Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-21
WHY rMADEM0CRAT.
Speech Of Hon. Hose Tyler In Peters
burg Saturday Night.
A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW.
The Issuea Of the Day rorcefui,y Discuss
ell and the Duties OF All Virginia
Democrats Defined.

1 have reason 10 feel most kindly towards
the good people OF this place. for you
have In the past given me proof OF your
Partially and fIiendship. In addition TO
this fact. I know l am among friendc
There are other reasons why am re-
3osced 10 he here Just thirty years ago
stood in the cmbatIlod walls around this
belearueYed, bleeding. and battered city.
ready TO cement with my blood my devo-
ton to II aud the great principles OF con
stitutional freedom and individual liberty
FOR which l fought then. and for which
un stin conicnd'ng to-day.
As cordial and hospitablc as has been
your greeting tonight, IL does not quite
compare with the fuss and furore that was
made over me anl my companions by
some lmportunate visitors you had knock
lng at your doors on that memorable oc-
rasion. Why. II seemed 10 me their SKY
rocket performances and applause ~odiu
never cease. They made the very heavens
thunder with their applause, ana the SKIES
turd with their recognition OF our pres
ence. Neither can 1 help comparing the
Caintilcss Of your food ana the soIthesH
OF your beds with the peculiar 1904 an"
Housekeeping accommodations OF Mr
president Davis. with whom boarded at
that time You permit me now TO rest
In lovely chambers. on "a free mahogany
or rosewood couch. He buried me IN a
homb-proof hole 2, feet under ground,
and my coGch WAS made OF protected
rap boards ana sticky pnctags.
the smiling rays OF morning sunlight
peep into my chamber now through the
fsft folds OF free lace ana ddinaSH cur
tains. whilst The cracks and creVices OF
my former hut were darkencd by n SIN
freer stream Of unwclcomc lead and iron
balls l;ut - my subject; ! have come
to-nisht TO tel you why / am a Demo
crat. and 10 give the very best reasons
l can why all men. and especially south
srn men. should be: and the very rccol-
lection OF those scenes 10 which / have
1usi alluded. bringing signs and Smi-es
30 close together. suggests consideration
OF the first thought 10 which | want 10
invite your attention. Perhaps there are
too few OF us who can give "a reason Tor
the faith that Is in US; or some may
have forgotten those awful days or re-
construction through which We paSsei
after the war was over. II 50, | hope
they viii bear with me for moment
whilst We briefly review those scenes
and perhaps some wavcring soul may bee
fortified and built up in his weakening
faith.
THE SOLID SOUTH.
What made the South solid? This Is
pertinent question at this time. why
Gii our people NJ once become S'lily
Democratic snl why have they remained
so ever since? Was 1t because OF hereii-
tary partially for democratic frinclplesE
Not at all Before the war the south
had been d'viI"d between Wings an"
Democrats. AMI they had been bitter foes,
ami during the war young men had
grown up that knew no parties.
The issues that had divided Wings ana
Democrats had passed away-an entirely
new order Of things confronted us-a new
start IN political life might have been
expected: certainly 50 FAR as the South
WAS concerned.
Neither of the northern parties deserved
especially oar support. for both hau
Fought IS with equal vim and force, ana
4 repeat. We might have expected a dim
toeration Of old parties in the South anu
a. reforming on those lines most proin'shs
10 our people. ana IL this condition OF
anairs either % the old parties. or any
nov marty Of good principles. could easily
have won olr sympathy and support
IL Is but human nature - turn 10 those
who help ana sympathize with US IN
lines Of distress.
Which Of the two great national parties
held out the hand Of sympathy ana en-
fouragement when We were on our lacks,
ma deep down IN the slough oil
desmond Was il the Democratic or the
Republican party? When the Held was
surveyed after the fearful shock Of war
was over and the smoke OF battle had
cleared away. tn Republican party IN
rtead Of taking advantage Of the oppor-
tunirv 10 follow up the magnanimous
Feelings that had been evincei by Mr..
Lincoln AMI General Grant, which would
have won the hearts Of many thousands
Of the southern people repealed and per
Yocutel them. The great leaders of that
party around their courcil-bOard resolved
they would stop the peaceful measures OF
restoration. 50 auspiciOUsly begun by Mr..
Lincoln and President Johnson. and that
The South should be put through cruel
rourse Of reconstruction, ande IN violation
OF all their professions, declared the
E0uihern States out of the Union, and
.rtscribed terms On which alone they
could get back. and these terms We're
God save the Northumberland OF
hn the negroes and disfranChisement OF
hundreds OF thousands 81 whites.
REPUBLICAN SCHEME.
They argued that the negro would ma
turally ally himself with them, and the
South being nearly equally divided be-
tween the races-that by appealing 10
passion and prejudice, and the hope OF
political preferrnent to some whltes-that
they would b. able TO control the sohd
negro vote, and get enough whites To
enable them 10 carry the Southern states
and thus perpetuatc the control OF their
party In the Union, and TO make assurance
ooubly sure they made wholesale as
franchlsement Of the best OF our south
srn people We were made military as
tricts Nos. ]. .. 3. 1, and o, and treated
as conquered prOvinces-not as free ana
independent States, as We were-and told
that whenever We bowed the crlnging
Knee and subscribed TO their cruel de-
mands we could come back into the
Union. which they had repeatedly de-
clarel We had never been out OF.
Would God. for the sake Of humanity
md American manhood. the CLOAK or ODD
iiyion could be thrown over that dark ana
lwful period in our country's history.
Who can ever forget that long night OF
darkness and suspense through Wnlcn we
were made TO pass. none than war Itself.
How many were the bitter thoughts OF
our afflicted people when they would
almost cry out in their despair, Would
God we had died" would il not have
been better T. have died than to have
suffered such things? The writ of habeas
corpus suspended. no Judges, no magis-
trates. no constables or peace ofilcers,
NO law. and 10 hope OF safety except at
the hands OF little military fledgelng.
who almost Invariably decided every dis
pute IN favor Of the negro, who was
constantly excited 10 prejudice and VIC
tence against his recent master by design
ing emissaries who hoped 10 proht by MS
Mote
What condition Of affairs could have
been worse? What people were ever 50
fumilla ted? No wonder we accepted those
strange and mysterious devices called
constitutions that were thrust upon US
BY aliens and enemies 10 escape such
condition OF affairs. Under such circum-
stances the iron rule OF despot would
have been preferable. And when this
BORT Of reconstruction was put through
end these wro.gs had been heaped upon
As. and ell but Virginia. Mississippi, and
Texas had been allowed 10 come back
into the Union. 70 what sort OF voting
feast were tho admitted States. now only
. shadow Of what they once were. invited
" attend.
inc Republican party offered us Gene
raj Grant a. It's nominee against whom,
personally, We had nothing. and universal
enhraSr. which - them meant tho right
10 vote Tor all the negroes. and disfran-
ehisement 81 hundreds OF thousands OF