Year: 1872

immediate notice of the Government


and that life must be vindicated, il


needs be, by the whole power of the


nation. Shall it then be said that the
Government has the power and the


right to protect American citizens in
every country but our own?


hold that when any State falls, re-
fuses, or from any cause is unable to
secure to her citizens an equal protec-
ton OF the laws, security for lite, liber-
ty, and property hold that it is with
in the power and the absolute and SOL
emn duty of the Government of the
United States to extend protection in
such eases. [Applause.l


In passing what was called the Ku
kluX law, we did not intend to place an
arbitrary power in the hands of the
President of the United States to be ex-
ercised by caprice or for selfish or par
tisan purposes. That power was placed
there for the purpose of protecting or
enabling him to protect the lives, liber-
ty, and property of hundreds and thou
sands and even of millions of people in
some of the Southern States, when the
State Governments had been unable, or
had failed to grant such protection.


We knew that in placing that power
in the hands of the President that he
would not abuse it. He has not abused
it. [Great applause And whatev er
may have been said, allow me to say
here that the Ku KluX law has done
more good in a shorter time than any
law ever. enacted by the Congress of
theUnited States.


1t has operated like charm. 1t has
protected thousands and thousands of
people from murder, from outrage, and
from exile. And those in the South
who denounce that law, who oppose
the re-enactment of the power to the
President for another year to suspend
the writ of habeas corpus in case of rev.
Olution or rebellion, do not oppose it be-
cause any wrong has been done, because
any rights have been violated, but they
oppose it because they are unwilling
that certain instrumentality shall be
crushed out which, being left uncon-
trolled, may control, may absolutely
sway, the political aspirations of GER
tain States. We desire only fair and
honest elections.


We want men of all parties and of all
colOrs, we mean, and to protect the peo-
pie in the exercise of their political
rights. [Applause.l And it is because
they had not been accepted heretofore
that that law was evaded.


Fellow citizens The salvation of this
country, l believe, with her present and
best interests, are bound up with the
predominant interests of the Republic
can party for years to come. [Ap-
plause | am not an advocate of the
Republican party merely as partisan,
but because it has been great instru-
mentality by which this country has
been saved in peace, and by which, in
my judgment, it must be preserved in
the future. [Cheers.l In a government
like ours there is, there must be, par
ties. Men entertaining similar princi-
pies must act together by organization
and cooperation and that makes par
ty. When you have this party down
what security will you have and can
you ever get another that will carry
out its work. Stand fast by it. Look
to the future, and be governed by the
light of the past. Sometimes great
light will be extinguished. Sometimes
one of those to whom the people have
been accustomed to look up will fail The
people will drop tear, and we may re-
gret it, but it will pass away. Zap
plause.l Remember that the Republic
can party is greater than any man. 1t
is much greater than all its leaders
combined. But among the greatest of
our statesmen and politicians great
many errors are committed. 1t is said
that General Grant has committed his
errors. do not deny it, but am hap
py to say that most of them are trifies.
They do not 90 to the essence and sub
stance of his administration. Amy man
who supposes that ne has strength
enough to break up the Republican par
ty, will commit very grave blunder.
Let no man suppose that he can run the
Republican party into the ranks of the
Democratic party by means of any
back-door or back-stairs for the sake of
plumber. Several men who have been
distinguished in the Republican party,
whom we have been looking up to as
leaders and pioneers, have committed
the mistake; but when they have made
this mistake they have been dropped
and passed away forever. A pebble
dropped into pool produces ripple
for little while, but it very soon be-
comes placid. So that the greatest man
in the Republican party, if he shall be
unfaithful to its principles by reason of
personal disappointment or invitation,
shall still be unable to destroy its or
ganization or destroy it, and he shall
sink out of sight to disturb the surface
of political world as little as the peb-
BILE when dropped into the lake. lcheersl


Then stand fast by your principles
and you will on tomorrow nominate
General Grant. (Cheers. General Grant
has told the American people that he
had no policy to urge against their
wishes and their understandings. He
has made pledges which have been faith
fully redeemed. He endeavors to carry
out the national wish whenever he finds
out what that wish is. The judgment
of all men is better than the judgment
of any one man. The common sense of
the country is better than the judgment
of any man, however lofty or angelic
may be his abilities, and the faithful
public servant endeavors to find out
what is the popular will, what is the
wish of the nation. and then to carry it
out understandingly. That the great
object of government is to subserve, to
carry out the wishes of the nation rather
than to carry out the policy or the rule
of any individuals. General Grants