Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-08-31

s COUNTY, O., THURsl
that the Republican party is favor
liable to this. but they have spokel
of it in a way which might leav'
that impression upon their hearers
The truth is, the Republican admin
istrations have been especially Wig
ilant:.in prohibiting this is only wha
might be expected from a party
which has fairly earned the title O
the party of humanity. The act O
Congress of February 18th, 1862
makes participation in the Coolit
trade by fine and Imprisonment
This act was passed by a Republican
Congress, and believe it to be the
first law upon this subject enacted
by our National Legislature. Oul
Executive has used the greatest dill
igence in the faithful execution ol
this law. When l served as United
States Consul abroad, under Presi-
dent Lincoln, l repeatedly received
circulars from Mr.. Seward urging
upon the Diplomatic and Consular
representatives of the country,a "a care
full inspection of all our vessels en-.
tering foreign ports, which might
be suspected of having Coolies on
board. These orders from home
obeyed to the best of my ability,
though am happy to say, that ]
never caught any Of my countrymen
engaged in this infamous traffic.
The Republican party, we may rest
assured will never favor this trade,
and we may hope that this will be
true of the Democratic party also.
Thus, 1 trust, the Coolie trade will
be prohibited, and few Cinnamon
will reach this country in other ways
except those who naturally come in
the interests of trade-a sort of i'm
migration to which it has neither
polite nor right to object.
4. l will also admit that Civil
Service Reform is not a party issue,
as both parties call for this most de-
sirable reform in their platforms
of this year. 1t must not be forgot
ten, however, that a Republican
Congress was the first Congress
whose discussions reused the coun-
try to a consideration of this impor-
tant subject, and the first Congress
which passed a Civil Service act, and
that the present administration is the
only one which has attempted, by the
appointment of able and learned
commissioners, to devise thorough
and effective System for the re-or-
ganization of the Civil Service of the
country.
WHAT ARE ISSUES.
But it is time to inquire what are
issues between the two parties.
!. answer, in the first place, the
great issue-that around which the
battle will be the hottcst-is that
which relates to the equal protec-
tion OF all classes of the people in
their constitutional rights, without
distinction of race, color, or re-
ligion.
To understand the Importance of
this point, let US look for a moment
at the political situation. In the
midst Of the struggle for the preser-
vation Of the Union, the govern
ment, in order to preserve its very
life, emancipated four millions of
human beings in single hour. 1t
was done, perhaps, at the very mo-
ment of highest irritation on the
part of the dominant class. 1 do
not charge anything monstrous upon
our Southern neighbors, 1 only as
sumo that they have our common
human nature, when I state that
their rage at President Lincoln's
Proclamation was like that of a lion
when some strong arm tears the prey
from his mouth. Since that time
we have proceeded further, and have
the freedman to con-
front his old master at the polls
with ballot in his hand. We can
easily imagine, that this has not
been favorable for restoring COM
placency to the masters wounded
pride. By our own act we have
thus placed the freedmen in a situa-
ton where they are peculiarly ex-
posed to oppressive annoyances.
Besides these, there has been, and
still is, a considerable number of
men in the South whose sympathies
are with the Federal government,
and who are worse hated than are
the freedmen. What might have
been expected has followed. These
classes have been bitterly persecut-
ed. To this fact we have the sworn
of large numbers of re-
spectacle people-the testimony ofl
State and Federal officers-of law
yers, clergymen, physicians, and
teachers-of the victims of violence,
and, in some cases, of the
guilty participants in it. One big,
thick book of such testimony was
reported to the Senate of the last
Congress, and joint committee of
the two Houses of the present Con-
gress is preparing another, to lay |
before us next winter. If anything
can be established by testimony, |
this fact has been established-that |
throughout large portions of
the Southern States, a state of So
ciety exists which is found in no
other civilized country.
In such neighborhoods 1t has
been dangerous for men to express
their political convictions, or to
vote in accordance with them, when
not in harmony with those of the
Did ruling classes. Men have been
taken from their beds at midnight |
by masked ruffians and have been |
whipped or put to death, or have
stood by to see their dwellings
burned to the ground, because they
have voted the Republican ticket. |
Whipping, arson, and murder are
The instruments which these new
missionaries have employed for the
propagation of their political faith.
many cases of this kind
have occurred, it has not yet ap-
peared that single conviction for