The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-08-25

Lincoln they achieved success and
graspcd the sceptro Of political power.
Entering upon its second era, appal-
ling responsibilities once arose. Tho
slave masters, in the ,ride and ar;o-
gance of power, instantly plunged tho
nation into the fire and blood Of civil
war. But tho Republican party rose
with the crisis. 1t raised money in
unstinted measure, organized vast a.
mics, created powerful navies, Tough
bloody battles, crushed tho most gigau-
tic rebellion Of Nil recorded history, and
saved the nations life. 1t was then,
amid the clash Of arms, that the Re-
publican par saw that slavery was
the relentless and uuappeasable foe of
the country, was the inspiration, the
heart and soul Of that civil war, and
that its death would be the annihila-
ton Of the rebellion, the unity Of the
Republic and the development Of free
institutions. Against cowardly fears,
selfish instincts and unrcasoning pas
sious and prGudices it pronounced tbs
doom Of that hldeous and horrid sys-
tenn Of human bondage, though it was
uphold by aggregated interests Of three
thousand million c. dollars. hedgea
about by the accumulated passions and
prejudices, prides ind ambitions Of
seven generations, and intreuched with
in the social, political and ecclesiastical
orga ,izations and a1ili,t; ons of life.
By series Of executive a. 1 legislative
acts it broke the chains and lifted,
from the depth Of ohattelhood, up to
the SUBMITS of manhood four and .
half millions Of hapless bosdsmen, and
stood before the nations with their
riven letters in one hand and their title
deeds to freedom in the other.
The war ended, the rebellion subdu-
ed, the bondmen emanoipated, tho Re-
publican party entered upon the third
era Of its eventful history. Though
conquered by arms: the rebels did not
accept the just, humane and ge ferrous
ideas Of the victors, DOR did they re-.
turn to their proper allegiance and 10y
atty to toe government, but still be-
moaning the .'lost cause" they remained
unsabdued in will and unrepentant in
spirit and purpose. Though made free,
the bondmen whore homeless, without
property, ~ithous employment, subject
to the cruel laws against free people Of
color which had always disgraced
Southern legislation, and in the midst
Of people exasperated by defeat and
maddensd by their loss Of power still
longer to hold and OPT 'ess. Property
was swept away, industry disersaaaed,
society disintegratcd and States without
lawful governments.
Upon the Republican party devol, ed
tho task of reconstrr ;tion. To its in
trinsic difficulties We, added the in
tense hostility Of the cx.rebels, the
lingering prejudiees long engeudcrcd
be the slave system, the the timid
counsels OF convervatism aud the apos-
tacy of the Executive. Great Interests
and powerful combinations sough. to
reconstruct the South so as to place tie
power in tho hands of the late slave.
holding class, and leave the helpless
freedmen in the abjeot condition of
practical e dom. Seldom;u history
has there be imposed upon any body
Of men a work Of greater magnitude or
difficulty. The Republicans might have
shruuk from and avoided il. They
were sorely tempted to do so. But they
resisted the temptation of official pow
e. and patronage, the threats of Execu-
tive dictation and all other adverse in
flsences, and with sublime fidelity and
courage addrecaed themselves to t..e
herculcan task.
To aid IN recognizing disordered i'll
dustries, caring for, protecting and IL
structing the emauc: pated bondmen IN
the new duties Of their changed conc
ton, tho Republicans established the
Freedmen's Bureau, which, by the wise
expenditure Of few millions of dollars,
did an incalculable work for order, peace
AMI tie rehabilitation of Southern soo,.
ety. To reconstruct rebellious States
on the solid basis of equal rights, they
gave suffrage to the freedmen in the
reconstruction measure. To secure
citizenship and civil rights to wrong
ed ana hated race, they proposed aud
adopted the Fourteenth amendment.
and enacted the bill of Civil Rights.
10 establish by irreve,slble guarantees
equal political rights and privileges,
they adopted the Fifteenth Amend.
me"', and as GROWING act for freedom
they provided by law for the enforce.
ment Of these amendments thus newly
enshrined within the Constitution.
Thus The Republicans, against opposi.
tioh, against Misrepresentation, against
appalling obstacles, have struggled on
until tho rebel States, reconstructed on
the basis Of impartial l:ocrty, have been
restored >, and tho sublime doctrines Of
the Declaration Of Independence made
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