Year: 1874

power, you must do so under fair notice
that every law in aid of these amendments
to the constitution (known as the civil
rights and voting acts) will be repealed at
the first moment the necessary majority
can be obtained. They will stand if re-
turned to power, where the election Of
Mr. Liuccln left them. They will be un.
der the control Of the same landed aristoc-
racy and will cary the country back for a
century. This is as well understood at
Washington on beth sides, as anything can
be.


The Democratic party has gone further
than this, There have been meetings in
the Southern States, the past winter, of
associations of planters, calling themselves
Patrons Of Husbandry, but with objects
very different from the Northern organic.
ations of that name, composed of men
who we're active rebels, and who are band.
ed to control labor and to reduce the COL
lored men and the poor whites substantial
ly to their old condition, by laws about
labor contracts. There s, you know, a
large class at the South, who are land
owners, and no better educated than the
negros The effect Of putting on the la +,
boring man badge of ownership to an.
other, is to put badge Of dishonor ON la.
Dor. 1t was so before the war, and 1t SO
since. A white man ID that section is
contented if he has two or three dogs aud
a gun. Which l like 20 have myself,
though he may not be able to read or
write. 1t may be little blame to him that
he cannot read. But he is clear that it
is improper for him to hoe his own corn.
And in recent trip Of thousands of miles
through the South, in the active Spring
work in the fields, l did not see anywhere
single white man doing any work with
his hands. l was amazed to find this SO.
The negroes were everywhere at work; Of.
ten white man was watching them, but
! no white man at work. There is still a
prejudice against labor on their part,
which must paralyze the prosperity Of tho
South. | am not out of place in mention.
ing this, because it has to do with what
our country must do, to enable the whito
man of the South to outgrow the preju.
dice.


There is something more. 1t is dis.
tinctiy understood in some quarters that
as soon as the Democrats can got power,
all the private property in the Southern
States destroyed in the war, shall be paid
for. But for three vetoes of the Presi.
dent, the principle Of the duty Of tho
government to pay for the property of
loyal men destroyed by the United States
armies, would have been extended to
the late rebels. 1t is now boldly main.
taiucd that not only must we pay for pri.
vate property taken fer the use ofour arm.
les but for every ounce of rebel cotton and
every rail destroyed in the war. The
question for you is whether you desire to
go to work to help pay these claims. If
not. then 60 10 work to keep up your Re.
publican lnajorities. o


That is not all: 1t is coolly asserted
that the cotton tax, by which we raised
about $50, 900 during the war, and
which was the only tax laid On toe South.
ern States, was unconstitutional and that
the U. s. treasury will be called on to
pay back that eighty millions. To vote \,
the Democratic tirket is to vote to pay /.
that back. There is at Washington an
institution Incorporated for the care of the
orphans of the United States sailors and
soldiers. The other day, when the usnual
appropriation of 25, 900 for dissatisfaction
was up, a member Of Congress from Geor -
gia, and one who fairly represents Demo-
cratic sentiment, said that this distinction
in favor of the ORPHANS of Union Soldiers
and against the orphans Of Confederate
soldiers, was, in effect, bill of attainder.
and consequently contrary to the Consti-
tuition. This mea1s that there ought
not 10 be maintained any distinction
between the two sides to the late
war. Carry the step farther, and
you must pension the rebel soldier or his
widow as well as the soldiers of the Un-
ion, and you must pay the Confederate
debt, as we'll as that of the government.
There is no place where you can stand, or
where these gentlemen wish you to stop
between these two extremes, and as soon
as the Republican party can be broken
down--an event long way off [applause]
we are to be taxed to pay the Confed-
crate debt If there is 0 Democrat pres.
ent | ask him to refer to the evidence Of
these facts, and to ask honestly, if that
is the kind of government be wants. II
it is, he differs from me.


The other day in debate upon the &.
nances, Southern Democrat said +: II
am for imitation. until your ID Union