Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1860-07-26
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| WHOLE NO. 194

speech tnat he was IN tile naOlt OF some
times changing his politics. did not know
but that il vas about time for him to be-
gin to excuse and cease to abuse the Re-
publicans and made up my mind to LET
him go in time. Now. as to entirely
changing my politics, cannot say have
done this; but for the life of me can see
nothing in the Republican party that any
honest Democrat can seriously oppose. 1t
is true, were they such a party as Mr..
Douglas used to say they were, could
see Objectionable features about il; but
then is it wise TO believe everything Mr..
Douglas has said, when he tells us he
sometimes changes; and when we have
near us honest men known to be honest
for more than thirty years, who deny all
this and propose to tell Us the true state
of ftlie ease, and to give us the true princi-
Piles of that party? l think not.
Besides this. when, we have for years
been opposed, in politics. to a man who
has again and again seen his party defea-
ted. and has himself sometimes failed, and
still seen that man true to his colors, re-
arming and re-entering the field to try to
uphold and successfully plant his colors
upon the side of victory, when all the
time he knew he had but to change once
to win,s and yet has never changed, may
say never faltered, how are we to respect
him? Such man have known Mr.. Lin
coin to be- In boyhood days we toiled to-
gether; many are the days we have lugged
the heavy oar on thc Ohio. the Illinois and
the Mississippi rivers together; many arc
the long cold days we have iourneyed
over the wild prairies ami through the for
est with gun and ak, and though it is not
pleasant to refer back to, well do remem.
Der, when we sat out together in the cold
winter to cut and maui rails on the Sanga-
mon river,-in Macon county. thirty years
ago, t61nclose hisifather' s little homes and
from day to day kept at work until the
whole was finished and the homestead
fenced in: we often swapped work in this
way, and yet during the many years we
were connected together as laborers, some.
times Hat-boating, sometimes 'bogdriving.
sometimes rail-making. aad too. when it
was nearly impossible to get books. he
settled all the disputes of all the young
men in the ncighborhsod, and his decis.
ions were always abided BY. l never
knew man so honest under all circum-
stances. for his whole life Thus associs.
ted with Mr. Lincoln, 1 learned to love
him, and when in 1858 he was candidate
for the first time within my reach. against
my feelings, and I may say against my
convictions. my old party ties induced me
to vote for Mr.. Douglas; my Democratic
friends all declared Lincoln was an Abo.
litionist;E1 heard him make faf speech in
Decatur just before the election and /
eonldlsee nothing bad in 1t: but was told
by the party he was wrong; l could not
see how he could be, but they said so, and
was Democrat and went it, Ny wife
used to say to me that some day Abe
would come out and be something; /
thought so too, but l could not exactly
see how man in the lower walks OF life.
day laborer, and hopclessly poor, would
ever stand much chance to get up very high
in the world, at last, one day at home. we
heard that the Republicans State Conven-
ton was to Ls-held at Decatur, and that
they were goingIfo Abe for President.
la AS, soon as / sfouni this out. went in
town and told friend of Abe's that -
great and honest merit was at last TO be
rewarded in the person of my friend, Mr..
Lincoln, by the Republican party. thot
of the hard aud trying struggles OF his ear
ly days, and recollecting the rails we had
made together thirty years ago. made up
my mind to. present some of them to that
Convention as testimonial of the begin
ming of one of the greatest living men Of
the age, believing that they would speak
more in his praise than any orator could,
and honor true labor .more than the praise
Of men orthe resolutions Of tCenyCntions.
On our way to get the rails, / told this
friend of ola Abe that if Abe should be
nominated for President I would vote for
him: everybody knows what he has been.
and l rejoice that / live to give this tcsti-
mony to his goodness and honesty. and
hope shall live to vote for him for Presi-
dent of the Unitei States next November.
Is there anything wrong in this? Who
onght to refuse to vote for as good and -
great a man as he is? Iknow that in vo-
ting for him vote with the Republicsn
party, !, and viii be considered as adopting
its principles; as fnow understand them
see no good reason why ] may not do
so; our own party is divided and wc have
no Solomon to tell who shall take the
child yf.fss'.--7o 81 h-no''' 's'si'7t Y -
Slavery has divided the Democratic
party; ,body can blame RepuJlicanism
for the destruction that came upon us ct
Charleston; Slavery has disunited us-it
has united the Republican party; if there is
any good about the question. they have it
all, and we have the trouble. If / under
stand Mr.. Douglas now. he occrpies po-
sition on this question just as distasteful to
the South as Ms. hipcoln does-wilh this
clear difference: the South seem to under
stand Mr.. Lincoln's position better than
his. and to respect it good deal more
and, am convinced II Mr. Douglas does
not reflect the nigger he does the mulsto.
and one brings just as much in Mobile. -
the other, and stands as high in the mark.
et
Many of my Democratic neighbors viii
say 1 have done wrong. but / know there
are many who would do as / have done.
were it not they do not. feel willing TO
break away from party ties and encounter
''thc. talk of old friends.