Year: 1871




- ia


To the great surprise and regret of the
Vast number of his warm admirers. MIR! Col
fax, few months since, announced his pur-
pose of retiring from public life at the close
of his term, and devoting his attention to pri-
vate business, for which none doubt that his
qualifications for success are as eminent as
they have been proved to be for public duties
during his long and honorable career in the
public service, This determination was un-
derstood, and indeed, declared, to have been
influenced by conviction. that the interests
of the country and the preferences of the
people required the reelection of Grant to
the Presidency and now, when events at
the moment have occasi0ned divisions in the
Republican preferences that could easily be
united upon the universally popular Vice
President, and the indncement for recon
sideration Of his determination, operating
upon laudable personal ambition. are more
than ordinarily hattering, Mr.. Coltax adheres
to his convictions and purpose, and on Oc-
casion of the recent serenade to Senator Nor
ton, gave the following testimony of confd.
enee in the honesty and devotion of the Pre-
sident against the aspersions and censures to
which he has been subjected through malice,
misunderstanding:


At the conclusion of Mortons speech,
Vice President Colfax was formally intro
duced, and said he came to listen to the
speech of the distinguished Senator who
had so ably defended Republican principles,
and so energetieally vindicated our Chief
Magistrate from unjust attack. A Chief
Magistrate of whom may say, from my
intimate acquaintance with him, his very
heart throbs for the honor and best interests
of the nation, and who, believe, will be
honored with public approval in 1872 as he
was in 1868. Applause. What is the
great question that looms up above all others
before us to-day, which causes Republican
Congress to linger here in this city when
they would gladly be at their homes? 1t is
protection of life. liberty, political rights and
safety of our citizens against the wickedest
conspiracies that ever disgraced nation pro-
fessedly at peace. It is to cover with the
national shield the weak and poor, humble
and defenseless. [Applause.


| rejoice that on Thursday last we saw
the whole Republican phalanx in the House
voting together, as one man, shoulder to
shoulder. and heart with heart, for an eff.
cient law, so soreIy needed, and hope next
week we shall see the same conspicuous unity
manifested in the Senate.


five do, know as you do, that the Piesi.
dent will use the power put in his hands by
the law-making authority, not to wrong or
injure any one, but to protect, to the full
extent. all who are now so cruelty and shame.
fully outraged. Applause. eeaa


But when this vindication Of the wronged
and the defenseless is attempted, how is il
met? Our opponents use as their favorite
weapon, the terms '.carpet. bagger" and
''scalawag," and. covering them with oblo-
guy and denunciation, they thus seek to
paliate the enormities they dare not directly
defend.


Who is a carpet-bagger?


lie is citizen of the United States, born
on our soil, or naturalized in our courts, who
has the right to settle wherever he pleases
under our fag-in North Carolina as well as
Indiana in South Carolina as well as YER
mont; with the right to proclaim his senti-
ments wherever he lives, and whatever his
creed, condition, color or profession may be,
on the house tops or by his ballot, with none
to modest or to make him afraid. 1t was for
this our soldiers bore the starry flag repres-
enting the power of the Republic all over the
Sonth, to make the soil of the entire Repub
lie free for all its citizens. m -


Who is scaiawag? He is a native of the
South. who, when the storm Of civil war
burst on his region dared, despite the dang
er Of death, imprisonment, confscation or
exile, to declare that he stood by the Union,
true amongst the false loyal, against armed
treason :; faithful amongst the faithless
found. 1t is to cover them all with the shield
of national protection against masked and
and midnight conspiracy, murder and scourg-
ing that a Republican Congress interposes
between them and their enemies. 1t is to
protect those who are poor and humble. and
who, unlike the rich and powerful, have no
other protector but the law, that Congress
remains here for their vindicaton 1t is to
end these shameless outrages that have
already dishonored the nation and that have
already gone entirely unpunished so long
On our banner we have that noble motto
Equal and exact justice for all men,"


Thirty years ago it was an honorable
motto of the Democracy of that day but for
what are we now denounced by the Democ-
rats of our times? 1t is because we have
taken that principle which they once pro-
claimed but no longer proclaim. and have
enshrined it forever and irrevocably in: our
National Constitution, and because we in
tend that 1t shall be respected and obeyed
throughout our entire domain.