Year: 1872

which l will state here, and which is
known to me to be true, that in tn g
last two years of our terrible struggle,
the Chief Executive of the Confetleracy
had to depend almost entirely upon
the Wings as his best and truest friends
and supporters. When others failed,
when others weariel, when others
tired, these men, who had been dragged
into the revolution, were faithful to the
end. You have shown your manhood,
and you have nothing of which to be
ashamed. You are like myself, you
"didn't go to be Democrats" but you
are. Remember that the present DEM
ocratic party was organized since tho
war. 1t was organized under new con-
ditions and upon new issues, and there
is no party in this country with which
Southern men, III my Judgment, can
GN/iafe taM any $eIf-respect, e.rcept
that Of The present Democratic party
lApplause. With the views and the
sentiments which l entertain l could
not, as southern man, under any cir
cumstances, affiliate with the party
which insulted the whole educated
people of the South by DISTINGUISHING
masters, and by cnfranchising their
former slaves to govern them. Ap-
plause.1 1t is very certain, in my hon
est judgment, that no party can carry
this country again, and restore the
Union and preserve the Union, except
upon the principles of the old Whig
party as pronounced by Mr.. Clay.
[Great Applause.] l do not allude to
his mere domestic policy. 1 do not
propose to revive that party. I do not
propose to revive any party.


am going with the Democratic
,o.tS, =,
that is opposed to the Republican par
ty, but | am ready and willing to adopt
Il better party whenever the country
shall propose it. [Applause.l 1t is
my purpose to make the insult offered
by the dominant party to tho white
race of the South SO inetiaccablc that
1t Will descend to our children for gem
erations to come. say that this be-
ing my great purpose outside of qucs-
tions of political policy, am willing,
on this grand platform of honor and
Lself-respcct, to adopt any policy and to
unite with any party that will accom-
plish this result. That is all have to
say on this subject. After all, the fun
damental principles of the old Whig
party arc the only ones upon which
the government can be safely and sue
cessfully administered. The Federal
Government is II limited government,
with powers expressly delegated, and
within those powers the government
is supreme. Tho States have also cor
tain powers and reserved rights, and
within those powers and reserved
rights they are supreme. That WAS tho
Old Whig doctrine. l further declared
that when questions arose concerning
the construction of the Constitution
which were judicial in their character,
they had to be settled in the courts, and
that they were the final arbitcrs, and
whenever questions arose OF n political
nature the Old Wing doctrine was that
they should be settled in spirit of
mutual adjustment and honorable com
promise and concession.


That is tn" only principle upon
which this American Government can
stand, and it is the only principle upon
which it ever did stand. And right
here want to state to my Democratic
friends an historical fact. Those heard
it claimed by them that the Onion
owed its prosperity, before the war, to
the Democratic party, but | say now,
fcarlcssly, and will he sustained by
history, that the American Union
owed forty years of its most prosper
GUS existence to one man, and that
man was Henry Clay. Applause.


He did more to shape the policy and
direct the destiny, and advance the
prosperity of this country, than all of
the Presidents combined who were III
office during his life. You got the
country into all the trouble which came
upon it by undOing his work, and you
will never get the country out of its
troubles until You return to the prin-
ciplcs of Constitutional construction
which he advocated. The old theories
of the Democratic party will not do
now. They will have to be abandoned.
The party has been defeated again
and again, and upon it's ultra-scccssion
theory, and you have nothing left but
to adopt the Old Wing theory of our
Government to oppose the tendency to
ccntraIism and empire. Call it by
whatever name you choose, that is
what you are coming to do. You must


IHiyizG the Democracy. ] do not
know that there will be any new party
formed. / ann not advocating that
care nothing for fame, | am for princi-
plc-but l tell you now that there is
but one way on earth to arrest the
growing tendency fo rpntralisIn Won