Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-03-19
pr..,aent Grant

Hrcsident oEhhe
AvrrRsf66 Clamensaliie interrsehum Of
ar Johnson, General Grant succeeds 70
The Presidency. He Is elected by she
s-,,el hith. hut 4 hundred. fold stronger,
that elected Mr., Lincoln, and which, by
tve6thtrtis msjority IN Congress, has stead.
ilv hafliedl the desivns Of the Executive
eipce MT Idncoln's death Heavily taxed,
the country is vet prosperous and rich In
industry and energy and hope, and feels
that with the retirement OF Mr. Johnson
A horrible incubus IA lifted, and that the
course before II is so FAR cleared
Eight years ago the Republican party
came into power. It's opponents, under
the name Of the Democracy. were merely
the vast and unscrupulous political organ
ization Of an Aristocracy. The party was
led by the great slave lords and their lieu.
tenants. Its policy was a defense and
maintenance of slavery. II WAS strictly Q
Southern party, with Northern adherenti
and allies but no man who was not &C.
ceptable IN the Southern mastery could
rise to the highest poets or hope 70 crafty
even a moderate ambition A more
shameful subserviency was never demand
ed OF honorable men than that which the
slave lords of the Democracy imnoeed
upon the party IN this country. Eigh,
years ago there had been protest upon
the part of some Of the party, and there
were two tickets nominated. But the no
litlcal philosophy Of the protesting cspdi-
date, as well as his practical wisdom, hu.
manity, and patriotism, were all expressed
In hie famous phrase, "I don't care
whether slavery is voted up OF down
Had he been successful, he would undoubt-
edly have served the purpose of those who
elected him as well a. Mr.. Breckenridge,
II, then, the Democratic party had sue.
corded in 1850. what would have been the
situation Of the country nowi Does any
thoughtful man recall its condition under
Buchanan aud Pierce without shame and
indignstionf There was not single fun
dameutal right of freedom In this oouu-
try that was not held by the permission
Of slavery. For the man who believed
and taught the equal rights of men there
was in half the country no personal free
dom, no liberty of speech, no security OF
life. Under Democratic asoendancy, In
halt Of the United States which vocifer-
ously sneered at despotisms, for an Amer
icau citizen who held and expressed the
opiniGns Of Christian civilization every
where there was no more protection than
for the traveller In the interior OF Africa
Meanwhile taxation was light, the burden
Of government was easy. the population
was sparse, the country was large, indus
try was active and proeDerity was great.
War was tradition. the word Union
was q spell nv which the basest pOliti.
clans conjured To be q "Union-saver "
was to be a man willing To save the Union
bv the sacrifice of everything that the
Union was designed to secure. 1.-THE
Union" interpreted by the Democracy,
meant merely the supremacy of slavery.
But the real masters of the Democratic
party, who lus lily shouted "Uuion," were
disunionists. They were willing to en-.
dure Union so long as they could control
Il. They knew, what none of their North.
ern lieutenants perceived, that their pro.
longed dominance was impossible and
when they saw that the Fugitive Slave
law, the repeal of the Missouri Compro-
mise, the assault upon Kansas, and the
Dred Scott decision, which were the last
great Democratic measures, had not only
awakened the conscience of the country
but that Its self interest felt the blightinp
hand Of slavery, they foresaw the end and
broke up the Charleston Convention. But
If Mr. Douglas had been elected, they
would have gained four years in which tc
perfect their plan to the least detail. They
would have aimed to force the Republi
cans into revolutionary position, ol
have combined 10 make the demand o
secession 30 peremptory and conclusive
that the country could not have seriously
struggled.
In the situation OF this country MIN
years ago, amidst tho machinatiOns of th
Democratic leaders, Slider, Davis, Mason
Wigtall, Benjamin, aud the rest, with tn
,,aArol laNharwar Nttft ~ Al
ignorance, and universal timidity of trade
and following Presidents like Pierce an
Buchanan, the figure of Abraham Lin
coin seems no less remarkable and Prov
dental, and much more contrasted wit
those around him than that of Washing
ton in the earlier day. Had he been dC
feated, il is hard TO believe that this GOV
ernment would today exist and If II die
1t would only have been with the dom
nance OF slavery more supreme than eve
There was, indeed, no hope for the PR
gressive civilization of this country, an
none for the development of liberty els,
wh"-e, but in the defeat of the Democrats
party,
la the eight years of Republican S,
premacy the Union has been not onl
saved, but restored to its great purpos,
slavery has been abolished; the equ
civil rights OF all citizens have been @
tablshed the oligsrchy that ruled n
Government has been overthrown; u
admiration, respect, and confidence of q
world have been deserved and rendeft
as they never were before and for Il
first time since we were nation an Anne
ican citizpn, while fully conscious of Il
dangers that sill threaten us, may ie
that the necessary idea of a free popul
government, the equality Of the citizen,
now the fundamental law. The recent 4
tempt of the Democratic party to reeov
power was defeated by Its own frank stat
ment Of it's hostility both to the Dem
cratic principle and TO common honest
as we'll as by the instictive distrust of {
country of a party which has so fearful
betrayed Il General Grant takes his 81
with the sympathy and confidence of I
great mass of his fellow citizens, and wi
less actual opposition than any Preside
since Monroe and the same sagacity,
nacity and honesty that his career hitht
to has revealed will give a long and pr,
porous supremacy 10 the narty whose b,
rr'2c'ples he represents - HarTe
Ws6kly.
Kicking over the Platform.
TFp Chicaoo alatfo,m unon which Cane