The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-11-27
Mr.. Blalne's Speech
WHEN sERENADED BY THE CITIZENS OF AU.
GJSTA.

WHEN sERENADED BY THE CITIZENS OF AU-
GUS1A.
FRIENDS AND NEIGHBoRS:
The national contest is over and by the mar
rowest of margins we have lost. l thank you
for your call which if not one of joyous con-
graduation is one | am sure of confidence and
sangune hopes for the future. | thank you
for the public opportunity you give me to eX-
| press my sense of obligation not only to you
but to all the Republicans of Maine. They
| responded to my nomination with genuine
enthusiasm and ratified it by superb vote. l
count it as one of the honors and qualifications
| of my public career that the party in Maine
after struggling hard for the last six years, and
twice within that period losing the State, has
| come back in this campaign to an old fashion
ed twenty thousand plurality. No other eX-
preston of public confidence and esteem could
equal that of the people among whom | have
| lived for thirty Years, and to whom am at
| tached by all the ties that ennobe human ma
ture, and give joy and dignity to life. After
Maine, indeed. along with Maine, my first
thought is always of Pennsylvania. How can
| tittingly express my thanks for that unpar-
alleed majority of more than eighty thousand
votes-a popular endorsement which has deep
| ly touched my heart and which has. if possible,
| Increased my affection for the grand old com
| monWealth = an affection which | inherited
from my ancestry and which | shall transmit to
my children.
| But do not limit my thanks to the State of
| my residence and the State of my birth, | owe
| much to the true and Jealous friends in New
| England who stood so nobs by the Republican
| party and its candidates and to the eminent
| a " hn 40 frnf,
| their ordinary vocations, made my cause their
cause, and to loyalty, to principle, added the
| special compliment of standing my personal
| representatives in the struggle. But the achieve
ments for the Republican cause in the East
are even surpassed by the splendid victories in
| the West. In that magnificent Gordon of States
| that stretches from the foot hills of the Allie
ghanies to The Golden Gale cf the Pacitic--be-
| ginning with Ohio and ending with California,
| the Repu Dcan banner was borne lofilv
that but single State failed to join in the wide
acclaim of triumph. Nor should do justice to
| my feelings if failed to thank the Republicans
| of the Empire State who encountered SO many
| discouragements and obstacles, who fought
| against foes from within and foes from with
| out and who waged so strong Il battle that
| change of one vote in every two thousand
| would have given the victory in the nation.
| Indeed change of little more than five thou
sand votes would have transferred New York,
| Indiana, New Jersey and C,nnecticut to the
| Republican standard, and have made the
| North as solid as the south. NV thanks would
still be incomplete if | should fail to recognize
| with special gratitude that great body of work.
| ing-men-both native anu foreign boru-who
| gave me their earnest support-breaking from
| old personal and party ties and finding in the
| principles which represented in the canvass
the safeguard and protection of their own fire
side interests.
| The result of the election, my friends, will
be regarded in the future, think extra
| ordinary. The Northern States. leaving out
| the cities of New York aud Brooklyn from the
| count, sustained the Republican cau>e by Il
| majority of more than four hundred thousand
| almost half million indeed-of the popu-
lar vote. The cities of New York and Brook
| lyn threw their great strength and influence
with the Solid South, and We're the decisive
| element which gave to that section the control
| of the National Government. Speaking now.
| not al all As a defeated candidate, but simply
As loyal and devoted American, | think the
| transfer of the political power of the govern
ment 10 the South is IL great national mi>fQr
| tune. Ii Is Il misfortune because II introduces
an element which cannot insure harmony and
| prosperity TO the people, because II introduces
| into Il Republic the rule of minority.
| The first instinct of an American is equality
| equality OF right, equality of privilege,
| equality of political rc"er - that equality
| which says to every citizen, your vote Is just
a. good, just potential the vote of any
| other citizen" That cannot be said to-day in
| the Cniled States. The course of affairs in
! the South has crushed out the power Of
more than six million American citizens ana
| has transferred ii by violence to others. There
| are forty-tWo Presidential electors assigned TO
| the South on account of the colored population.
| and Yet the cOlored population with more than
| eleven hundred thousand loyal votes have been
| unable 10 choose single eector. Even IN
| those States where they have a decided maiuri-
| ty Of more than q hundred thousand they are
| deprived of Free suffrage. and their rights
| citizens Hcornfully trodden under foot. The
| eleven States that comprised the Rebel Con
| federacy had by the census of 1880 seven and
| half million white population, and five million
| three hundred thousand cOUred population.
| The colored population almost to man desire
| 10 support the Republican party, bu by a >y>-
| TEN OF cruel intimidation, and by violence and
| murder. whenever violence and murder are
| required, they are absolutely deprived OF all
political power. If the outrage stopped there
| 1t would be bad enough. But it does not stop
| there for not only is the negro population dis
| franchi>ed but the power which rightly and
| constltutionatly belongs to them is tr ln>terred
| TO the white, population, enabling the white
| population OF the South to exert an electoral
| influence far beyond that eXerted by the same
| number OF white people III the North. To It.
| lustrate Just hoW that works to the destruction
| OF all falr elections. let me present to you five
| States in the late Contederacy and five lOval
| states in the North possessing in each section
| The same number Of electoral votes. In the
| South the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Ala
| bama. Georgia aud South Carolina, have in the
| aggregate, fortv-eight electoral votes They
| have two million eight hundred thousand W hite
people and over three million coored people
| In the North the States of Wisconsin, Minneso-
| ta Iowa, Kansas and California have likewise
| in the aggregate forty y-eight electoral votes and
they have white population of five million
| six hundred thousand or lust double The five
| Southern States which have named These
| Northern have practically no colored popula-
| ton 1t is therefore evident that the white
| men in those Southern States, by liSurpin@ and
| absorbing the rights of the coored men are ey-
| erting lust double the political power of the
| white men in the Northern States | submit
my friends. that such a condition of the affairs
| is extraordinary unjust and deroratorv 10 the
| manhood of the North Even these who are
| vindictivelv opposed to negro suffrage will not
| deny that if Presidential ecctor, are assigned
| to the South by reason of the negro popuiation
| that population ought TO be permitted free suf-
| f"age in the ectou To deny that clear prop
| osition is TO affirm that Southern white man
| in the Gulf States is entitled to double the pol
| itcal power of "A Northern white man in the
Lake States. 1t is to affirm that a Confederate
| soldier shall WELD twice the influence in the
! nation that a Union soldier can. and that a Der
| pettlal and constantly Increasing superi0rjtv
| Shall be conceded to tht. Southern white man in
| the Government of the National Union If
| that be auietly conceded in this peneratiou il
| will be hardened into custom, until the badge
| of iuferorjty will attach to the Northern White