Year: 1871

MONTGOMERY, ALA, October 20


General Blair, OF the sub Ku-klux


committee, in a speech last night, al
luded to the proposition that in the


next Democratic national convention
| the South shall decline to be repre-


sented. but accept whatever candi-


date for president the Democrats OF


the North offer. he dissented from


the proposition, as did every Demo-
| crat in the West and North. The tri-


umph Of the Democratic party is the
| safety of the South; and who should


guard its safety but Southern men?
| IN they fail, may not Others more


faithful? The South has no question


of personal fsvorites, but their choice


will fall on him who is most likely to
carry the banner in triumph. If the
South fails to send her prudent and


wise men, il will be claimed as q re-
fusal to 90 with the Northern Demo-
crats because of the new departure,
and because spirit OF rebellion still


burns under the smOuidtring ashes.
He was no friend of the new departure,
but believed in the patriotism and
purity of the motives of those who
have chosen that path. While We
would never yield our convictions as
TO the cOnstitutiOnality OF the usUrpa-
tions of the Radical party, he was
willing to fight the Radicals in any
shape the Democratic party may de-
ternipe, He believed that the w
departure policy failed to bring sue
cess in the elections of this summer
and autumn for the reason that it was
q confession of the inability of the
Democratic party to carry the cleo
tions upon our own principles. In
that confession the party failed
to place candidates beiere the
people in harmony with the
platform. While the South
ern Democrats were disgusted
at the concession to Radicslism, so
the Republicans.were not cOnciliated;
and the future does not look bright
under the losses of the summer and
autumn. The Republican party con-
tains in itself seeds OF discOrdsnt bit
terness, rivalry and disaffectiOn. The
denomination of Grant could not in
his opinion, be defeated. He is now
dictator in the Republican party, and
he sspires to be in the country at
large. He will dictate his own nom-
ination. Some of the most conscien-
tious, able and courageous men stand
ing highest in the Radical party, will
leave it when e3rant is nominated,
will burn their ships when they fail to
defeat his nomination and take great
pains to defeat his re election. Instead
of going for the new departure, Blair
preferred to give q guarantee to the
disaffected Republicans by the nomin-
alton of Republican who would draw
to US, by a much stronger guarantee
than ithe mere words Of q platform,
the support of the disafected toward
Grant and the Radical party. We
could all vote for a Republican who
fayOrs universal amnesty and is op-
posed 10 the ku-kluX bills and military
laws. Virginia has adopted this pol
lev, and shall the Democracy Of the
South hesitate to follow her example?
We have taken hold Of il in Missouri,
and Missouri would, in the presiden-
tial election, he believed, give larger
majority than any other State for the
candidate Of the Democratic party.
The men of foreign birth are the
men to whom we are to look in the
coming struggle. They come from
countries where despOtism is practiced
and know its badges and signs, and
are already recognizing them.
their leading men and ablest repre-
sentatives, are now prOclaiming Op-
position to Grant and his administra-
lion; that he has taken his departure
and burned his ships. 1t was Carl
Schurz who led the entire German
element of Missouri to break down
the DISTINGUISHING clause Of her cOnsti-
tuition, and arrayed his fellow cOun-
trymen as one man against the ad-
ministratiOn, and TO despise its offices,
patronage and power. They stand
fairly and squarely today, sOlidly, to
the last man, against all disfranchise-
ments, and for universal amnesty.
They are opposed to ku-klux legisla-
tiOn, against the suspension OF the
hd6eaS corpus, and if the Democrats
i'll put forward a man, or accept one
who may be put forward by Others,
who is sound upon those principles,
he will receive the entire German
vote Of the United States, numbering
Eve to eight hundred thousand men.