Year: 1866

Senator Sherman, of Ohio, addressed q


large audience at Bridgeport, Connecticut,
on last Saturday evening. He addressed


himself particularly to the young men on


the importance of the choice of a politi-
cal party. No man was of any account,
except as he moulded and controlled the
opinion of others, and it was only through
party organization, that public opinion
could be controlled. There were two po-
litical organizations now, one being the
democratic, although it went against the
grain for him to call it by that name. In
response to the confidence reposed in it
by the American people they bequeathed
to them the siaveholders' rebellion and
war of five years duration. Toucey was
severely criticised for sending the navy
to foreign ports on the outbreak of the
rebellion, and he (Toucey) was only g
representa- tive of the last democratic or
ganization that would ever rule and gov
ern this nation. Applause. When the
war broke out the patriotic portion of
the democratic party joined the Union
ranks, and subsequently the copperhesd
organization was formed. He character
lied the declaration made at the Chica-
SO OODNChbAOug SAaS hAC " al vas .
as a damnable crime against our na-
tionality, and the American people ought
forever to put its seal Of reprobation up.
on every man who belonged to the party
represented in that convention. If the
counsels of such men had prevailed, the
United States would have become the
scorn of nations, and would be no better
than the dismembered republic of Mex
leo. The man who would trust the party
with political power who voted the war q
failure, which in twelve months after the
prophesy was triumphant success,
would be worse than fool; for he would
be fool twice deceived.


He maintained that the Union party
had fulfilled every promise made to the
American people, and he did not think
that it should be broken up simply to
benefit the Democratic party. If that
party gained power again it would at
once form an alliance offensive and de-
fensiVe with the rebel States, and bring
back into the Union unrepentant rebels
whose hands are stained with the blood
of their countrymen, and place them in
high positions at Washington. They
would repudiate the national debt and
refuse to pay the pensions given to the
widows and orphans Of our dead soldiers
unless the widows and orphans of dead
rebels were included, and the North will
be called upon to repair the damages
done by Sherman and Sheridan in their
Saids which would be pretty big bill.


He then proceeded to discuss the diff
ferences which existed within the ranks
of the Union party.


1t was commonly said in the newspa-
pers that the President and Congress
were quarrelling with each other; but he
would show that they stood with each
other on every military question. There
were four different classes of propositions
upon which it was said Congress and the
President disagreed. The first was the
of the States in Congress.
There was a great deal of theoreticsl dis
pute in regard TO the condition of the
Southern States, but those theories did
not amount to much. Some alleged that
the Southern States were conquered pro-
vinces, and some said they were States in
the Union. Democrats contended that
they we're in the Union, and had the
right to elect to Congress whomsoeVer
they saw fit, and that it would be uncon-
stitutional in that body to exclude Rob
ert TOombs or JEFF. Davis if elected, and
that no test oath could be prescribed TO
them; while on the other hand there
were those who looked upon them as
conquered provinces, to be governed with
sbsolute power, just as England Govern
ed Ireland. with unhappy results TO both,
that would continue to exist until Eng
land did justice to Ireland.


The Southern States, in his judgement
we're States in the Union in a condition
of insurreetion, and had no right to
choose Representatives to Congress IN
less they could subscribe to certain speci-
fed conditions. A resolution embracing
those ideas passed by an almost unsnf-