Year: 1868

has laid down what it calls a platform
of principles; and l beg leave to call
your attention to the declaration of that
convention on the subject OF the recon
struction Of the rebel States. l will
read from their platform


sand that any attempt by Congress. on any
pretext Whatever, to deprive any State of this
right, or to interfere with its exercise is flag
rant usurpation Of power, which can find no
warrant in the Constitution. and if sanctioned
by the people, will subvert our form Of govern
ment, and can only end in single centralized
and consolidated government, in which the sep
arate existence of the States will be entirely
absorbed, and an unqualified despotism be es-
tablished in place Of a Federal Union OF CO.
equal States.''


And that we regard the Reconstruction acts,
so>calcd of Congress to be usurpations; revo-
.lutionary, unconstitutional and void.


"That our soldiers and sailors who carried
the flag of our country to battle against most
gallant and determined foe n,ust ever be grate-
fully remembered, and all the Guarantees given
in their favor must be faithfully carried into
execution


You will all perceive that all this ac-
ton of Congress in the reconstruction
of the rebel States, in the effort to re
store the Union and to heal the wounds
Of the nation, is here pronunced "usnr
patton, revolutionary, unconstitutional,
and void"


The Democratic party has thus, by it's
platform at New \ ork, declared to the
people of the rebel States that the vari-
Gus acts of Congress which have been
passed for the purpose of recon struction
are void being unconstitutional, and
being void, are Of no binding effect. no
one is under obligations to pay obedi-
ence to them Thus the Democratic
party has informed the people Of the
rebel States that they are at liberty
again to embark in rebellion, to nullify
the acts Of Congress, and thus to renew
the struggle.


The Democratic party has invited the
people of the rebel States to renew the
war by assuring them that the action Of
Congress is unconstitutional, and that
they are not bound to yield any obedi
ence to these Reconstruction acts of
Congress- If the people of the South
do not again embark in the rebellion it
is because they disregard the express
wish Of the Democratic party Of the
North, and if they do embark in the re-
bellion the Democratic party Of the
North is resposible for the war, and the
blood will be upon their shoulders
Loud applause, and voice, 1--WE will
lick them againr'1 We understand, my
friends, that perhaps nineteen twentieths
of the white people in the rebel States
are hostile to the Government of the
United States. They are hostile to
these governments that we have formed.
They are full of hatred to the people Of
the North. What is more, they are all
armed. You can't go into rebel house
or cabin in all the Southern States but
what you will find half dozen muskets.
The private soldiers and the officers of
the rebel army, who served together for
four years, are living together there in
the same neighborhood, ready to take
up the musket and the sword, and to
fall into line again when the call is made.
And with this hostile and rebel popua-
ton in the Southern States, surrounding
these governments that have been called
into existence under the act Of Congress,
the Democratic party of the Northern
States are thus inviting them to REBEL
ion, and again calling upon them to take
up their arms, assuring them that all
their laws are void and of no force or
effect, and that they are not bound to
yield obedience to them.


This is the position Of the Democratic
party, according to its platform. And
if the power shall pass into the hands
Of this party. if they can elect prcsi-
dent who stands volun tarily upon that
platform, then indeed will the revolu-
ton go back; then indeed will all the
blood that has been shed be in vain; then
will all this treasure have been wasted
After SOC, 900 graves have been filed up;
after wives have been widowed without
number, and fathers have been left with
out children, the rebels will finally tri-
umph!


All, my friends, this same party was
responsible for the beginning of the
war. If they had not told the deluded
people of the South that the Govern
ment should be held still while they car
ried on the war Of secession, they never
would have undertaken secession. \ hy.
in this State--in this very old State
House up here, the Democratic minority
in the Legislature of 1861 told the peo
pie OF the South that if our army passed
from the State of Indiana for the pur
pose of subduing the rebellion then but