Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1863-10-01
Speech of Senator Grimes.

We give a condensed report Of the
speech of Mr.. Grimes at the Court
House in this place Oh Thursday last,
as follows:
My COMMEMORATE army of hum
dred thousand men voluntarily enlisted
in defence of their country, and keep
ing step to the music Of the Union, is
a noble spectacle. But on the 18th of
October, larger army of citizens
will repair to the polls. to discharge a
duty as important to the State and to
the Nation as that entrusted to our
soldiers ia the field 1t is a noble
privilege which is committed to the
hands of American citizens to choose
their own rulers, and they fall far
short of their duty if they fail TO exer.
else the privilege intelligently and
conscientiously. If man fails to
provide for his own household, he neg
lccts one of the most important obi
cations ia life but if he fails in his
duty as one OF the guardians of the
Nation. which is simply an aggrega.
ted household, how much more blame
should attach to him 7
have no anathcmas for members OF
the opposition party. l shall not ap
ply to them epithets which they would
regard as odious. shall call them
by the name by which they have
themselves chosen to be designated
l shall give them credit for the same
sincerity which claim for myself. 1t
is the privilege of every man to act
upon his own convictions Of duty, and
his right 10 sever his connection with
any political party which fails to carry
out his views of public policy.
Three years ago the Government of
the United States was the most pros.
porous of any in the world. The
annals of nations might have been
searched in vain for parallel ol
growth in all the elements which con.
stitute national power. Burdens OF
Government there we're none. Sc
gently were the expenses of Federal
administration laid upon tho shoul.
dcrs of the People, that they we're hard.
Iy reminded in this respect that they
had National Government to sup.
port. The flag of the Union 1oated
proudly on every sea. and everywhere,
at home and abroad, every citizen of
every State was in the enjoyment of
the fullest protection beneath its shad.
ow. No man could truthfully say
that the Government had oppressed or
in any manner wronged him. 1t was
a Government which was the wonder
and the admiration of the world.
You have heard it charged that the
election of Mr.. Lincoln was the cause
of the War! Do not inc men who
maze this charge know that the reb-
els and their friends had control of tho
United States Government even in
spite of Mr.. Lincoln? Mr.. Lincoln's
election was the pretert rather than the
cause of the Rebellion.
We cannot postpone this struggle.
1t would he ignoble to postpone il,
and leave it as an inheritance for our
children.
As citizens, as electors, what is our
duty! lhave been member Of two
political parties. l am not ashamed
to declare that / have changed nv
opinions. All men have a right, and
it becomes their duty to change their
opinions whenever they become con-
WINGED they have been in error. i
was q member of the Wing party,
and when that failed to meet it's re-
sponsiblities. | became a member Of
the Republican party. ! am mem
Der Of the latter organization now, be-
cause it 10 tho Union party of the
country. All former political issues
have passed away. Let the dead bury
their dead. The only vital question
now is whether the national flag shall
float over the entire territory Of the
nation, and every necessary means in
our power be employed to preserve
the Government and transmit it to
posterity as purely as it came to us /!
1t used to be the boast OF tho Dem
ocratic party that it's principles were
univcrsal--that q Democrat in Iowa
was just as good a Democrat in South
Carolina but their claim to this
boast is gone aud gone forever.
Democrats cry out loudly against
the burdens Of taxation. You have
read in Wirt's life Of Patrick Henry
the description of the man who. dur.
ing the Revolutionary War, ran thro'
the American. camp crying Beef 1!
I}ecf!" And SO these Democrats,
with the hope of creating discomfort
cry ont Taxes Taxes Why, the
prosperity OF the couatry was never
at higher point than now. But even
suppose We are taxed, what IL the tax
alton for? 1t is for the preservation
OF the Union---for the perpetuation Of
the noblest system of Government the
world ever saw. II the burden should