Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-11-22
AN INCENDIARY SPEECH.

4
Such a speech, under such circum.
stances, delivered to other than an
American or English people would
inevitably lead to civil war. This ef-
feet would not be propable in ma.
ton where conservative Anglo-Saxon
blood is in the ascendancy; it would
not be possible in sensible and bust
ness-like America, but that Blaine
hoped that 10 might produce such
a result the speech itself bears every
evidence.
The speech is as adroit and crafty ms
that which Anthony is supposed to
have delivered over the dead body of
Cesar. 1t begins with the assertion
~The National contest is over, and by
the narrowest margins we have lost.
After this the speaker expresses his
gratitude for the handsome majorities
given him in Maine and Pennsylvania
and then argues that the contest was
practically a solid North against a
solid South. Then he proceeds
10 the most unstinted abuse of the
latter section.
The key note to his TRADE against
the South and which clearly shows
the animus of his speech, is sounded
| in this sentence:
Speaking now, not at all as n defeat
ed candidate, but simply as loyal and
devoted American, think the trans
fer OF the political power of the Gov
| eminent to the South is a political
misfortune.
He then with cunning sophistry
and direct falsehood proceeds to argue
that Southern blacks are practically
DISTINGUISHED and that the "rebel ele-
ment" will by means Of fraud seize
the reins of Government and domineer
over the loyal North. The following
paragraph is conclusive of the incen-
diary drift OF his argument:
/ submit, my friends, that such a
condition of affairs is extraordinary,
unjust and derogatory to the manhood
OF the North. Even those who are
vindictively opposed to negro suffrage
will not deny that If Presidential cleo
tors are assigned to the South by rea-
son OF the negro population, that pop
ulation ought to be permitted free
suffrage in the election. To deny that
clear proposition is to affirm that a
Southern white man in the Gulf States
is entitled to double the political pow
er OF white man in the Northern
States. 1t is to affirm that Confeder-
ate soldier shall WELD twice the infiu-
ence in the nation that Union soldier
can, and that a perpetual and constant
ly increasing superiority shall be con-
coded to the Southern white man in
The government OF the Union. II that
be quietly conceded in this generation
1t will harden into custom, until the
badge of inferiority will attach to the
Northern white man as asdiously as
ever Norman noble stamped it upon
Saxon churl.
The despicable demagogy and inter
meanness of the mans nature is shown
in the following:
This subject is OF deep interest to
the laboring men of the North. With
the Southern Democracy triumphant
in their States and the nation, the me-
gro will be compelled to work for Just
such wages as the whites may decree
wages which will amount, as did the
supplies OF the slaves, to a bare sub
slstence, equal TO cash, perhaps, OF 35
cents, per day if averaged over the en-
tire South. The white laborer in the |
North will soon feel the distinctive
effect of this upon his own wages. |
The Republicans have clearly seen
from the earliest days of reconstruc-
ton that wages in the South must be |
raised to just recompense of the Ia |
bOrer, or wages in the North ruinously |
worked for the former result. The |
reverse influence will now be set in |
and that condition of affairs |
produced which years ago Mr.. Lin
coin warned the free laboring men of |
the North would prove hostile to their |
independence, and will inevitably lead |
to a ruinouS reduction Of wages.
A mere difference in the the color |
OF the skin will not suffice to maintain
an entirely different standard of wages |
in contiguous and adjacent States, and |
the voluntary will have to yield to the
A further appeal is made to the
growing out of the late war
by showing that Southern Senators
are mostly men who acted with the
Confederacy and making the false as
SertiOn that no man can be elected to
office in the South who was not a rebel.
In this connection he says:
1t is certainly an astounding fact
that the section in which friendship
for the Union in the day of its trial
md agony is still a political disqualifi-
cation, should be called now to rule
over the Union. All this takes place
during the lifetime Of the generation
that fought the war, and elevates to
Government the identical men who
organized for its destruction and plung-
ed us into the blOodiest contest oil mod
ern times.
The purpose of such speech as this
after the election can not be miscon-
,eived, but it will miserably fail in its
object 1t will fail as the scheme 10
capture the vote of the State of New
York by fraud has done. 1t viii be
received only as the impotent rawlings
If miserable wretch, who has neither
he manliness or fortitude to submit
With grace to the disappointment OF
lefeat. h
Such utterances as this from Blaine
md from the more virulent of the Re-
publican papers at the North will l.
AVE a reactionary effect. The South
will deport itself in such manner
s to give the lie to the ISLANDERS heap 4
ID upon it, and the wisdom of Demo
ratio administration will win for
he party the confidence of the Nation.
THE vindictive Republicans who
vanNaI 10 De-, n,R~ohowI l.,