Year: 1868




->->-~~>>->~>~>s>~-~~~<
General Blair delivered second address this cam
paign in st. Louis, on the evening Of the nth inst
The following we're his remarks:-
FELLOW CITIxENs-I thank you for the kind wei
come you have extended to me this evening. You
must, however, excuse me- my friends, II ask you
to give me q quiet audience, as l am very hoarse
from muck speaking already. will try and speak
loud enough TO be heard II you VIII give me your at
enton promise You before mar nsna t 70 De Gei SO
ing and eloquent remarks that you have heard from
Mr. O'Neal, or Iowa. ] think he has done ample
admonshes me to be- brief and 10 the point. You
know, my friends that the radical party mas been
false to all the promises Il made the people People
OF "'rhat's son defy any human he-
ing 10 adduce q particle OF evidence that
would carry out such measures az they have fast
ened upon The country. On the contrary tney
pledge1 themselves by their platform and by tneaf
the very measures that they have since 6xed as o
yoke on the necks OF the people. They were charged
Ing negro suffrage. They denied 1t. Their platform
give them the lie. They were charged with waging
.i war OF sublngation against the people OF tne
gave unanimous vote declaring that IL was not
their intention to wage war for any purpose OF sub
jugation, but to maintain the Union and to restore
the States to their original relations with each
other. That being done they pledged themselves to
give those States all their rights under the
constitution unimpaired. Instead OF carry
ing out their pledges to the country in
stead of restoring these States to the Union,
which the declared purpose or the war,
these men have accomplished what Jef Davis and
his army sought and failed TO achieve They have
disrupted the Union, and to-day there three OF
the States which proclaimed to be outside OF the
Union entirely. The old state of Virginia, which
throughout the whole history OF our country, and
the states OF Texas and Mississippi, held to
be outside Of the Union by these men who pledged
themselves to restore all the States to their former
condition. They are Outlawed because they refused
to vote the republican ticket, and for no other
son. The other states that N revolt have been
white people dsfranchsed and the negroes clothed
with the right OF suffrage because they anticipate
well knowing, at the same time, that the
white men would not vote their ticket.
81 70 which the people no Of hoss
States nave not been subjected since their armies
laid down their arms and submitted to the govern
granted promising to them protection II they would
return to their allegiance and lay down their arms.
That parole has been violated and prescription and
persecution have been visited upon the people Of the
Southern States These men pledged themselves to
restore peace throughout the country, but whoever
or by persecution In other countries this thing has
been tried time and time again. II has been tried for
Britain has sought by prescription and persecution
70 bring about peace and prosperity Have they
long enough, one would think; for centuries
wherever you meet an lrishman, whether
tie remotest part Of the world there sentiment
which he cherishes above all Others and that Is
hatred to the men who have oppressed his race and
prosecuted his c0untrymen. (Cheers) And 80 OF
every other country where this panacea OF proscrp
ton and persecution has been tried and 80 1t will be
while there Prosecutors This feeling Of hate has
descended from father to son as an inheritance
Of scorn and revenge which will be cherished
AGAINST those msn sn ey are = dpea y s IN tine
belongs to all people In every land and which
these radicals are making now in our own country.
They are making here a new Ireland by the course
they now pursuing. They have borrowed all the
proscriptive and prosecuting statutes which Eng
Irlsh and have inflicted them upon the southern
States Cres or .srhats so'f That Is the way they
propose to renew the reign of peace throughout the
country. That IL what Grant means when he says
'.Let us have peace.n He means my fellow-citizens
the peace Of despots, the peace that regns in War
about-peace at the point Of the bayonet, peace az
the expense Of the constitution and Of free, constl-
tutional government. tell you, my friends, that
TINS malignant system OF prescription Is foreign and
alien to the constitution Of the United states Tha,
great instrument bazes all over with the n0bler and
more glorious spirit OF liberation to all tCheers
That is the very heart and foundation Of const
tuition My fellowctizens, once, during the history
OF the Roman republic, some OF the dependent
thrown and subdued by the pr0wess OF the Roman SOL
dery and then the question came for discussion in
the Roman Senate as to what should be done with the
malc0ntents. number Of the Senators, like the
Summers and Wilson's OF 0nr day, favored exfermn





face OF the earth. They have rebelled against the
glory and power of our repuolic and they deserve
rose in the midst of this clamor this Increment to
prescription, persecution and vindictiveness, and
said, no, Roman Senator's, let us make them
Roman citizens, and thus extend the power and
glory OF our great republic" Cheers.) his counsel
was taken, because the Senate OF Rome NJ that day
cared for the honor and renown OF their nation
That republic extended until 10 overshadOwed the
whole world. and its glory lives To this day to ami.
mate nations and to nerve the arms OF patriots
against that despofsm which. In the OF Rome at
least, overthrew her power. Now, my friends
this s al example worthy our imitation, worthy OF
u noble and uiaRnanInous nation. The example
now being set by the radicals OF this country is one
ofwhich we have seen the results In the administra-
ti0n OF the government Of Great Britain Ia its pro-
scrpton OF the Irish people, driving them INTO exile
In every region OF the world. IL IL one which has
been set by all the other monarchcal governments OF
Europe In their vndictive policy TO those whom they
have overthrown. We should initiate the example
Of the Roman republican-of that noblest and
brayest OF all nations, which rose to great height
OF power and prosperity BY doing 40 we shall ex-
tend the power and glory OF the American republic,
and only by following SO iIustrious an example can
ever hope not only TO maintain the power of the
republic, but to maintain our own liberty. If we
set the example OF enslaving the Southern States
II we undertake TO enslaye this great body OF
people In the South, we may be that the very
despotism which will deprive them OF liberty with
turn upon us and take away our liberties also. tell
You, my fellow citizens, we might as well expect
that, IA live men, we could exist with dead body
chained to US as 10 hope TO prosper while we are
striking down the prosperity OF the South. Her





Every blow that we inlict upon her rebounds upon
ourselves. II is limb of the national body Every
atrocity that we commit against that people s an
atrocity COMMITTED against the entire people OF the
country repeat IL, that every wound given 10 the
south tinges through every vein IN own bodies.
and the example Of despotism which we arc setting
there, holding the people down with the bayonet,
Is an example which our rulers will follow and apply
10 ms IN future time They have already applied it
to us In Missouri. This state, In every section
feels the agony OF the most despotic and meanest
government that ever existed In the tide OF time.
tCheersl IL II despotic, mean and cowardly. These
people have wrested from citizens their liberty
and have subugated them 10 the constitution which
they never voted for. lCries Of Never and never
wilpD And yet that is the law. You are compelled
10 submit 10 IL, yet under IL you have rights
citizens, except such as the State government
chooses to concede to you. Some OF you believe that
you are the free citizens OF republic. None OF you
are. You have no rights OF citizenship except what
are allowed you by the government OF your State
Which discriminates between individuals. One man
IL allowed 10 vote because ne will vote q partisan
ticket Another who proposes different faith Is
rejected. No man can vote here except by
NJ fl.A