Year: 1868

Since the close Of the war encroachment has fol-
lowed encroachment until we have degenerated into
Congressional ogareny. our goyernment Is
essentially u military government. We have seen
States taken possession OF by the military arm anu


files OF ofsodies guarding delinquent Cabinet oiilcer
against the authority OF his recognized chief. We
have seen the civil subordinated to the military
power when 1t has come i'll conflict We have seen
telegraph ofices seized upon, confidential commun-
cations riied and violated, and the Capitol OF the
nation converted ntoa bastile for the Imprisonment
OF innocent citizens. The people never will consent
to be brought under despotic rule. They have had
enough OF 1t already TO produce loathing and
disgust fTom one end OF the country TO the other.
They demand return to the guarantees which
the constitution provides. If the form OF our
government Is to be changed If we are to be
dragged into military despotism. the sooner the
people know IL the better. When peace was pro-
claimed and the South announces their willingness
to accept the situation and return again to the rela


tons OF the past, the people thought the of the
sections was at end. The army had been fighting
to bring back the Unlon-not to oppress the people
of the South. But what have we witnessed? Have
these radical Den done anything to bring peace to
the country Not content Win emancipatng the
slaves, they have attempted to use them an eie-
ment OF strength 70 perpeitaate their own power t
negro over HIM. Mr. Lincoln exerted his best efforts
to carry his plan Of reconstruction which looked to
prompt admission OF the Southern States; but how
did he succeed9 The sections widely separated
now as when the ceased. President ohnsOn, Ia
boring IN the same just cause has escaped only with
his ONCE stripped OF every essential power. They
have iliied the Congress OF the United States with
itinerant adventurers, having no sympathy with the



call reconstruction. The whole South is a scene Of
desolati0n and rum. The untutored negro occupies
the h0mesteads OF those who once held possession
OF the soil. The descendants Of men who adOrn


every page OF our history by their talents, their
craftsmanship and devotion to the best interests of
their country in times past are turned out as wan


derers to recommence life among strangers, where
they can at least escape the degradation to which
they are exposed at home. Is this justiceY Is 1t
humanity9 What benefit has 1t conferred upon the
negro2 He Is no nearer to amalgamation and polti-
cal and social equality than he was before. On the
"a m aIa rni fpaph hafp
the war. Under the teachings OF these revolution
lists he has separated himself from all sympathy with
the white race. DO you think that he can light his
battles aone2 Do you suppose that seven millions
Of negroes can ever become power In this govern
mentl Just as sure as you live when you move him
the military arm which now protects him his sun
will go down In darkness and oppression. These
radical men have brought him TO this fate. There Is
not State in this Union to-day which would give him
the right Of suffrage or any other power in this gov
ernment as the equal of the white man. The armies
OF the United States could not effect 1t. am enc
my Of the negro am his friend. But tell him
that his participation in the governmental control Of
ton as the equal Of the white man. 1t may be the
result of prejudice but 1t is not the less true. Tho
he strives in this direction the more disastrous


It will prove to him. In the possession OF his freedom
and his rights Of person and OF property he has
reached the end Of his line p this country, and the
he Is made to understand 1t the better for hrs


race. am opposed to any sort OF suffrage to the
negro, qualified or universal. lie can never mix with
the white race In any other relation than that in
which he now stands. II he wants government OF
his own let him 90 and establish 1t elsewhere. A
M uDSer nd tbe Of u The radca


party when the government protection is Withdrawn
from him rs he continues to listen 10 their fanatcal
cOunses. Let me point you for o moment TO the
operations OF the EreedmenS Bureau and the effects
or this Institution upon this unfortunate class. 1t
has cost the government from first to last with its
army OF retainers, one hundred millions per annum
What has II done for the negrOf No one will say
that he has been benefited by it, He has been taught
by IL 10 throw defiance in the faces Of his best friends
The agents or this rotten concern were sent to the
State OF Maryland to regulate things In that State
and what did they accomplish with the vast sums
OF the peoples money which they daily squanderedY
The negro was content with his situation. lie
wanted no support from the Freedmen's Bureau
He was kindly treated by the people OF Mary
land aud expected to work, as the white man was
expected to work, for his maintenance and support.
But this was not the radical programme. The inst


