Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-10-05
SPEECH OF
HON. JOHN A. BINGHAM,
AT CADIz, SEPT. I5, 1895.

al
ioy and sorrow this day among all loyal
Americans. Joy that the Republic still
lives-sofrow ter the uureturning brave who
made death, even in the agony Of battle,
beautiful, by the sacrifice of themselves for
their country. In all the assemblies Of the
people, and at every hearthstone, let the
living defenders Of the Republic be honor
ed and the martyrs of the Republic be
gratefully and forevermore remembered,
from the humblest soldier who fell in the
ranks or persisted by the slow torture Of
famine in the prison-pens of rebellion, up
through all the shining roll Of honor, to
the incorruptible and immortal Comman.
der. in-chief, who fell by an assassin's hand
in the capital
THE TEACHINGS OF WASHINGTON.
Washington has told us that the unity OF
Government which constitutes us one peo-
pie, and which is the main pillar in the ed
ifce of our real independence, is dear to US
the graves of three hundred thousand
patriotic citizens fallen in its defense, tell
us that the unity of Government which
makes us one, is not only dear to us by the
sacrifice of blood, but is essential, absolute
ly essential, to American nationality.
THE LESSON OF THE WAR.
The stern lesson Of the last four years.
proclaimed by the first gun which Treason
firod in Charleston harbor, and the last gun
which Treason fired in Richmond, is that
the American people must be one, and their
Constitution free and supreme, or American
nationality must cease and perish from the
earth.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.
To maintain the unity of the Republic
and the supremacy of the Constitution, the
soldiers Of the Union-twelve hundred
thousand strong met the legions of armed
rebellion, who mustered more tn mil
lion of bayonets, subjuyated them, and. after
four years of conflict reclaimed to the Union
that vast insurgrnt territory extending from
the Potomac to The Rio Grande, half as
large in extent as the continent of Europe,
and broad enough, and rich enough in soil
and varied resources, to furnish homes and
sustenance 10 two hundred millions Of peo-
ple Thauks be to God, the victory of the
Republic, by arms, is complete; its ence fall
len ensign has been lifted, and floats this
day in triumph over every rood ofthe States
and Territories oftbe Union, from the Lakes
to the Gulf, from the Atlantic to the Pacific
WHAT Is TO BE DONE?
The victory of the republic over these dis
armed conspirators, by the ballot and by
laws, wise, just, humane laws, to be achiev.
ed The same great people who rescued
and saved the Constitution from overthrow
by armed conspirators, through the power
of the bayonet, must save the republic from
overthrow by disarmed conspirators through
the power of the ballot The ballot is the
sovereignty of the people, and by it the peo-
pie will finally decide the fate Of the Re-
public. would be false to myself, false to
you, my fellow citizens, who have so
long and so generously honored me with
your confidence and support and false to
the highest interests OF my country, if did
not remind you that the enemy of your free
broken and routed, is still in your midst, in
every State and county and hamlet, North,
South, East and West, plotting to achieve
by political combinations and political ac'
tion, what they failed to accomplish by
| physical force, the overthrow of the Con-
stituton and dismemberment of the Union.
| BUT TWO PARTIES YET.
AS during the past four yeals there were
but two parties in the country, the friends
of the Union, and the enemies the Union,
so now there are in this country but two
parties; the friends of the Union, and the
enemies cf the Union. The contest in ev.
cry State, is now, and has been, ever since
Lee and his conquered regiments surrender.
ed to Grant, and johnson and his conquer
ed regiments surrendered to Sherman,
whether the laws should be enacted and the
Government administered by the men who
| stood by and saved the Union and the Con.
stitution, or by the men who stood by trea.
son and armed revolt against the Union and
Constitution, during these four years Of
evil war. -.. - .tt--...... ...ir.
THE SAME DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
/ Be not deceived by party names. The
Democratic party of to day, North and
South, is the same Democratic party which
in 1860, conspred to dismember the nation
overthrow the Constitution, and extingush
in Violence and blood, this great experiment
of free representative government. L speat
of the Buchanan-B -Breckinridge Democratic
party, as contra-distinguished from thu
Douglas Democracy, the majority Of whom
: followed their great chief into the UnioI
organization, where they still remain.
This Democratic organization plotted thi
treason in their convention al Charleston
when they refused to trust Douglas, and de
, manded and made the nomination Of thu
, arch traitor Breckenridge, that he might
if elected, betray the country and destre.
its institutions, and if not elected, that h
might be the more successful as militar
IbdutT III tuc hJluCo th'
Constitution. Failing in the election o
: Breckenridge, this Democratic party i'm
, mediately, in 1860, proceeded, with the ali
! of Buchanan and his Cabinet Officers
i Cobb, and Floyd, and Toucey, and Thomp
, son, to organize treason, and supply it wit
the arms Of the Government, and wer
only prevented trom.completing their orgar
q ization in the national Capital by the Ro
e man firmness and patriotism of Stantor
, Holt, and Dix. Go read the shameless
d clustering record of this pretended DEM
r cracy, North and South, and be convinced
upen their own acts, that they were the So
originators of the rebellion. No State, \
), county, no township, any where in th
! Union that voted for Abraham Lincoli
gave any eountenance and support to tt
J rebellion, while every State, and count
and township, which supported Breekil
=, ridge. either armed for rebellion, or aide
N and abetted those who did arm. Viii
these Democratic conspirators were thu
n arming all over the South against the rig
= of q free people to choose their own Office
le of government, the chief of their part
in James Buchanan, forgetful of his oath al
> its obligations, was proclaiming in his Me
v sage of December. 1860, to Congress, that
l. was unconstitutional to coerce secedil
% States. Remember that when this imbecl
y 4