The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-07-12

they, my friends, in accepting these
principles? Their leaders find it nee.
essary to say so. They know they can,
not obtain control of the Government
as the Democratic party; they know
that the verdict of this nation is against
that party. Therefore, they must pro.
fess before the world to have discarded
their old principles and adopted new
ones.
My friend Mr.. Hendricks said in his
speech in the convention here - ".We
have this day turned our backs upon
the past. We now stand in the present,
and we look forward to the great future.
The past is gone" Now. in all serious
ness, was any public man ever before
called upon to make such humiliating
confession THAT great party at the
head of its career can only go before
the country by saying: "We turn our
backs upon the past; we confess that
we have been wrong; we acknowledge
our errors; we cut loose from the past,
and We look only to the future" The
prodigal son, after he had exhausted
his substance, came back to his fathers
house, asking to be forgiven, and with
promises of beginning life anew and
doing better. All that the Democratic
party can say now upon entering this
canvass is that we agree to cut loose
from all our old principles; we divorce
ourselves from all our past history, as
Var as possible; We intend TO start in
life anew; we accept all the principles
of Horace Greeley and the Cincinnati
platform.
But now l ask you very briefly, in
conclusion, have they turned their
backs upon the past, and can they do
it? Is it in the possibilities of parties?
Is it in the possibilities of human ma
ture? Why, the Democratic party has
an education running back for q quar-
ter of century or more. 1t has an
experieace. They have declared their
principles from time to time. They
Ieasserted them within three months.
They are old doctrines. Have they
changed their minds? What the Dem
ocratic party believed six, twelve, twen-
ty.four months ago they believe to-
night. They cannot help it. Men can
change their actions, but they cannot
change their convictions. God alone
can make change in the hearts and
consciences of men. But 3 Democratic
Convention can't do that. They may
profess}new convictions, but they do not,
they cannot entert in them. They can
no more lay aside their convictions than
they can their experience. Take the
Democracy of the South. Do y0n be-
lieve they have fallen in line with Re
publican principles Do you believe
they love the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
Amendments any better than they did
six months or a year ago? No, they do
not. Tney may agree to support Hor-
ace Greeley and to take the principles
of the Cincinnati Convention, but they
have not changed their minds.
Now that brings me to the peint. II
the Democratic party shall come into
power, under whatever name or stan
dard, when once they have received the
reins they will carry out the cid Demo
cratic doctrines. Does any intelligent
man doubt that for one moment? Do
we not know that this thing has been
done merely for the purpose of gaining
power-to secure secessions from the
Republican party, which, added to the
Democracy, will give them the majority
and enable them to seize control of this
Government? Start upon the hypoth-
esis that this is their purpose, consider
for few moments what they would do
should they come into power. My
friends, would just as soon the Demo
cratic party would elect Horatio Sey-
mour or Frank Blair President as to
elect Horace Greeley or any man who
has ever been a Republican, but who
will lend himself to them for their votes
and for power. Do you suppose that
this small body who call themselves
Liberal Republicans mere handful
can leaven the whole Democratic party?
Not bit of it. They will be dissolved
like flies in vinegar. Instead of the
Democracy coming to them, they will
go to the Democracy. A renegade Re
publican elected by Democratic votes,
knowing that he owes his Office to them,
surrounded by Democrats in his Cabi-
net, and socially and politically, in his
daily goings in and out care not
what may have been his original pur-
pose-human nature is mslleable,
| anu tuat ulAu WOuIu lHcNiedoiy VoAAO
under Democratic influence and become
one Of them. Therefore, as before re-
marked, l would in fact prefer that
they should take man of their own
party, a consistent Democrat of high
character, rather than a renegade Re.
publican who is athirst for Office, and
who will sell himself out for their vote.
The Republican party will 60 forward
as it has done before we have our can
didates in the field i; our principles are
inscribed upon our banners; they are
side by side with our victories, civil and
military, for the last ten years; the
brightest political record in this or any
other country and, gentlemen, w
shall triumph; 1 have no doubt Of it
believe we are destined to obtain I
greater Republican triumph than VI
have yet had our policy conceded, ou
principles not now denied, our enemie
compelled to sail under false colOrs
and the prosperity of the nation speak
ing in thunder tones for US ia ever.
State of the Union, we have never ha'
such prospects for victory.
l BINDING THE WORLD TooErHER.-Whil
+ the new ocean cable is in process 9
manufacture in England, another sui
| .u>.,;., line hos haau laid batwpen III