The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-10-22
'sTHE BLOODY SHIRT"
Senator Sherman Not Afraid or Ashamed
of It-Remedy for Wrongs I'm the South.


of It-Remedy for Wrongs I'm the South.
REPORT of speech in Cincinnati.
/ say now that no Democrat In Ham
ilton County dare take issue on this
question. These people have been de-
prived of their rights. And that is not
all. They have not only been deprived
of their rights, but these men, Dem
ocrats of the South, are now exercis-
ing political power based upon the six
millions of colored people scattered
over the South. There are thirty-eight
members of Congress and thirty-eight
electoral votes assigned under the Con-
stitution to these six millions of colored
people in the South; but they manage
matters there so that these colored peo-
pie have no right to vote. They're de-
prived of their votes, and then these
Southern Democrats vote all this vast
political power themselves; and by that
means alone Grover Cleveland is now
President of the United States; and
but for this enormous crime James G..
Blaine would now be our President,
and John A. Logan would i've our Vice
President. What answer do they make
to this Indictment? "The bloody shirt I"
And / don't know but the time is COM
ing, my friends, in this country, when
the patriotic people of the. Northern
States must "wave the bloody shirt" 1
say to you, although my years are pass
ing away, and look upon the faces of
thousands of bright young men, say
to you that the Republican party of
the United States will never sub
NIT to the ostracism that is
now practiced upon these six millions
of people. And when they ask me,
what will you do about it" as Boss
Tweed asked of the local authorities of
New York, / say we will find remedy
and the time is not far distant when
that will be found. When we see JEFF
ferson Davis, the arch-rebel of the
country, extolled in the Senate of the
United States as patriot-and L was
frowned upon with great severity when
1 denounced him as conspirator and
traitor we see the flag of our
country, under which the boys in blue
marched to many victories, lowered in
sorrow at the death of Jake Thompson
when we see Fitzhugh Lee riding at
the head of his Democratic cavalcade
with the old flag of Gen. Pickett at
Gettysburg, and with the saddle and
bride of Gen. Lee, marching with the
rebel cavalcade through Virginia in
order to arouse the rebel passions OF
that population; when we see men al
most without number who have been
rebels representing this great govern
ment of ours In various lands, in Cabi-
net positions, and holding high carni-
val in important Offices, and Union sol
diers and widows turned out to allow
these Democratic partisans to come In,
1 tell you, my countrymen, the meas
ure OF my forgiveness has almost
What are you going to do about it?'
And the only answer that Gov. Hoadly
could give was that of "What are you
going to do about it You have had
power in this government; you did not
| find o remedy, and therefore no such
wrong exists" Well, we did have the
power, after the war was over, in a
kind of way. When the war was over,
die we show any feeling of hostility Oh
whit of charity? No. No nation was
more liberal to extend emancipation
and to make easy their coming back to
their relations to the General Govern
ment. We do not want to Cypress
them now. No blood was shed. Nc
property was confiscated. In all human
history there is not another such ex
ample of kindness and forbearance to
the party that had been overcome in
war. But no sosner had General Lee
taken the parole and surrendered tc
Grant at Appomattox than they went
home, and at once tried to reduce their
colored people to quasi-slavery. When
that was resisted to some extent, and
the measures of reconstruction were
passed that secured civil and politica
rights to all people, then they resorted
to other outrages, such as the ku-klux
They met in secret places and armed
and disguised themselves-some o
them rebel soldiers-to brighten the
Republicans, and in some cases com
mitted murder This was kept up fol-
some time. General Grant tried Il
suppress it, Congress sent committees
of investigation. We saw no remedy
None seemed to be at hand except tt