Year: 1872

maintainence Of the Union, and payment


OF bountles and pensions Of the soldiers,


should be forever sacred, and the debt oi


the rebels and payment for slaves should


never be made. Since then a provision


has been made by which the ebtincurred


is In o gradual course Of extinction. To.


day all the States are restored 10 their


former relations In the Union, and what


now IS there to disturb the happiness and


peace OF this people, There arc several


causes for the dissatisiacti6n i6nof the people,


which ! can only briefly y iallude J 10


upon the present occasion ind / shan


not touch upon many which ought to be


discussed before the peopleat large. But


one cause Of complaint which produced


ALIENATION in the late insurrectionary


States and keeps alive hates and annimosi-


ties ingedered by the war, is the continu-


ance.of the political disability, after the


occasion for them has passed away. In


consequence Of this continuance the GOV!


ernments in the late insurrectory States


have fallen into the hands Of ineSperienc.


ed and in many instances Of corrupt ad-


venturers, who have plundeted the peo-


pie scarcely less than you IN the city Of


New York have been plundered by your


former city government [Applause. I


Why are these disabilities continued 7


Why are they not removed and all


the people enlranchisedg think there


are two causes, and two alone, which pre-.


vent It. Ono is mercenary and tho other


political. Applause. The mercenary


one Is that these adventures shall exclude


from office former leading men; that be-


side their large experience and capacity,


and although they were traitors during


the war. they were not thieves and plum:


derers. Loud cheering j Their exclusion


has thorown this government into the


hands OF men who have used their power


to plunder people over whom they rule,


and the debt Of the Southern States have


been swollen In some instance twenty


fold from what they were before tho wal,
and they want even what you have ID
New York to show for money expended.
Another reason for continuing those polit.
ical disabilities Is said to be the partisan
character OF the men in authority, who
use political disability as so much capital
upon which to trade. To Illustrate what
! mean, will refer to what took pIacein
the State Of Georgia q few years ago,
when the man named Bullock was Gov.
ernor. When tho Legislature OF that
State was about to be organized 1t was
understood that certain persons had been
elected who were laboring under political
disabilities. They were given to under
stand that those OF them who would stls.
tain the Governor could have their politi.
cal disabilities removed, and those who
would not could not be permitted to take
their seats In the Legislature, and. the re.
suit was that the political disabilities were
removed from such Us acted with the Gov.
crnOr and the others were excluded, and
he had control Of that Legislature and
in falling upon the State a debt,
the discovery Of which caused him to flee
from the State to escape the punishment
which would have followed the frauds
committed. So tis with the members Of
Congress elected from these Southern
States. They promised TO remove the po-
litical disabilities from their adhercnts,
and they are always ready to do it when
they can gain favor. Three cheers were
heartily given for Horace Greeley, who was
espied on the platform. Mr.. Trumbull-
am glad to hear such cheers hero in |
favor Of tho first champion. l believe in
aud he proclaimed It boldly-or |
universal amnesty. Renewed cheers.
Ono great measure, then, which is de.
In the name OF honesty and in
the naUle Of peace and the: best interests
ol all, IS the passage of the general am!
nesty bill removing political disabilities,
Great cheering Another cause Of com.
plant among the people is the one in
which the patronage OF this Government
is used, lit uses so much money to |
carry elections not in the interest Of the
party oven, 1t does not rise to the high
dignity but ID the interests 81 a
portion Of q party. rGreat applause.
It Is notorious, you all know it in the city
Of New York, Tor Il has recently been
disclosed by an investigating commit.
tee which recently sat in this city, that
your custom houses here are filed with
men who, instead Of having received their
appointment in consequenceof Of their; ;fidel.
ity, Of their ability and capacity to dis
charge the duties OF their office for the
best interest Of their country; arc appoint.
ed becauseot the influenceit Is supposed
they are to exert at some primary
election or State convention in treating
you people on whom. to vote for at the
polls Laughter This civil service, sys.
TEN OF ours Is the parent Of many evils. II
cannot stop tonight to point out the off,
GERS In many localities who are taxed q
portion Of their salaries for party pir-
poses, and II they do not perform the po.
litical duty required Of them they are very
soon removed and Others substituted who
will be active In politics. Passing from
this question Of civil service system, which
would occupy an hour 70 discuss properly
before you, come to another measure
which should create alarm throughout the
country. Iallude particularly to the as.
sumption of unwarranted power on the
part Of the Federal Government, and the
of the Fedral Government.
Cheers To demonstrate: a military
officer in command in Georgia, Issued an
order prohibiting certain men to SIT In the
Legislature, and allowing others to take
their seats in direct defiance Of tho act Of
Congress, and which should have submit.
ted the officer to imprisonment OF not less
than two years In the penitentiary. Was
any notice ever taken OF ii? Yes; the
matter was referred to the Commit.
tee on the judiciary in the Senate
OF the United States A report was
made by that Committee, drawn up
by Senator Edmonds Of Vermont, an
ardent friend Of the administration, ex.
pressing in mild terms that the commit
tee were constrained, to say that tho nc.
tion ot the military authorities was con.
trary to law [Applause], and that Is the
only notice ever taken Of that encroach.
ment on the rights Of legislation and the