Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-10-21

ness in hospitals, and being shotdown
by the rebel bullets, and we foundthis
was the only way 10 keep our ranks
full. We had but one motive. and
that was to save our country, andyOur
representative and l said: Though
the act drive us in private life, our
vote shall be recorded in favor of any
land every law necessary to crush the
rebellion We took the responsible
ty and the country was saved, and you
rejoice over that salvation to-day and
DO not regret that the essential means
were used. We had to levy internal
taxes TO pay the public debt, but we
lare reducing the taxes every year. and
ithey will he further reduced every
lyeaT, until we will tax luXuries and
imported articles only. The time will
lsOon come when this will be sufficient
to meet the wants of the government.
This is not all, but is enough to
crown with eternal glory and honor
those who dared to stand in the gap;
to risk all for the salvation of the
country. But that is not all. Oh, no.
Let us look still further at the record
of this party. You know how, for
wears and wears, we hid our faces in
]
| disgraceS, American slavery. When
that institution, the sum of all villain
les, had plunged the country into a
terrible civil war; after three years OF
/ fOTbearance, Mr.. Lincoln issued his
proclamation declaring that if the
southern people continued to murder
! Union soldiers a hundred days more
| he would strike the Institution with
| the battle-aX of the war power, and
shatter it from turret to foundation
stone. We stood by him unswerv-
ingly in that exciting contest. Do
you not remember how faithfully
every one of you Republicans stood
| by our noble and maTtyred Standard
| bearer? Do you not remember how
we We're denounced for it, and had
invective and calUmny heaped upon
us without stint; how we were called
fanatics, and negro WOrshipers, and
accused of making war TO free the ne
eroes, and not to save the Union? In
J Congress, on the stump, through the
press, our enemies endeavored tOOver-
whelm US with the torrent of calUmny.
/ But, inspired by the same devotion to
| liberty and Union which inspired our
fathers in the Revolution, you perse-
vered, unawed, unchecked by the
tempest of invect've that ragged around
I you upon every side, at last you tri-
umphed. You blOtted out the stain
| from the national escutcheOn, and at
last you stand up in the great Repub-
lie, and proclaim, from the hundred
! harbOrs of Maine TO that far-distaHt
Pacific State whose foam is amber and
whose sand is gold, throughout the
entire domain of this vast Republic,
that there was not a single man who
could stand up and call himself mas.
ter, nor call another man his slave.
This, fellow Republicans, was your
work, and of this youshould be proud,
rs one of the noblest legaeies you can
transmit TO your children. In this
great act of justice and liberty you
have been hOnOred by the world, and
/ sincerely believe approved by Al
mighty God. Where are the men
now who pointed the finger of scorn
at you, and who filed their mouths
with revilings at you, because you
dared to strike at slavery. NOta tongue
of these men dare TO wag now; they
are silent as the tomb, every one of
them. You and shall pass away,
but what we have accomplished shall
live in all future history, and brighten |
under the eyes of pOsterity. As age |
after age rolls away, your childreu's |
children will rise up TO call you bles- |
sed, because, in the midst of civil war, |
you dared to strike down this -euTSed !
institution of slavery; because, despite |
the ISLANDERS that were heaped upon
YOU, YOU banished slavery forever from
TINS fair Republic of ours.
Do You wonder that my heart thrObs
with unutterable pleasure when /
think of this, our glorious work ? But
we have still another honor in connee-
ton with this work. We had a noble
President, faithful to duty, faithful TO
the country, faithful tG the COnstitu-
ton and faithful against the rebellion.
You well remember how all the ele-
ments of party bitterness were let
loose upon him; how SANDER, and
abuse, and calumny We're heaped upon
him, and finally how he fell, pierced
by the bullet of a rebel assassin.
Noblest of the Presidents since the
days of Washington, be was de
nOunced as no President ever has been
reViled, and vet he reviled not again,
but pursued his line of duty unfiinch-
ingly to the end. Supported by
noble patriotism, his course was true
and faithful to the day he was number
ed with the dead. Dead, did say
He is not dead. His is one of the few,
the immortal names that were not
born to die. Prolonged cheering. i
He lives to-day among the noble mar
tyrs to liberty, justice and humanity, {
and in the recollection of the dark
browed race he lifted from slavery to
the full stature of manhood. 1t is
with pride that we look back now
upon the fact that we stood by him
when the storm of war ragged around 5
him. We feel proud that we stood {
firm in the cause of justice and man
hood against every wrong and Oppres-
sion.
To-day we feel proud that we have {
saved nation and emancipated a race, {
and to-day we follow our great stand {
hero of the century
u. 5. Grant. Brave in battle, gener-
Dus in victory, reticent in speech, yet
firm as the eternal granite in princi- I
pie. and upOn whose banner these '
magic words are inscribed: Let us
have. peace" They are four words,
only, but a volume is contained in {
them. If there is a country in the I
world that wants peace, it is this
American Republic. We have passed I
through a severe struggle for national {
existence. No land ever was required it
10 make such sacrifices as ours. We c
lad TO heap up golden and living i
treasures upon our country's altar; the I
lOblest and best went forth to prove l
heir devotion to the flag of our faith !
RS. Now, in the language of our !
eader, let us have peace. We want /
no more taxes; no more drafts; no ;
more carnage and blOodshed and C
lesolation. No, no. When we reflect ?
hat this rebellion is only TO be remem-
)ered in broken hearts, numberless t
,raves and enormous debt, we can all t
NY we want no more war, but We a
want loyalty TO be triumphant, and c
We want peace through justice, liberty, b
and security to all. Great b
.pplause.1 Are We going to have a
hem? I"Yes, when we elect Grant S
nd Colfax."1 Yes; there is one man a
Who commanded peace, who struck il
Iown and drove those who waged war n
nto the last ditch, and sent them {;
lome as paroled prisoners of war; s
When ne becomes President, whenev- C
r treason daTes to raise his hand il
gainst his fellow-man will be met C
With the stern power of the Govern Il
nent. Grant will give protection to Il
II, through the nations strength. "
his is what Grant intends to do, and Il
ghat he believes the duty of the Ex- 81
cutive. as know from his own decla- Ii