The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1880-08-05
hMARIE SPEECH.
AN HGEG OG EEOGls
THE POLITICAL ISSUES WE'LL
DEFINED
BY EX-LIEUT. GOV. HART, OF
HILLSBORO,
AT GEORGETOWN, O., JULY q,
1880.

llLL4CDOlkOg
AT GEORGETOWN, O., JULY 27,
1880.
We mentioned in last week News,
that our townsman, Ex.LieuE Gov.
Hart had gone to Georgetown to de-
Iivera speech there before the Repub-
lican Convention on Tuesday, July
9th. It was a strong presentation
of the great political issues now be
fore the American people, and which
are to be decided at the ballot box
On the second Tuesday of November
next We have the pleasure Of pre-
senting a few extracts, only regret
ting that want of space prevents our
publishing the entire speech
THE REAL ISSUES OELTHE CONTEST.
After sketching the personal char.
acter of the leading candidates for
President, and showing the striking
contrast between Gen. Hancock's en-
tire Ignorance of craftsmanship and
civil affairs, and Gen. GarGeld's long
and tried wisdom and experience
in the National councils, Gov. Hart
proceeded to present the real issues
of the contest in the following forci-
bic manner:
But, my friends, there are other
things, still more important to
be considered in the statement of
the case. Aiman who in this dis
cussiOn confines himself merely to
an examination of the character and
qualifications of the respective can
didates, takes but an imperfect and
narrow view of the subject. Great
er considerations lie beyond. A can
didate for the Presidency of the
United States stands not for him
self alone, but for the party which
places him in nomination, and no
President has ever yet been able to
act, with any success, Independently
of his party, much less in defiance
of it. The great national contest
now going on is a battle between
parties. Behind General Garfield is
a great and powerful political organ
ization, with its acts, principles and
history. Behind General HanCOk,
is another great and powerful polite
al organization, with its acts, princi-
pies and history. Like two armies
with their commanding generals,
these parties have entered the field
and stand confronting each other.
Neither of the leaders is 50 great as
to shut out from view the forces IN
der his command. Let US look
therefore behind the generals, and
inquire into the character of the
men who compose their respective
armies. Who constitute the rank
and file, the captains, colonies and
brigadiers of General HanCoCk's
army? Don't it look a little as
though this whilom Union General
had made a mistake and got over
upon the Confederate side? I see that
Jefferson Davis and Wade Hampton
are both marching under him. l see
that several hundred rebel generals
and a multitude of inferior rebel Off
GERS are with him. notice that hun
dreds of thousands of those who
carried muSkets in the rebel army
and who spent four years in shoot
ing Union soldiers to death, and in
trying to shoot the nation to death,
are now marching under General
Hancock. 1 see that all those mem
.bers of Congress who voted to starve
the Government and who declared
that every war measure and every
measure securing the fruits of war
should be stricken from the statute
books, are also marching under the
Hancock banner. l see that all
those who opposed the freedom Of
the slave and who voted against the
Constitutional Amendment are shout
ing for Hancock. All those who op-
posed the draft; all those who be-
longed to the Knights of the Golden
Circle and who organized the treas
enable institution of the Sons of Lib
erty, are carrying the Hancock
badges all the tissue ballot box stuf
fers; all the advocates of the shot gun
policy; al the members Of theinfamous
Ku Klux klans all those who filled
the hearts of the Southern Republi-
cans with fear, and Southern Re
publican homes with murder and
violence, are training in the Hancock
ranks.
What does all this mean ? Are
these men who for twenty years have
been public enemies suddenly con-
verted2 Does Davis, the Confeder-
ate leader, admit that he was wrong ?
Does the Confederate soldier say he
fought on the wrong side? Do the
Southern members of Congress re-
pent of their reasonable utterances
and votes? Do they say they were
wrong on the slavery question f? Do
they say they are sorry for having
filled the Southern States with disor
der, anarchy and crime, and the
whole land with mourning and death ?
No, no. These Confederate soldiers
still claim that they were right in their
treason. These Confederate orators
still speak lovingly and tenderly of
''the lost cause" These Confederate
congressman still insist upon remov-
ing all war measures from the statute
books, and these Southern guerrilas
still insist that the policy Of violence
shall prevail to carry the Southern
States. Wade Hampton in the Gin
Cinnati convention pledged the one
hundred and thirty-eight electoral
votes of the South for Hancock and
English, with as much positiveness
as though every vote there was his
own personal chattel. AT the time
of making that utteranee he knew
that at least four Of the Southern
States were Republican by a large
majority, and would be so in Novem-
Der unless prevented from voting by
violence and bloodshed. He knew
that in order to make his promise
good, all the internal machinery of
the Mississippi, Louisiana and South