The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-08-16
RECONCILIATION.

Let reconciliation be the watch
word of the campaign, were the noble
words of Horace Greeley in accepting
the nomination for the Presidency
Is this sentiment endorsed by the
Northern people, who were yictors in
the bloody struggle between the late
contending sections of our country, is
the question to be decided at the polls
next November? The Southern peo-
pie gave an affirmative response to
to the same inquiry, when the intelli-
gent masses of the States South ac-
cepted Mr.. Greeley as their candidate
in the present political contest. Ii
now remains for the Northern peo-
pie to prove to the world the truth or
1alsity of their oft-repeated declara
tion that they fought for the perpetu
ity of Republican freedom and not Tor
conquest and spoils. If the Ameri-
can people are what they claim to be,
and what they once were, to doubt
their decision of the question now of
fered for their solution, is an insult to
their intelligence and a base imputa-
tion against their National honor
The noblest impulses of the human
heart and the lottiest aspirations of
the soul prompt honorable men to
mutual forgiveness of injuries, real or
imaginary. Enemies in war, in peace
friends" were the words of the faith
ers of the Republic when the immor-
tai Declaration was issued to the
world. Have their children become
SO degenerate that they have forgot
ten those glorious precepts? Have
revenge, avarice and sordid ambition
for power stiied every remembrance
of the past and hope for the future in
the hearts of majority of the peo-
pie? We know there are many who,
for want of knowledge of the
corruption among those who are con-
ducting public affairs, continue, by
their action, to give an affirmative an
sWer- For such there is a chance for
reformation. But majority of the
leaders of the party in power act
with a full knowledge of the conse-
quences which are certain to follow
their continued control of the gov
ernment- They are not ignorant of
the lessons of history; they know
that human liberty can only be strick-
en- down where public virtue has been
prostituted, and the love of freedom
subordinated by lust for selfish ag-
grandlzement and individual indui-
gence. And knowing this they labor
for its accomplishment. Men who
profess to be christian teachers NAV
be found in every community who will
not dare to deny the prohigacy of
President Grant and the officials with
whom he has associated himself, yet
who will apologize for their crimes
by saying that sail public men are
more or less corrupted in morals by
the possession of power" What a
bowing down at the feet of Mammon:
what a compromise between right
and wrong, liberty and slavery, the
devil and righteousness. And it is
from this class ofhypocrites and knaves
we hear the Ioudest clamor against
reconciliation and return to peace
and good government. They cannot
prosper where social and political
harmony hold sway. Like noisome
toads they fatten in the atmosphere OF
the dungeon and revel in the track of
civil war where the widow and the
fatherless cry to heaven for redress
of wrongs long endured. No sound is
SO inspiring to their ears; no air SO
grateful to their lungs.
But the signs of promise are bright
ening in the political heavens. The
people are awakening from their
deah-like stupor- Hypocrites, plum
derers and political harlequins have
seen their day, while
.'The Blue and Gray, in fierce array.
No local hates dissvver;
Strike hands once more from shore to shore, |
The North and South forever"