tuition was conceived In the interests OF party and
the negro was TO be made subservient TO party. lie
was entced from his work, gathered into mass meet
fngs all over the state counseled and misled by the
miserable fanatics who had him in charge, and
finally reached state Of decentralization which the
power Of The state could hardly repress. Before the
organization OF the State militia was completed
armed regiments OF negro troops paraded the streets
Of Baltimore, insnled the residence OF the Governor
shot down unonendiDg. citizens and held undis-
turbed sway, IN the confidence OF protection from
the agents 0f this bureau. This has been tie case IA
other states and wherever the Freedmens Bureau
has been ana oduced. lou recoilect, my frlends
the visit o. e q. the leaders OF this radion party
to the Soa.., wnS.. ..~y made their first effort to
conciliate ne.Io ,ste They were bone from
point to point IN government transports, at tine
pense Of the government the negroes were drawn
from their pursuits TO then the agents OF the
bureau were everywhere Jusy I'm doing then honor
at the public expense and III this you have fair IL
lustration Of the use which has been made )f The
peoples money. At a time when you are Dorncdown
by taxation, when the white man Is paid for hs labor
III currency forty per cent. below the standard OF
gold, when the public debt IL increasing iCarful
amounts, you find Congress reckiessy insisting that
this incubus shall not be removed, but snail continue
to prey upon & ahe substance OF the people Look at
fellow citizens, that II IN time OF peace with no ex
traordinary demands upon our resources, we 20 on
TO increase this burden, from month TO month and
year TO year. the public credit will be utterly pros.
trated and the taxes OF the country will be more
than the people Will patiently bear This government
owes a debt now more onerous than that of Great
Britain. You may estimate 1t lightly, and these radl.
cal men DO pretend to estimate 1t lightly; but have
you will find that am not far short OF the truth in
this assertion. How are you to pay this debtp
surely no time y more proptious than the present
OF wasteiulness until we are ruined2 If we cannot
inaugurate system Of economy and retrenchment
and can only be paid by wise and prudent
aud economical nursing Of the resources of this
government The burdens OF taxation are heavy
enough II these men persist in their extravaoanrs
they will prostate all the great Industrial interests
OF the country and the the people open their
eyes to the sad condition In whicg they have been
placed by the radical party the better it will be for
ourselves and those who may come after U.S. There
remedy ns passed om the hands s % bs ns2
into the hands OF the people. Our repre-
sentatives have attempted TO break up this gov
ernnent. You did not elevate them to power for
any such purpose, and the time has come when they
should understand this clearly and distinctly. Vi0-
lent diseases require violent remedies aud what we
demand now is sweeping radical and fundamental
change, both In men and principles, in the future
administration OF the affairs OF this government.
The Convention which met IN New York on the attn
Of July represented what believed to be the popu-
lar sentiment OF the country. Every State was there
and the voice Of that body was believed to echo the
voice OF every section OF the Union and all classes OF
our people. In Mr.. Seymour the democratic party
have presented to you leader who requires no
euogium at my hands. Coming FROM the ranks Of
civil life no man understands better the needs Of
the country In crisis Ike this In the great con.
nict which convulsed the country and divided our
people he stood by the union Of these States az with
equal earnestness he now advocates universal am.
nesty and prompt restoration OF the constitutional
rights Of the Southern States and the fraterna re-
laons OF the past intellectually he had no superior
In that Convention, and, as an experienced states
man, he had shown on many trying occasions in his
own state his capacity to rule A Christian man
and an educated gentleman, who will saw that the
tsa