Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-07-10
LETTER FROM HON. GEORGE W
JULIAN,

be present ut the Grant and Ooiax Ratili
cation meeting ut Connersvilie, and, be
Ing unable to attend, sent tho following
letter, which did not arrive 10 time TO b,
read ut the meeting; st.ss sa
WAsnINoroN, d. c., June IL, '6s.
7hos, AZ. Litite, Esq, and Others: g is.ae
DEAR SIn--lhavc received your letter
inviting me, In behalf Of your Committee,
to attend your proposed ratification meet
ing at the city OF Connersyile on tho
10th instant. IL would certainly afford
me very great pleasure to do so, aud re-
grct, exceedingly, that my public duties
here will not permit il. beg leave
therefore, as u substitute for my personal
attendance, to say q word or two on tbs
general subject Of politics.
In the approaching presidential can
vass we shall have 20 deal with very littls
that is new Political questions Of late
have assumed new phases aud various
shupes, but their subsistence has remained
nnaitered. The rebels OF ibe South aud
their allies in the North have shown I
"diversity Of gifts but the Same spirit" fci
the past seven years. The general issue
ntrial between the two great parties oi
the country ever since tie year 1861 ha,
been tho same, namely, that Of loyalty
and treason, of free goyernmeut on tht
one hand, resting on he .saereduess ol
human rights, aud a rsmfant despotism
on the other, with Slavery asP its cornei
stone' That is the issue to-day. Fol-
four years we tried itby the ordeal of bat
tie, and at the cost OF appalling sorrow aud
blood il was decided'inlfav of the Re
publican party. The Democratic party,
North and South, in the first instance
accepted the situation, and would doubtless
have continued to do 50, bat for the un-
matched per6dy of Andrew johnson, who
was made President of the United States
by the pistol. aud suddenly became the
champion and animating spirit Of the
men whose cause he had denounced as in
fernal. While pardoning rebels by the
wholesale, and denouncing the authority
of Congress, he assumed the right him
self to solve the whole problem Of recon-
struction In the interest of conquered
rebels. The issue between treason and
loyalty was thus again to be put on trial
not by arms, but by the arbitrament oi
politicies; and for two years and hall
Congress has been wrestling with oul
rscreant Executive, whose fidelity would
long since have given the country lasting
peace. do not say that Congress has
been without fault, but that with such
wisdom and courage us the peculiar cir
cumstances of the. country seemed to in
woke, the representatives of the people
have soughtto cave the country and gar.
ner the just fruits OF our victory in the
held Their mistake, as | have all along
thought, was in attempting to reconstruct
the Governments of the South, instead OF
first reconstructing the President himself
whose displacement was the sole condition
and sure guaranty of returning order and
law IN the rebel States. Congress at last
was forced to enter upon the dreaded task
OF impeachment, aud failed by one vote,
through the per6dy, or corruption, or
wrong-headedness, which led seven Re.
publican Senators TO join hands in be-
trayiDg the nation TO its enemies e.if'
ln this continuing conflict the appeal is
now made to the people OF the United
States through the ballot box, to rid the
country Of its execrab!e tyrant, and pro-
nounce final judgment on the verdict OF
our armies in lS65.-Thc parties to this
appeal remain unchanged. Grant and
Colfdx represent the same organization
which made Lincoln aud Hamlin its stan
dard bearers in 1860, and which carried
the country nobly through the tempest Of
civil war. Tie Republican party has new
er been dshonofed by single traitor in
its ranks, whit every rebel in the South
aud every sympathiser in the North is
now aud was Throughout the struggle 3
member Of the Democratic party. These
organizations must be judged by their re-
cord, and the facts / state point TO but one
conclusion. The Republicans may proud
ly challenge the verdict of history. Their
party has saved the Republic in spite Of
the gigantic conspiracy Of slave breeding
Democrats to blast and destroy it. 1t has
saved the cause OF free government itself,
which awaited the issue of the conflict.
It's triumph has been the triumph of liber-
ty, as It's defeat would have been the cor
onation Of slavery. It's mission, as fully
believe, is provideutiai, and therefore it
can not now halt in the proud march Of
events through which II shall open the
way for liberty, civilization, aud peace to
the nations. Like all grand movements il
fuav rncounter femporarv reverecs Ia.