Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-08-27

ehO ~ hhboi Vi heSto oupiNh dcbti
hard times, high prices, low wages,
gold without taxation for the bond
holder, rags and taxes for the people,
and an imperial military despotism
instead Of the simple but beneficent
Federal Republic Of our fathers. Be-
yond these, General Grant represents
nothing except the cold lava of the
burnt out volvano of civil war.
So much then, gentlemen, as to can
didates.
And now allow me briefly TO con-
slider some of the primary and funda-
mental differences IN principles and
policies, between the Republican and
Democratic parties.
/. The aim and purpose of the Re-
publican Revolutionary leaders is to
certraliEe the powers of the General
Government, so as to establish ulti-
matcly an Imperial Republic; which
in the Judgment OF the wisest and best
statesmen of America, from the begin
ming, can here be but another name
for a military despotism. To secure
this object they began by denying
and usurping the just, Constitutional
reserved rights of the States. Next
they assumed absolute power to exist
in time of war in the President, whom
they designated "the Government !"
and when afterward they quarreled
with the Executive, they stripped him
Of every accustomed and even very
many of his clearly Constitutional pre-
rogatives and finally sought, by a
gross abuse of the power of impeach-
ment, to remove him from an Office to
which little remained except the title
and emolument. And when the Su-
preme Court stood in their way they
began, by hostile legislation, to cir
cumscribe and cripple its rightful
Jurisdiction, and 10 bring it into con-
tempt with the people by bitter and
venomous denunciation Of its Chief
Justice.
Upon the other hand, the Demo
cratic party insists, in the language
of Jefferson, on "the support of the
State Governments in all their rights
as the most competent administrations
of our domestic concerns, and the
surest bulwarks against anti Republi-
can tendencies, and the preservation
Of the General Government in its
whole Constitutional vigor, as the
sheet-anchor of our peace at home
and safety abroad" T"
As to policies or ideas, the two par
ties differ fundamentally in this the
basis of the present Republican organ
ization is bigotry, hate and revenge.
1t tolerates no differ enccs of opinion.
1t would forever fan and keep alive
the flames of that civil war which for
four long and weary years scorched
the hearts and desolated the homes of
one-third of the people of the United
States. 1t would cherish forever the
hot passions and the bitterness, and
the feuds, and discords which in our
own MIDST arrayed neighbor against
neighbor, and wrought dissension and
strife among those Of the same house
hold. 1t refuses TO forget the vile
epithets which found no apology, even
amid the fury Of bloody conflict, and
glibly spits forth from its envenomed
lips, "rebel sympathizer, butternut,
copperhead and traitor" Processing
a religion which is founded on eternal
love, it yet builds itself up on immor-
tai hate Invoking mercy aud for
giveness from the God of heaven, il
denies all pardon or grace 10 fellow
men on earth.
But do these, our enemies, realize
that they themselves are the very
children of political wrath 7 Have
they forgotten the accumulated
wrongs and outrages which they
heaped upon our heads-the donunci-
ations, the calumnies, the espionage,
the mobbings, the arrests, the impris-
onments, the exile and the murder
and assassination which we, their fel-
low-citizens, suffered at their hands 7
Ii is We, too, who have wrongs to for
give or avenge. 1t is we who might
shut the gates of mercy upon them,
and demand a fiery and consuming
retribution. Animated by their own
relentless spirit, !, too might well
exclaim:
"A plague upon thomi Wherefore should curse
them
Would curses kin, a. doth tho mandrnie's rroan
would invent a. Understanding terms,
As curst, ne harsh, and horrible 70 hear,
Delivered strongly through my fixed teeth,
With full a. many signs Of deadly hate,
As lcan-faced envy in her oathsome cave;
Ny tongue should stumble in mine earnest words
Mine eyes should sparkle ike the beaten dint;
My hair he fixed on end, like one distract
Ay, every joint should seem to curse and ban"
But, gentlemen, II such is 10 be the
spirit Of our political controversies for
ever; If there is to be no truce TO our
passions; il the past is never to be
forgotten nor forgiven il the dead
carcass Of civil war, with all its engen-
dered griefs and wrongs and hates, is
not sometime TO be buried out of sight, /
then welcome the fierce waters of the |
deluge in which persisted the ante
diluvian world thrice welcome the /
fire from heaven which smote and con-
sumed Sodom and Gomorrah, so that
in Gods Providence new and a wiser
and a better race, worthier of their
noble heritage, may repopulate this
North American continent.
THE WAY TO PEACE.
Depend upon il, gentlemen, no party 1
whose only oementing element is a
sympathy Of hatred, can ever be per
manent in power, or even in existence. |
With large multitudes Of men, this
spirit Of hate was the controlling mo-
tive throughout the late civil war, and |
has continued to govern them at every