Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-08-19
A DNR ESS OF THE REPUBLICAN
CONG R RJtSNlON l. CO N MlrTEE TO
I'IAE PARTY.

ADDRESS OF THE REPUBLHCAN
CONER u RT.SSlONAL com MlrTEE TO
TnE PARTY.
Review of the Histofy u the Party
What 1t has Accomplished 5.
work Yet to be dOne--Success OF
President Grants Administration
To the Republicans Of the United States.
The Executive and Legislative Depart
ments of the National Government, and
two.thirds of the State Governments, have
been committed to your keeping. Such
power carries with it grave responsibilities.
The people. ~ is their right, will hold you
to u strict accountability for the exercise Of
this great trust. Elections are soon to be
held for the National House Of Representa-
tives. These elections will determine the
po:itical complexion OF the popular branch
Of Congress. They will, too, determine the
political character Of several State Govern.
ments. Aud these results will be accepted
~ the verdict Of the people upon the ideas,
principles and policies of the Republican
party, aud upon the men sures and character
OF the National Administration. To these
responsibilities. and to the gravity Of these
issues. yolr tn ,ughttul consideration IL in
voked In the present jnnetur. it behooves
the Republican party not to forget its ori.
gin nor its history. Amid the difficulties
that beset it, and the responsibilities and
abors which the need Of the country in the
new and untried condition Of affairs i'm
poses, it should remember that it was born
of,he nations necessities, and thus far it
has grandly met the exigencies for which
it WAS formed. Having passed triumphant,
ly through three great eras Of its history, it
is now summoned to enter upon its fourth.
Gathering, therefore, inspiration from past
successes, it shoul grapple hopefully with
lnshrinking confidence with the duties Of the
present and near future.
ORIGIN OF THE PARTY.
Recurring to the origin, Republicans will
remember, when the land was the theater
of . stern and irrepressiole conflict between
the demons Of slavery and caste and the
spirit of liberty and equality, when the slave
power held great interests and powerful or
CARNATIONS in its grasp, and ruled the ma
ton with imperial sway, that tho founders
of the party, instructed by passing events,
with convictions deepened and zeal quick
encd by the teachings OF history and of holy
writ, and inspired by the deathless words Of
the patriots, statesmen aud heroes Of our
earlier time, rose to the exigencies of the
hour, opposed the naughty ambitions, the
maddening passions, the cruel prejudices
and the disorganizing theories of the ad-
ministrating majority; and. although long
overborne BY numbers, still struggled on
amid jeers, insults mubs, blows and assas.
sinations, till, under the lead of Abraham
Lincold, they achieved success and grasped
the sccpter OF political power.
| ITS SECOND ERA.
Entering upon its second era, appalling
responsibilities at once arose. The slave
masters, in the pride and arrogance Of pow
-r, instantly plunged The nation into the fire
and blood of civil war. But the Republi-
can party rose with the crisis. Il raised
money in unslinted measure, organized vas.
.rmies, created powerful Eavies. fought
! bloody battles. crashed the most gigantic
rebellion OF all recorded history, and saved
the na,icn's life. 1t was then, amid the
clash of arms, that the Republican party
saw lha, slavery was the relentless and un-
nppeasable foe Of the country, was the in.
spira,ion, the heart and soul of that civil
war, and that its death would be the ami
hilation Of the rebellion, the unity Of the
Republic and the development OF free insti.
,utions. Against cowardly fears, selfish in
stiucts and unreasonable passions and pref
uAices, It pronounced the doom Of that
hideous and horrid system Of human bond.
age, though it was upheld by the a,grega,
ted interests Of three thousand millions Of
dollars, hedged about by the accumulated
passions and pre)udices, prides and ambi-
tons of seven generations, and intrenched
within the social, political and ecclesiast-
cal organizations and affiliations Of life. BY
q series Of executive and legislative acts it
broke the chains and lifted from the depths
Of chattehood up to the submits of man.
hood, four and half millions Of hapless
bondsmen, and stood before the nation with
their riven fetters in ore hand and their
title deeds to freedom H. the other.
THE THIRD ERA.
The war ended, the rebellion subdued,
the bondmen emancipated, the Republican
party entered upon the third era Of lis event
ful history. Though conquered by arms,
the rebels did not accept the just, humane
and generous ideas Of the vicors, nor did
they return to their proper allegiance and
loyalty to the Government, but still bemoan-
ing the "lost cause they remained unsub-
dued in will and uurepentant in spirit and
purpose. Though made free the bondmen
we're homeless, without property, without
employment, subject to the cruel laws
agsins, free people of color, which had al
ways disgraced Southern Legislation, and in
the midst of people exaspcrated BY de-
feat, and maddened BY their loss Of power
still longer to hold and oppress. Property
Was swept away, industry disorganized, So
ciety disintegrsted, and States we're without
lawful Governments.
| THE WORK OF RECONSTRUCTION.
Upon the Republican party devolved the
task of reconstruction. To its intrinsic diff.
| ficulties we're added the intense hostility Of
the ex-rebels, the lingering prejudices long
cngendered by the slave system? the timid
counsels Of conservatism and the apostacy
| Of the Executive. Great interests and pow.
erful combinations sought so 10 reconstruct
the South as to place the power in the hands
| Of the late siave-holding class, and leave
the helpless freedmen in the abject condi.
ton of practical serfdom. Seldom in his
tory has there been imposed upon any body
or mon n work Of greater magnitude or diff