Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-01-18
THE PARTY OF PERFORMlNCES.

transformatOry decade OF our national =
No other political Organi- L
zatiOn Of this country has ever for so II
long a period held the reins Of govern n
ment, or so fully and securely main {
tanned its possession Of the confidence, {
affections and support OF the people 9
This is mainly due to the fact that Il Z
is and has been not merely q party Of {
promises, but pre-eminently and en- !
phatically a party OF performance Z
not a party intent principally upon {
securing the hOnOrs and eInOluments (
Of Office, and imbued with "the eOhe- {
sive power Of the public plunder, but {
a party actuated BY the highest and
uOblest motives and aspirations, and
jealous for the realization in practice
OF great and beneheent principles.
That peTceptiye instinct which so dis
tinguishes the masses, and which is
50 uneTTing when fairly aroused, pen
etrating all disguises and detecting !
the hOllOWness Of all mere professions.
was not slow to understand and ap-
preciate the earnestness manifested
by the new organization in all il pro-
posed or did. The very large vote
which it received in the Presidential
election Of 1856, both signalized the
deep root Republican doctrines had
taken in the popular mind, and fore
shadOWed their ultimate triumph, for
its ranks were recruited from the
thinking, self-reliant, fearless, influ-
ential, progressive clas1es OF society
men whose convictions found express
sion in their ballots and whose hearts
found expression in their convictions.
Entering, in 1851, upon the first
stage Of its successful career. the first
principle Of its duty was to preserve
the integrity Of the Union. The 4
/ secession leaders had set up two pre-
[ lenses that had baffied the logic and /
/ demOralized the resolution Of the De- I.
/ mOcracy in pOwer-frst, that the peO- |
/ pie owe paramount allegiance to the /
State Of which they are citizens, and |
only subordinate allegiance 10 the
/ United States; second, that the Gen
eral Government possesses no eOnsti- I
tutiOnal authority to cOeree any with
drawing State into obedience to the
supreme law. These gordian knots of
scholastic ingenuity and Southern
seetiOnalism the Republican party
promptly severed with the sword
rescued the national life from attempt
ed assassination frustrated at every
point the reasonable purposes of the
slave-hOlding Oligarehy; forever set
tied political issues that had distract
ed and endangered the country for
thirty years; and restored the ties Of
obligation and the duty of fidelity
which temporarily has been broken.
The second accomplishment of the
Republican party was the destruction
Of slavery. Amid such a clash of Op-
posing forces, its downfall was newt
able. Once arrayed against each 9TH
er in a mortal struggle, there could be
no possible compromise between the
party Of freedom and the party of op-
preston. The former maintained
that all men should be made equal be
fore the law, as they are in the sight
of their common Creator, demanded
the diffusion Of knowledge, because it
> is the only safeguard OF republican in
stitutiOns; advocated the protection
= which draws grains from our native
E fields, lumber from our native forests,
iron and coal from our native mines,
and ingen8ity, skill and labor from
) the free minds and willing hands Of
: our own people; and desired to cover
I the country with railroads and canals,
: 70 promote the happiness Of the toll
: ing masses, and bind them together in
!, the indissoluble bonds OF interest and
!, affection. The latter upheld an aris-
, tOeraey founded on the humiliation Of
!. labor; cherished ignorance as the only
n means OF perpUfuating cnaTUeITsIn
9 favored the pernIelous policy which
q impOVerishes the soil In producing
: raw materials for export to CONNER
/ eial nations abroad and left noun
i tain, rayine and Water-eourse shOal, tC
o present all their natural obstacles tC
n internal trade and free lOcOmOtiOn
e because railroads, canals and river
It were highways for the escape o
3 bOndsmen. These inclinatiOns, facul
n ties and barriers which the party o
= oppression erected athWart the path
way of human progress, were swep
.e out Of existence by the party Of free
, dom-the party Of justice-the Re
n publican party. In their stead wa
$ established in practice the benefieen
le doctrine that every man permanently
5 residing in a community is a membe
d Of the State, obliged to submit to Il
o rule, and therefore entitled equal,
J. with every other man to participat
Of in its government. Reconstruction
n then, now about completed, repre-
i. sents and embOdies the interests G
N political equality, of national unity, c
st free institutions, Of development {
our domestic resources, of the right
he OF labor, of popular education, and {
lt moderation and peace. In eOnsC
le quence, the country occupies highe
er levels Of civilization than it did te
DO years ago. This fruitiOn any part
in might point 10 with glowing satisfa6
ton and honest pride as one of its nC
IN blest and most fruitful achievement:
Il Another signal performance of th
ly Republican party is its tariff legisls
Id tiOn, which although less eOuspieuOu
st in its working and influences, prObs
in bly, accomplished as much tOWar
as bringing the war 10 q successful tel
ne minatiOn as councils in the Cabinet {
en- armies in the field. Dependence,
en- such a mortal emergency, upon fOl
= eign markets, could not have failed
&C. operate disastrOusly upon our eaus'
nd and might have proved fatal to ]
n Among governments across the A
is lantic we had few friends, and man
ed that were always secretly and SOM
IOl times almost openly hostile; and
.ty would have been an at Of the s.
IS premest folly to have left our con
rs, meTce, external and internal, to Il
he mercy of our enemies. With peri
eopic wisdom a Republican COngre
eOmprehended the necessities OF Il
situation, and with eOmmendab
prOmptness enacted that code Of b
ng neficent regulations which free II
'ed ders delight to stigmatize aS "bill
TO abOminationsn-the MORRILL, tart
nd To suit existing circumstances, or
lii provide for approaching eOntinge
Iu- eies, its details have undergone 7
Ice vision and modification on sever
occasions, yet It's principle has 7
IN mained upon the national statut
by book untouched. That its geneI
Is, features and unmistakRble poll
10 have been popular with the vOtil
Ia masses, is made certain by tbs
,ur numerous testiicatiOns Of cOSfidenC
:, proofs Of satisfaction, and marks
OF approval, exhibited in the most =
ere emn and deliberate way practical
ley for American freemen to express the
ST. preferences and cOnvictiOns-thrOui
'ay the baliOt-bOx, in q lOng-cOntinu
~, series OF sterling majOrities. Indee
eII the Republican prepOnderanee in DO
Iul branches of Congress has been
an largely and so uninterruptedly mai
lg- tanned that some good citizens ha
been inclined to regard it as cause
lay regret rather than graduation,