Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-10-01
A SOUTHERN SPEECH.
How Congressman Herbert, of a
bama. Talks to his Constituents
On Rebel Claims fOs Slaves
and Payment Of Rebel Debt
and Pensions.

The democratic candidate for con-
G in the Montgomery, Alabama,
district-the capital district Of the
state-is Hon. IL. A. Herbert, who
is now serving his second term in the
house. We have before US in the
Mobile Register, a speech by Mr..
Herbert on the 10th inst, to his con
stituents at a great barbecue meeting
At Stockton Alabama. This speech
s interesting because it shows the
manly way an influential southern
Congressman talks to the people whose
votes he is soliciting on the subject Of
southern claims, the rebel debt, and
pensions to southern soldiers. We
make this extract from Mr.. Herbert's
speech.
Quoting the eloquent passage from
Hancock's letter of acceptance, IN
which he speaks of the union as the
main pillar In the editce Of our indie
nendence. Mr.. Herbert added that if
we could only get the masses OF the
north. those who are honest voters
and not Office seekers, to understand
and know that this is the sentiment
that animates us, that we recognize
the result of the war fully, that we
support the constitution with all Its
amendments. that We protect and
guard the rights Of these freedmen
who constitute so large a part OF this
audience, we should add thousands Of
votes to Hancock in November. But
every vile SANDER that ingenuity can
invent and malice can perpetrate Il
being distilled into the ears of the
northern people. John Sherman, IN 2
speech made in Cincinnati, actually
stooped SO low as 10 tell the people o
the north that If the democracy got IL
mower the south would claim pay iol
its slaves. | see that Porter, caudi
date for governor, is repeating thu
same stuff in Indiana on the stump
The idea is SO preposterous that l
passes by my understanding that an.
voter could be influenced by 1t
but such men as Porter and Sherman
would not eondescend to use such al
arpumentifthey did not believe the
could make votes by it. To catch
vote there is nothing they would no.
say. This is a hard saying, but | an
justified in it when men OF their intel
ligence resort to such argument Loci
at it. The south contains s%carcel,
more than a third of the voting popu
lation of the Union. The slaYehold
ers were not a third Of the southern
white people. Since the Freedmen
have become voters the former slave
holders are not more than o~ne-elghtl
of our voters. To pay this, o%ne-eighti
of our people would have to saddle tn.
other seven-eighths Of our people witt
a debt Of one hundred and fifty bill
lions of dollars. Why, If we wer0
separated from the north by a gulf s.
wide and deep that the lightning @
the telegraph could not leap II, "
could not pass such a law. Fellow
citizens, this is a democratic district
| am the democratic nominee; | be
lieve l am acceptableto the party, bu
lif | should seriously announce to tt
people that l was in favor OF taxln
the voters who were never slavehold
ers to pay those who were, | could nc
be elected. | could not carry a count
in the district. There is not a disiriC
in the south that could be carried 0
any such platform. When, then, Nj
= Sherman announces that there is daI
ger that the former shareholders {
the south will make the whole Unite
States pay one hundred and fifty bi
lions Of dollars for liberated slaves
we'll, my friends, | will only say b
knows better.
Another SANDER he INDUCES in
that if democracy is successful "
will endeaYor to pension oonfederai
soldiers for the confederate war. Ger
{ tlemen, | was a confederate. l bcs
on my person scars received In hgh.
ing under the southern cross. | yiel
/, to no man in love for my dead con
rades or in sympathy Tor the livin
heroes of that confederacy. Yet,
never entered my mind, in the wilde.
fights of my Imagination, nor did
b ever cross yours, that the goyernmer
e of the United States orany other go'
eminent could afford to pension so
diers for fighting against it. 1t
3 equally untrue that we could or woul
embarrass the government with claim
for quartermasters stores taken du.
ing the war. All that class OF claim.
like slavery and secession, were Sc
! tied by the war. All We ask is loo:
= self-government; We don't want
e control the domestic afairsof Indian
They know how to govern themsely'
+ in these matters better than We do, an
q we know how to control our domest
affairs better than they do. We wan
q a fair share 10 the blessings Of hone.
government. We demand to be a,
mitted to a full and free participate
in its benefits as equals, and we do n
q expect the government to enrich
! people, for the government has DotI