The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-10-09
COLFAx AT LAFAYETTE.
Eloquent and Noble Speech.
Achievement Of the Republican Party

! Indi9na. 1t vas a magnificent ovation 10
Indiana's favdfte son. the popular speaker
of the House of Representatives and the
prospective Vice President of the United
States, HeRs Schuyler 9Olfsx. The enumber
of people in attendance is said to hive been
twenty thousand, including whole armies of
Fighting Boys in Blue. The city was gaiiy
adorned fer the occasion, ro-, u
It was three O'Clock. when Mr. oolfax
feached The city, and his appearance on the
platform was greeted with uubuunded and
enthusiastic cheers. , -.,,.,s
After some introductory remarks, Mr..
Colfax said: m ~ -. se
leone here for another purpose It was
MOTTO make political speech Il is unnee-
! essary. You know right well, as Ycu read
the newspapers, Fhst my opinions are on
the great questions of the day. l have felt
that self-respect and propriety forbid nv en-
terIng the political arena to analyze, Gcuss
and criticize the pripeip'es and policy of those
srrayed against US. viii not DENY that l
have longed thus to speak in this campaign
but Lhave felt that when persous are selected
for the two highest Offices in the nation. as
they are indeed The highest ia The world. a
sencs Of PSoPriety should restrain them from
bitter or personal attacks or criticisms on
the position and character of opposing can
didates. Whatever, therefore, Others NAV
do, must be faithful to my own convictions,
and avoid such course. In regard to the
principles, policy, platform and letters of the
Democratic candidates and party, my lips
are sealed.
But there is one subject on which my lips
are not, and never can be sealed, until sealed
IN death, and that is the glorious record
made by this noble; patriotic Republican
\ party. That record will stand forever, Writ
ten in letters of living truth and light on
the most brilliant pages of our co1ntry's
history. Of this record l can feel and say,
as you can, let Posterity read this, and let
posterity judge Oh, whatsa record it is |
When this country was racked to ftsi1yery
center 6y the shock of cOntendiDg armies /;
when the degenerate sons of the country
raised their rebell'Ous hands against our flag;
when men proved themselves unworthy OF
their birth, and sought to trample in the
dust that banner of beauty and glory; when
they sought to mske it the winding. sheet OF
the worlds hopes, there was one party
among whose numbers bot a single man was
Il X.
that was the Republican party. Where, /
ask, would have been the country TODAY II
there had beenfno Republican iparty2t You
would not have had country left to be proud
Of Our country lives, because we dared 10
stand up and say the last man and the Is,
dollar shall go, if necessary, to put down
this internal conspiracy. We knew this wal
would build up large public debt, end We
knew that tax laws must be passed to pay it.
We knew these things were unpopular, but
We esaid th8 is neeessary for Che salvatiep Of
our dear land, and must be done. Your Re
preventative and l said if it drives us into
private life we will vote for these tax bills,
for only by these can our banner be kepi
flying in the field.
don't speak to day to gain votes. L
would be unnecessary, ii was disposed tC
dc 50. The result Of the election IS lust a
certain IS il the votes were alresdy countet
out in November. [Grest applause Wher
the time came in the progress of the war
that coDscription was necessary, we knew
how unpopular a draft must be, but oul
soldiers were dying from sickness 10 hos
pitals, aud being shot down by rebel bul
let's, and We found this was the only wa,
to keep our ranks full. We had but on,
motive, and that was to save our country
u audyOuB Representatives and said 5tha
though The act drive US i1i private life, ou
vote shall be recorded in favor of any a1C
J every law necessary to crush the rebelliob,
We took the responsibility and the countfy
was saved, and you rejoice over that saliva
] tion to-day, aud do not regret that the es
senlial means were used. We had to lev,
.internal taxes4O pay the public debe bu
we are reducing thsztaxss every year, a1t
they will be further reduced every yea
until We will tax luxuries and importet
articles only, The time will, soon com
: when tins VIII be sufficient to meet til
wants of the Government
That is not all, but is enough 10 crow
with eternal glory agds honor sthlses who
dared TO stand IN the gap; to risk ali fS
the salvation of the country. But that
not all. Oh, no. Let us look still furthe
; at the TecOd of this party. You knov
how, for years and years, we hid our face
in shame because Of that greatest of al
E disgraces, American slavery. When tina
institution, the sum of all .YiTlianies, ha.
plunged the country into a terrible civi
war after three years of forbeaEance Mr
Lincoln issued his proclamation declaring
that if the, Southern people continued I
murder Union soldiers a hundred day
more, he would strike the institution wild
the battle-ax Of the war power. and sAatta
it from turret to foundation stone. WI
stood by him unswervingly in that exeit
ing contest. Do you lot remember hov
faithfully every one of you Republican,
stood by our noble and martyred STANDARD
besFer2 Do you not remember how we
we're denounced for it, and had inye ;tive sn(
fcalumny Z heaped upon us without stint
how we were called fanatics aud Negro
wOrshipers, and accused Of making war t
free the negroes, and not to save the Union
In Congress, on the stump through tn,
press, our enemies epdeavored to ovel
/ whelm US with the torrent of calumny
But, inspired by the same devotion to lib
erty and Union which inspired our father
in the Revolution, you perserYedy unswet
unchecked by the tempest Of invective tba
ragged around you upon every side and at las
. you triumpbed. You blotted out the stair
from the national escutcbeon, aud at last
you could stand up id the great Republic
/ and proclaim from the hundred hatbors oi
Maine 10 that far-disiant Pacific State
whose foam is amber and whose sand il
| gold, throughout the entire domain of thi.
vast Republic, that there was not single
7 man whQ could stand up and call himself
/ master, nor call smother man his slave.
u This, fellow Republicans, was yphr work
h and ot5 this you sh0uld be proud, as one vi
7 the noblest legacies you can transmit tc
4 your children. In this great act of justice
and liberty you have been honored by the
world, and l sincerely belieFe approved by
Almighty God. Where are the men now
who pointed the finger of soOrn at you, and
who filed their mouths with Teyilings al
yous because you dared 70 strike 81
slaverS?- Not tongue of these men dare
to wag now; they are silent as the tomb
every one of them. You and l shall pass
away, but what we have accomplished
shall live in all future histury, and bright
en- under the eyes Of pesteritys As age
after age rolls away, your childrenls chill
dren will rise up to call you blessed, be-
cause, in the midst of civil war, you dared
strike down this cursed Institution ol
slavery; because, despite the ISLANDERS that
were heaped upon you, yoa bsnisbed
slavery forever from this fair Republic roi
ours, a. = p aHsa a's-.'s ri.-l7 p 7-g7.
Do you wonder that my heart throbs
with unutterable pleasure when 1 think OF
this, cur glorions work? But we have still
another honor in connection with this
| work we had a noble President, faithful
to duty, faithful To- the country, faithful to
the Constitution, and faithful against the
rebellion. You well remember how all
the elements of party bitterness were let
loose upon him; how slander, and abuse
and calumny were heaped upon him, and
finally how he fell pierced by the bullet
of a rebel assassin. Noblest of the Presis
dents since the days, Of Washington. be
was deupanGed as no PresideGb evef hss
been reViled; and yet he reviled not again,
but pursued his line of duty unfinchingly
/ to the end. Supported by noble patriot
ism, his course was true and faithful 10
4 the day he was numbered. with the dead.
Dead, did / say? He is not dead.
His is one of the few Of the immor-