Year: 1879


| at ratification meeting at Columbus Au


gust 1st, Gen. Beatty made speech of whicl


the following is a synopsis:


FELLOW CITIZENS: If in the pend


ing election no higher consideration:


were involved than selection of per


son to attend to duties of the guber


material office and person to preside


over the State Senate, the contest will


be comparatively an unimportant one


a scramble for office rather than &


struggle for principle Under ordina-


ry circumstances, the election of Gems


Ewing and Rice would be proper


and fitting recognition Of two eminent


citizens and distinguished soldiers.


They deserve we'll of the people whose


battles they fought and whose homes
they helped to make secure, but un-
fortunately success Of the Democratic
State ticket this fall would 60 far to
insure the success of the national
Democratic ticket in 1880, and the
success of that ticket at that time
would be calamity to the country,
for it would put the nation in the
hands Of a compact body of Southern
men, bound together by the ties
of comradeship and the sympathies,
prejudices, and hates engendered by a
four years bitter warfare against the
very government which they now
seek to control. The struggle then
is the preliminary contest for the con-
troll of the nation, and is recognized as
such by men Of all parties and all sec
tions. The fact that a few Confeder-
ate soldiers like Longstreet are found
scattered here and there in the ranks
of the Republican party, and few
Union soldiers like Ewing in the
ranks Of the Democratic party, does
not affect or modify materially the
character of the contestants nor
change the tendencies of the conflict.
During the war the Confederates had
a very considerable following among
the white people of the North and the
nationals an inconsiderable following
among the white people of the South,
but then as now the body and brains
of one party was North and of the
other South, and where the body and
brains reside we must look for the
spirit which animates the motives
which actuate and the ends proposed
to be accomplished. The tail may be
a very necessary appendage and very
ornamental, but it never leads the dog
and parties, like animals, when in
earnest, always go head first. The
war of the rebellion, like most wars,
doubtless, was conflict of ideas, of
opposite theories, of diverse civiliza-
tions. What of these ideas? Have
they been abandoned? Have they
been banished? Have they been made
obnoxious? Have they been rendered
odious, and thus powerless? Have
they been sent out into the world with
the brand Of Cain upon them? Have
we taught our children to regard them
as the essence of treason. as the dis
turbers of the peace, as promoters of
as plotters against the honor
of the republic, as the enemies Of na-
tional unity and political equality?
No, no, the ideas still exist, are
are still cherished and still hon
ored; more than this, they are
being scattered broadcast. The South
ern press is loaded down with them.
Millions of hands North and South
are busily engaged sowing the seed for
another harvest of destruction. In
business we have sense enough to see
that it would be unsafe and unwise to
employ for a second time a servant
who has set fire to our property, un-
dertaken to destroy our lives, and who
still persisted that what we had done
was right. In religion, we would
have sense enough to see that it would
be folly to accept as good Christians
and rulers in the temple men who
deny the existence of a Supreme
Ruler, and ridicule all the tenets of the
church, But in politics, strange to
say. we are slow to see that it is un-
wise and unsafe to put the government
in the hands of men who denOunce
the Constitution. insult the flag, JUS
tify rebellion, and bear fealty to doc
trine which makes the States omnipo-
tent and the general government pow
erIess. And so we honor and encour-
age treason by promoting the traitor,
by preferring him to those who have
been honest and loyal, by combining
with him to secure the spoils of Office.
NV friends, is it prudent, is it wise, is
it safe to help the men who fought to
DESTROY the Union to obtain control of
the government? What assurance
have YOU that they will not turn your
own guns upon you as they did in 81.
Have they ever repented of their trea-
son? Have they ever acknowledged
that they were in error? Have they
ever admitted that their cause was
unjust? Never. On the contrary
they are as bold and defiant to-day in
advocacy of their peculiar notions as


thev were eighteen years ago. They


believe in the right of secession. 1t is


one of the logical results Of the doc


trine of State rights. Wemay excuse


and forgive the honest devotee of a


false faith. but it would be the ex-


tremest folly to select him as a spirit


ual guide. We may admire the cour-


age and pity the fate of the thousands


who suffered and died in defense of {


false theory, but wisdom, self-preser.


vation indeed demands that we shall


condemn the theory; nay, crush it


brand it as infamous and make it hate


full to generations to come. This, anC


in this way only, will the nation fnC