the new departure is consistent
with the Democratic record. Hitherto Democracy has taught that, as
a question of law, the amendments were made by force and fraud, and
are therefore void; that, as a question of principles, this is a
white man's government, and that to confer suffrage on the colored
races--on the African or Chinaman--would change the nature of the
government and speedily destroy it. Now the new departure demands
that Democrats shall accept the amendments as valid, and shall take
a pledge "to secure equal rights to all persons, without
distinction of race, color, or condition." Sincere Democrats will
find it very difficult to take that pledge, unless they are now
convinced that their whole political life has been a great mistake.

When an individual changes his political principles--turns his coat
merely to catch votes--he is generally thought to be unworthy of
support, I entertain no doubt that the people of Ohio, at the
approaching election, will, upon that principle, by a large
majority, condemn the Democratic party for its bold attempt to
catch Republican votes by the new departure.

_Speech of_ GENERAL R. B. HAYES, _delivered at Marion, Lawrence County,
Ohio, July 31, 1875._

_Fellow-citizens of Lawrence County:_

It is a gratification for which I wish to make my acknowledgments
to the Republican committee of this county, to have the privilege
of beginning, in behalf of the Republicans of Ohio, the oral
discussions of this important political canvass before the people
of Lawrence county. Although my residence is separated from yours
by the whole breadth of the State, we are not strangers. We have
met before on similar occasions, and some of you were my comrades
in the Union army during a considerable part of the great civil
conflict which ended ten years ago. Those who had the honor and the
happiness to serve together during that memorable struggle are not
likely to forget each other. We shall forever regard those four
years as the most interesting period of our lives.

The great majority of the people of Lawrence county, citizens as
well as soldiers, have also good reason to recall the events and
scenes of that contest with satisfaction and pride.

The official records of the State show how well Lawrence county
performe