The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-04-09
Manifest Destiny Of the Rspablioan Par.

1t has been we'll said that the Republican
party is to America what the Reformation
was to Europe. The true idea OF the Be-
publican party was born in the Revolution
of 1915; its principles were snunciated 10
the Declaration Of American Independence.
The pen that recorded that immortal docu
ment, prophetically announced the Triumph
of RepubHcanism in the then distaut future
No other party, so faithfully adherss to the
doctrine Of the political equality Of man
kind, as proclaimed by our forefathers IN
Independence Hall. 1t alone of all parties,
has stood by the principles on which
our government was established, and is re-
solved upon their full realization by the
people. 10 l
Through what wonderful revolutions of
public sentiment, have the embodied ideas
of the Republican party passed not always
known to history by the same maine, but
always the same in principle. Once slavery
bore supreme rule over the land it marshal
ed the armies, controlled the nayies and
held the government Of the nation ia its
grasp. President after President, assumed
the high prsrogative Of his Office, with the
slave holders collar around his neck. The
north bowed obssquiously to the naughty
rule of the slave power. Once the idea Of
political equality, even among white men,
was disdainfully treated by an sristocrscy;
property qualification was exacted, as a
requisite to the rights of suffrage. An
equality Of political rights among the diff
fsrsnt races Of mon, was denounced as an
Infamous heresy not to be tolera-
ted. 3o4t @ @
When the sncroachments Of the slave
power on the rights Of FIRE IAN, became no
longer endurable, the party Of progress
planted itself on the platform, that slavery
should henccforth never be, extended over
another foot of free soil in the Territories.
This position the Republican party vigor-
ously maintained, through many hard
fought contest. After the people Of the
nerth, had long submitted to the insolence
Of the Democratic power, in compelling the
people Of the free States, to catch runaway
negroes hesing from bondage often worse
than death, and to return the fugitives to
their masters, the Republican party girded
itself for the repeal Of the infamous fugitive
slave act. Then at length came emancipa
ton, the browning act in the history of the
war, and one of the most sublime achieve
ments for human freedom in the nineteenth
century. The Democratic party beheld the
overthrow Of this gigantic sin, not without
protestation but when it became "mani
fest Destiny" it submitted with murmur-
ings and curses. One of the chief elements
of Democratic power, which had ruled the
nation for many year, was interviewer
in the institution of American Slavery. The
slave power which so long had shaped and
controlled the policy of the government,
has been overthrown by the onward march
of Republican ideas; it no longer disgraces
our nationality in the judgement Of the
civilized world. a
But the mission Of the Republican party,
is not yet ended, when it declares freedom
to be the inalienable right of every man,
it Of necessity demands the equal rights of
all before the law For unless men have
equal rights, then slavery has all the just.
iication it needs II the colored man is
unfit to exercise the right to vote, then be
is not fit to be free the only CONSTANT
choice for the American people, is to declare
suffrage foS both races, Or servitade for one
There is no middle ground tenable. ri
the principles Of the Rspublioa party hith-
erto have been wrong, how could it have
marched forward from victory to victory
for so many year? Have education gen.
eral intelligence and the true ideas of the
rights of humanity been advancing during
the past quarter of a century? If SO, then
have the principles Of the Republican party
been harmony with the increasing light
otherwise it would long ago have been con-
demned by an enlightened people. The
past success of the Republican party, proves
it to to have kept pace with the progress OF
intelligence. So long as it has work to do,
in achieving the freedom and equality of
all men, it is idle to talk of its decline. |
When its great central principles are uni,
versally established, then will it be time to
talk of its laying of It's armor