New-York tribune., 1870-08-10
POLITICAL.
ADDRESS OF THE REPUBLICAN, CONGRESS
SIONAL COMMITTEE.

have been committed 10 your keeping Such power car
res with IL grave responsibilities The people u their
right Will hold you to strict accountability for the eE
erclse OF this great Elections 10 be held
for the National OF r. preentatiyes These elee
tions will determine the political complexion of the
popular branch Of Congress. They will too determine
the political character Of several state Governments
And results will DE accepted the verdict Of tho
people upon the ideas, principles and policies Of the Re
publican party and upon the measures and character ~
the National Administration. To these respon,bities
and the gravity Of these Issues your thongnil CON
sideration isinvOked.
In the present juncture IL bch0oyes the Republican
party not forget its origin, IT. history Amid tho
difcuHes that beset n, and the responsibilities and
labor which the needs OF the country In the new and
unried condition OF affairs imposes, IL should remember
that It OF the nations necessities and thus far
1t has graHdly met the exigencies for which II was
formed. Having passed trumphanty through three
great eras Of It's history ii f. summoned - enter
upon its fourth. Gathering, Therefore inspiration from
past successes It should gnppe hopefully aud With an
shrinking confidence with the duties Of the present ~
near future.
Recurring TO their origin Republicans VIII r'in''"'
when the land the theater Of stern ann
BILE conflict between the demons Of slavery an" ~
the spirit OF liberty and equality, wDeh 'n' P
held great interests and powerful orsani1"" :" -
prasp md ruled the nation with perai '""' '"' '"'
srders ~ the party instructed by passing events with
,,,o,io,s dcenened and zeal quckened by the teach
tcs of history and OF holy writ and inspired BY the
deabess words OF the patriots, statesmen ana heroes o
our earlier time to the exgences of the hour op
posed the naughty ambitions the maddening pa'ons,
the cruel preudcies and the dsorganzng theories O the
dominating majority, and, although long oyerDorne by
Numbers still struggled amid jcrr,. insults mobs
blows and assassnatons, till under the lead Of Abraham
Lincoln they achieved and gra,ped the sleper Of
psiitlcal power.
Entering upon its second era, appalling re.pOnsbes
at The slave masters, in the pride and arro
gance Of power instantly plunged the nation into tho
fire and blood Of civil But the Republican party
rose with the crisis II raised money unstned meas
ure organized vast armies, created powerful navies'
fought bloody battles, crushed the most gigantic rebel
lion Of al recorded history, and saved nations ie IL
then, amid the clash Of arms that the RepuDlcan
party that Slavery the relentless and unappe'-
able foe OF the country, the inspiration the heart
and soul Of that civil war and that It's death would be
the annihation Of the Rebellion the unity Of the X pun
lie, and the development OF free Institutions Aga'
cOwardy fears, selfish instincts and uIeasohlhs pi'
sions and prejudces, it pronounced the doom oil 's
hdeOus and hOrrd system Of human bondage tAouEn u
was upheld by the interests Of three thousand
millions Of dollars, hedged about by the accumulated
passions and preiudices prides and ambitions of seven
generations, and intrenched within the social p'eaI
and ecclesiastical organizations and Affiliations % NE
BY series Of executive and legislative act- II ofoEe 'hs
chains and lifted from the depths Of chattelhood upt
q y
less bondmen and stood before the nations with th'r
riyen feters in one hand and their title deed 90 if'!om
in the other.
The war ended, the Rebellion suhduod, thr 1oadtnen
emancipated, the Republican party entered upon the
third era Of eventfu history Though conquercdby
arms the Rebels did accept the just humane, md
generous ideas Of the vctors, did they return TO
their proper allegiance aud loyalty to the Government
but still bemoaning the lost cause" they remained un-
subdued in will and unrepentant in spirit ond purpose
Though made free the bOndmen were homeless, without
property without employment subject 10 the cruel avs
against free people OF color which had always dsgced
Southern legislation and in the midst OF a people
asperaed by defeat and maddened by their loss " power
still longer to hold and oppress. Property was swept
away industry dsorganzed, society dsine grated, and
States were without lawful governments.
Upon the Republican party devolyed the task 0f re-
construction To its intrinsic difficulties added the
nese hostility Of the ex-Rebels, the lingering prudces
long engendered by the slave system the tmid counses
Of Conservatism, and the apostacy Of tho Executive.
Great interests and powerful combinations sought % 20
reconstruct the South to place the in the hands
OF the late slavehOlding class, and leave tie hepess
freedmen in the abcct condition Of practical soridom.
Seldom in history has there been imposed upon any body
Of work OF greater magnitude difficulty The
Republics might have shrunk from and avoided IT, They
were sOrey tempted TO do But they resisted the
temptation Of official power add patronage. the threats
OF Executive dctaton, and all ohec adverse influences,
and with sublime fidelity courage addressed The
selves TO the hercuean task.
To aid in reorganzing dsOrdered industries caring for
protecting and nstructng the emancipated bondmcn
the duties of their changed condition, the Repub-
cans established the Freedmen's Bureau, which, by the
wise expenditure of few million OF dollars did an incai
culable work for order, peace and the rehabilitation OF
Southern society. To reconstruct rebeous States the
solid basis of equal rights they suffrage TO the
freedmen in the reconstruction measures To secure
H.
they proposed and adopted the Fourteenth Amendment
and enacted the bill of Civil Rights. To establish by ire
vers5le guarantees equal political rights and privileges,
they adopted the Fifteenth Amendment, and crown
ing freedom they provided by law for the enforce
Of those amendments thus newly enshrned within
Constitution Thus the Republicans against the sternest
opposition against misrepresentation, against appalling
Obstacles have struggled on until Rebel states recon
structed the basis OF impartial liberty. have been
restored and the sublime doctrines OF the Declaration OF
Independence made assured and practical realities. In
the progress Of the has been given TO few in any
form by any modes, TO achieve work vast
grand benefcient, be recorded by history,
and applauded and remembered by coming generations
Having achieved this grand work, having passed
through these three Of its history the Republican
party, entering its fourth summoned 10 des
with questions relating the national debt the currency
finances and taxation, 10 reforms in the military naval
Indian service and whatever remaining burdens and
egaces were left by the war Concerning these ques
ons there apparent dyerSes OF interests and real
differences of opinion. The solutions OF some OF them
embarrassed by grave difficulties. They require time
well as financial skill and practical statesmanship for
their adjustment. Differences Of opinion matters
reconditc and complex in organization embracing
many OF large intelligence trained 10 habits OF indie
pendent thought expression, and modes OF action. are
inevitable. They indeed TO be expected and desired
for from such freedom Of discussion truth elected and
proper modes OF action deduced The men. therefore,
who stood firmly while in minority, amid the denun