of the North and Wes
Mr.. May takes up the current argl
menCs of the Radical orators and wit
apparent ease converts them int
counter attacks.
The Republicans have always claim
ed that it was their party which save
the Union, and have quietly assume,
Ihat they did so despite the oppositi
OF the Democrats Of the North rs wei
as Of the South. To that ungrounde
boast Mr.. May replies:
Why, fellow-citizens, look how tn
ilgures brand this falsehood. In tha
same election of 1860, which precede,
the war, Mr.. Lincoln (the Republican
candidate) had in round numbers
l,SOO, 600 votes, while Mr.. Douglas 9TH,
candidate Of the Democratic party
had 1900, 600 votes. Now ! take /
that Mr.. Lincoln received all the Re.
publican votes, as there was no olhe
Republican candiate and suppose il
VIII not be con ended that every Re
publican voter went to the war, and
yet the figures show that there were
over 100000 Union soldiers enlisted
in the war;, 100000 more than the
whole Republican vote of the country
Now, my Republican friends, will you
tell me where this extra 100000 OF
Union soldiers came from /? 1t is
mathematically demonstrated th al
they could not have come from the
the Republican party, and yet evil
dentiy they had something to do with
putting down the rebellion.
You know, fellow-citizens, where
this extra million of soldiers came
from. They came from the Democratic
party.
Mr.. Lincoln was elected by minor
ity vOte-he lacked more than $50, 600
votes ofa majority. Had the 100000
men who supported Douglas at the
North refused to sustain Mr.. Lincoln
in putting down the rebellion, where
should we have been? This was
nearly half the loyal vote of the coun-
try, and the South was united against
US. No, say, let us be fair and just.
AS one who differed from the Demo-
cratic party in those days, it is only
-he simple truth to say that without
heir help this Union would have
Deen lost.
The next point which he touches is
jhe "Solid South" bugbear. He re-
minds the Republicans that the peo-
ole of the South enjoy the right of
suffrage, and that Southern man is
Is little culpabe as Northern man
or voting the Democratic ticket.
the South is solidly Demo-
ratio, il is not true that the Demo-
'raiic majority, or rather that the
major part of the Democratic party is
II the South. Mr.. May demonstrates
his proposition conclusively:
Look again at the figures: Four
years ago, at the last Presidential
election, the Democratic vote was i'm
ound numbers, 1,GOO,0OO in the
Whole South, and only 1,03S, 600 in the
ebcl States while it was 100000 at
he North-a vast preponderance of
,000,0 900 votes, as you see, in the
Iorth. TO hear Republicans talk in
his campaign you would think that
he whole Democratic strength was
t the South. But you say the
Democrats expect to carry the
south. So they do; and they eX-
ect also, to carry n good portion of
he North. DO you know that their |
respect is most excellent for carrying |
majority of the electoral votes of the
Jorth? All we should need, to do
nat, would be the States of Pennsyl-
ania and Ohio, now trembling in Il
lose balance between the parties. |
hOuld you wake up on the morning |
November and find that Hancock
as carried the North, as well rs the
outh, what then would you say?
In regard to the danger of permit
ng the triumph of party which
,ould bring the Southern men and eX-
into power, the answers
lmplete and the retOrt is perfect.
Ir. May shows that Republicans only
lject to placing ex-Confederatcs in
t1icial positions when they happen to
9 Democrats. He says:
Kindred to this talk about the "sOlid
outh" and exceeding it in effrontery,
the outcry about delivering the
,untry over into The hands Of the
len who tried to destroy it.n | said
lis exceeded the other in effrOntery,
ncause, however senseless and base
IS, that is urged as a simple argu-
tent or proposition from plain facts
nd figures, but this, coming from
epublican organs and speakers, is
amped with such utter qualification
, ought almost to blister the tongues
lat utters it. 1 have no patience to
rgue with such a pretense as this. L
m only den0unce it. When we
,me this year and present great
nion soldier for President, a man
no had risked his life n hundred
mes. and shed his blood to save this
nion, and loyal Northern man for
ice President, we are met by such a
" as this from a party which for
yelve years has hOnOred conspicuous
nd blo0d-stalned rebels with some of
Ie highest offices in the government.
is rebels, is it, that you mean by the
men who tried to destroy this Gov
Let me tell you there
lsn,t been a day for twelve years
,ot Won have not rewarded rebels
ith office. Grant took an obscure
bel Colonel, who tried in his small
can way TO "destroy this Govern
ent," fourth-rate lawyer though he
as. and made him Attorney General,
e law officer of the Government
hieh he "tried to destroy" Have you
rgotten that? A rebel judge presided
,er your convention that nominated
rant the second time, a convention
.at cheered to the echo James l.. Orr,
South Carolina, an original fire-cater
M secessIOnist whom your admins
alton afterward sent as ambassador
Russia. Gen. LOngstreet, next 10
aq the leading rebel General, was
rIy rewarded 10y your administra-
,n with a fat Office, and has only
teIy been sent as Minister to Turkey
rspresent the Government which
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