Year: 1860

the unanimity that had prevailed in its
deliberations, and the spirit that had ami


mated its proceedings. The spirit here


displayed, and the signs of the times, are


full of encouragement to the democratic


party Now is the day, and now the


hour, for the restoration of that party TO


power in our State. The indications Of
this are seen everywhere; it is manifest in


our cities and villages, as well as in the
country; every hamlet is full, of it; the
tax-gatherer meets it in his daily rounds.
Not only does this spirit pcrvade the
rank and file Of the black republican par
ty, but the Office e-holders feel it and, like
rats that have been caught in some nefa-
rious peculation, they are anxiously seek
their holes. Laughter.] They are all
trying to throw their sins upon the head
of poor old John Mckinney [Applause. ]
But there is storm coming upon them
that threatens surely to destroy them


Like those old fellows that opposed the
building of Noah's Ark, they may assure
themselves that it is not to be much of a
storm after all, but when it breaks upon
them they will be surely swept away
| [Applause.1 What does it mean that
the people are all moving to-day? Why,
let any man put his hand into his pocket
and pull out his tax-bill for the past year,
and he has his answer. The speaker
then recurred to the date of the ascen-
dency of the black republican party to
power in this State, when, he said, the
treasury was full, ample provision was
made for the extinguishment of the State
debt, for building the asylums, and con-
dition of mere nominal taxation prevailed.
Is this not fact? Does any one doubt
it? Go to their own records and find the
proof of it, Read Governor Bingham's S
first message, the first report of the
Auditor General and of State Treasurer
Holmes = they all tell you that this was
so. How is it now? BY their own con
fession you have an empty treasury, halt
finished asylum, taxation more than
quadrupled-ncreascd from $40, 900 per
year to more than S212, ,00O-and state
of actual bankruptcy. More than this,
you have large increase of the State
debt. Look on this picture presented by
the administration of the black republi-
i can party. [Applause.] And why is it
'hat such state of things should exist
Eas there been any pestilencc, or famine,
or var, or murrain among the cattle p
NO, oily political murrain that is now


appearing among these office-holders.-
Prolonged laughterl Well, what then
has caused this depletion of the treasury?
" hat accounts do they give of it? Why,
they say the asylnms have eaten the
money all up! These asylums contain
about one hundred unfortunates for whom
the State is bouno to provide. He was
grateful that there w.s that benevolence
among the people tina. would prompt to
provision for those thus afflicted. But,
he asked, gentlemen of he county of
Wayne, couldn't you hay, supported
these one hun lred men who IRE now in
the asylum without feeling an oppressive
increase in your taxes? 1t is all sham


of these black republican office hdders.
Have these men no conscience? Do hey
mean to pour on the poor heads of thee
unfortunates all the sins of the blacl
republican party? But what have they
done for the State? They have passed {
great many laws = and such lawsl w,
who have to do with administering then
groan in spirit over them. Laughter.
They passed last winter great number
of laws; they make volume, as printed
of over twelve hundred pages. Wha
do they amount to? Why, they extent
the taxes way up in Spool county, o.
they change the name of John Doe I,
Richard Roe, or some other such frivolous
thing. They have done nothing excep
) this since they came in power. The law
are a mere collection of insignilican
nonsense. Yes, they tell us they hav,
passed other laws; that they have passed
: a personal liberty bill. They say that by
this bill slavery cannot exist in Michigan


They have done it for the sake of free


dom. The convention that adopted the
first constitution of Michigan, and thai
which revised it, had already prohibited
slavery; the speaker did not know that i,
was necessary for the Legislature to pass
laws to give validity to the constitution.
The slave was free before the passage OF
this law. The real meaning of the bill
was not to benefit the slave, but to ex.
press their hate for those unhappiIy own
Ing them; it sends the slave to the SHOWS
of Canada, and consigns the save-owner
to the penitentiary. And all this is done
in the name of freedom! The speaker
did not believe in slavery himself, and he
trusted it would never exist in Michigan,
as it never can; but in addition to losing
his slaves, which is made free by the con.
stitution the moment it sets foot on
Michigan soil, shall the STAKEHOLDER be
sent to the jackson penitentiary? 1t
was atrocious He wanted the people to
look at this matter in this light, and say
whether this law shall remain on the
statute book. He illustrated the action
of the black republicans to the residents
of the southern States by quoting from
Milton where the fallen angel, lying upon
his back with his eyes fixed upon the sun,
endures its scorching rays that he might
curse it. The black republicans call upon
their brethren of Virginia, not to express
their love for them, but to tell them how
they hate them. [ Applause. When
the constitution of 1850 was framed,-
when John $. Barry, the old war horse
of the Michigan democracy [applause, ]
was Governorof the State, lit was intend.