Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-11-27

ard of wages of contiguous and adja-
} cent states, and the voluntary will be
compelled to yield to the involuntary.
So completely have the eO'ored men
OF the South been already deprived by
the Democratic party of their cOnstitu-
tional and legal rights as citizens of the
United States. that they regard the adj
vent of that party to national power as
the signal of their e-enslavement, and
are affrighted because Il ey think all legal
protection for them is gone.
Few persons in the North realize how
completely the chiefs of the rebellion
WELD the political power which has tri>
nmphed in the late election. 1t is Il
portentuOus fact that the Democratic
senators who came from the states of
the late CODfederacy, all-and 1 mean
all, without single exceptiOn-person
ally participated in the rebellion against
the national government. 1t is still
more significant fact that in these states
no man who was loyal to the Union. no
matter how strong Democrat he may
be to-day, has the slightest chance of
political promotion. The one great av-
enue to honor in that section is the
record of Jealous services in the war
against the government. 1t is certainly
an astounding fact that the section i'll
which friendship for the Union in its
day of trial and agony is still political
disqualification should be called now to
rule over the nation. ALI this takes
place during the lifetime of the genera
tion that fought the war and elevateS
to the practical command of the Amer
lean government the identical men who
organized for its destruction and plu1g-
I'd US in the bloodieSt contest of modem
times.
l have spoken of the South as placed
by the late election in possession OF the
government, and / mean all that my
words imply. The South furnished
nearly three-fouTths OF the electoral
votes that defeated the Republican par
~, and they will step to the command
of the Democrats as unchallenged and
as unrestrained as they did in the same
position for thirty years before the war.
Gentlemen, there can not he political
inequality among the citizens of free
republic; there can bot be minority of
white men Ia the South ruling majOri-
ty OF white men in the North. Patriot
ism, self-respect, pride, protection for
person and safety for country will cry
out against it. The very thought of it
stirs the blood of men who inherit
equality from the pilgrims who first
stood on Plymouth Rock, and from llh~
erty- loving patriots who came to the
Delaware with William Penn. 1t be-
comes the primal question of American
manhood. 1t demands a hearing and a
settlement, and that settlement will vim
dicate the equality of American citizens
in all personal and civil rights. 1t will
at least establish the equality of white
men under the national gOvernment,and
will give to the Northern man who
fought to preserve the Union as large "a
voice in its government as may be exer
cised by the Southern maD, who fought
TO destroy the Union.
The contest just closed utterly dwarfs
the fortunes and fate of candidates.
whether successful or unsuccessful-I
may say instinctively-I have discussed
the issues and Consequences of that con-
test without reference to my own defeat,
without the remoteSt reference to the
gentleman who is elevated to the preSi-
dency. Toward him personally, have
no cause for the slightest iIl-will, and iJ
is with cordiality | express the wish
that his official career may prove grati~
fying to himself, and beneficial to the
country, and that his administration
may overcome the embarraSsmentS
which the peculiar source of its power
imposes on it from the hour of its BIRTH
At the conclusion of Mr.. BlaiRe's
speech he invited large crowd into his
house, and for nearly an hour an inform
al reception was held, the hundreds of
people passing through the room. The
greetings were especially friendly and
cordial.