The semi-weekly Republican. (St. Francisville, La.) 1872-1872, 1872-06-28
NEW SERIES |. No. S3.
Appeal to the Republican,
Party.

Appeal to the Republican,
Party. iL
To the Republican party, devoted
to ideas and principles, I turn now
with more thsn ordinary solicitude.
Not willing can I see it sacrificed
Not without earnest effort against
the betrayed can I suffer its ideas
and principles to be lost in the per-
sonal pretensions Of one man. Both
the old parties are in a crises, with
this difference between the two
The Democracy is dissolving the
Republican party is being absorbed.
The Democracy is falling apart, thus
losing its vital unity /; the Republi-
can party is submitting to a personal
influence, thus visibly losing its vital
character. The Democracy is ceas-
ing to exist. The Republican party
islosing its identity. Let the pro-
cess be completed, and it will be no
longer that Republican party which
I helped to found and have always
served, but only personal party,
while instead of those ideas and
principles which we have been SO
proud to uphold with the Presiden-
tial pretensicns, and instead Of Re-
publicanism there will be nothing
but Grantism. Political parties are
losing their sway. Higher than par
ty are country and the duty to save
it from Caesar. The caucus is at last
understood as a political engine,
moved by wire-pullers, and it be-
comes more insupportable in proper
ton as directed to personal ends /;
nor is its character changed when
called National Convention. Here
too are wire-pullers, and when the
great oficeholder and the great Of
fceseeker are one and the same, it is
easy to see how naturally the engine
responds to the central touch. A
political convention is an agency and
conveniece, but never law, least of
all a despotism f; and when it seeks
to impose candidate whose name
is synonym Of pretensions unre-
publican in character and hostile to
good government, it will be for earn
est Republicans to consider well how
clearly party is subordinate to coun-
try. Such a nomination can have
no just obligation. Therefore with
unspeakable interest will the coun-
try watch the National Convention
at Philadelphia. It may be an as
sembly (and such is my hope y
: where ideas and principles are above
all personal pretensions, and the
. unity of the party is symbolized in
the candidate, or it may add another
> to Presidential Rings, being an ex-
4 pansion of the Military Ring at the
1 Executive Mansion, the Senatorial
Ring in this Chamber, and the po-
t litical ring in the Customhouses OF
e New-York and New Orleans. A Ma
e tional Convention which is Presi-
i, dental Ring cannot represent the
Republican party. Much rather
would I see party to which I an
. dedicated, under the image of a life
I' boat not to be sunk by wind or wave
i How often have I said this to chez
: nv comrades. I do not fear thu
= Democratic party. Nothing from
+ them can harm our life-boat. But
IL do fear quaralsome pilot, unused
y to the seal but pretensions in com
u mand, who occupies himself in load
Il ing aboard his own unserviceable re
'1' lations and personal patrons Will
- he drives away the experienced sea
i men who know the craft and he
40 40 voyage. Here is peril which n
a. life-boat can stand.-Speech Of Cha
- Summer.
be Early rising was once an indlc'
IN Ii.cl LII sao.., Il s1a6ionf.